NSF STEM Scholarships for students in Water Resource Science and Engineering degree programs at OSU

What are the scholarships?

Scholarships consist of an annual stipend of up to $10,000 a year along with tuition remission fellowships to eligible students in the Water Resources Science and Engineering degree programs. Students can also receive additional support through paid internships and/or graduate research and teaching assistantships. Stipends are available for two years to Master’s students and for three years for PhD students.

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When are applications due?

Applications are due on the first Friday in January; in 2018 that date is January 5, 2018.

Who is eligible?

To be eligible, students must be U.S. citizens, have demonstrated financial need, meet admission requirements, and be either a first-generation college student or member of an underrepresented minority. Underrepresented minorities include Native Americans, Hispanics, and African-Americans. For the purpose of these scholarships, women in science or engineering are not considered members of an underrepresented minority.

What is the purpose of the scholarships?

These scholarships are provided through a grant to OSU Water Resources Graduate Program from the National Science Foundation to help increase the US capacity in the hydrologic sciences and water resources engineering, and to enhance diversity in these fields of study and professions.

How can I apply?

To apply for the NSF STEM Scholarships, you must complete the regular application process required for all applicants to the Water Resources Science and Water Resources Engineering degree program. In addition, you must include the following information in the first paragraph of your statement of purpose:

  1. you must state that you wish to be considered for a STEM Scholarship,
  2. you must describe how you meet each of the eligibility requirements (citizenship, financial need, and either first generation of your family to attend college or a member of an underrepresented minority),
  3. the remaining sections of the statement of purpose should provide the same information requested of all applicants to the program (such as information about the student’s career goals, unique experiences that have shaped their interests, any research experience, their preparation for graduate school, their general area of research in which they are interested, and the names of faculty members with whom they hope to work.)

Applicants can view faculty profiles and learn about their research expertise by visiting our Faculty web page. Click on names of the faculty members listed there to view individual faculty web pages, read about their current research projects and publications.

How do I demonstrate financial need?

Applicants must also complete the FAFSA in order to have their level of financial need assessed by the OSU Office of Financial Aid. For graduate students, financial need is normally easy to demonstrate because parents’ income is not included.

How will candidates be selected?

Applications will be reviewed by a selection committee using the same criteria as all applicants to the program. Successful applicants will be those with strongest backgrounds in their undergraduate academic coursework, experience, whose well-written statement of purpose convinces the selection committee that they are prepared for and committed to graduate study in the water science and engineering fields.

What if I have other questions?

If you have more questions about the application process, contact Cat Mullins at [email protected]. If you have questions about the degree programs or the STEM Scholarship program, please contact the Director of the Water Resources Graduate Program, Dr. Mary Santelmann, at [email protected].

Information for students who already have a STEM Scholarship:

Students can visit www.pathwaystoscience.org to search for education and career training opportunities in STEM:

  • 650+ Paid summer research experiences for undergraduates
  • 300+ Graduate fellowships, mentoring and professional development opportunities
  • 250+ Post-doctoral opportunities

Also, sign up to receive timely information about funding, research and professional development opportunities and upcoming deadlines by filling out their on-line form at http://www.pathwaystoscience.org/Form.asp.

Students can also access insights and advice from peers in the field in our Webinar Archives, http://www.pathwaystoscience.org/webinars.asp, on topics such as Funding Your Graduate Education.

If you have a student or group of outstanding students, submit student profiles and highlight inspirational efforts on www.pathwaystoscience.org using our web form at the following link: http://www.pathwaystoscience.org/profileform.asp. Here is an example of a profile of a 2012 REU participant: http://www.pathwaystoscience.org/Profiles.asp?student=AllenJorda.

STEM Scholarship Announcement