AAUW International Post-doc Fellowships for Female Researchers, USA

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nternational Fellowships are awarded for full-time study or research in the United States to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Both graduate and postgraduate studies at accredited U.S. institutions are supported.

Applicants must have earned the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree by November 15, 2018, and must have applied to their proposed institutions of study by the time of the application. Up to five International Master’s/First Professional Degree Fellowships are renewable for a second year; fellows will receive application information for this competitive program.

Recipients are selected for academic achievement and demonstrated commitment to women and girls. Recipients return to their home countries to become leaders in business, government, academia, community activism, the arts, and sciences.

About the Fellowships

Originally designed to provide Latin American women opportunities for graduate and postgraduate study in the U.S., the International Fellowships program awarded its first fellowship in 1917. The program now includes women from around the world, and International Fellowships have been awarded to more than 3,600 women from more than 150 nations.

Award Amounts

• Master’s/first professional degree: $18,000
• Doctoral: $20,000
• Postdoctoral: $30,000

Time line

International Fellowships Application Instructions

Program Purpose

AAUW’s International Fellowship program has been in existence since 1917. The program provides support for women pursuing full-time graduate or postdoctoral study in the U.S. who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. A limited number of awards are available for study outside of the U.S. (excluding the applicant’s home country) to women who are members of Graduate Women International (see the list of GWI affiliates). Preference is given to women who show prior commitment to the advancement of women and girls through civic, community, or professional work.

Up to five International Fellowships for master’s/first professional degrees will be renewable for a second year; fellows will receive application information for this competitive program during their fellowship year.

Applications for AAUW International Fellowships are open August 1–November 15

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Award Amounts

• Master’s/first professional degree: $18,000
• Doctoral: $20,000
• Postdoctoral: $30,000

Time Line

November 15, 2018, by 11:59 p.m. Central Time
Deadline for online submission of application, recommendations, and supporting documents.

April 15, 2019
Notification of decisions emailed to all applicants. AAUW is not able to honor requests for earlier notification.

July 1, 2019–June 30, 2020
Fellowship year

When a deadline or notification date falls on a weekend, the date will be observed on the following business day.

Eligibility

International Fellowships are not open to previous recipients of any AAUW national fellowship or grant (not including branch or local awards or Community Action Grants). Members and officers of the AAUW Board of Directors are not eligible to apply for fellowships and grant awards. AAUW staff or volunteers with decision-making authority who wish to apply for an award must recuse themselves from the decision-making process.

Unsuccessful applicants may reapply.

To be eligible for an International Fellowship, applicants must meet the following criteria:

• Have citizenship in a country other than the U.S. or possession of a nonimmigrant visa if residing in the U.S. Women who are currently, or expect to be during the fellowship year, a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or dual citizen with the U.S. and another country are not eligible.
• Hold an academic degree (earned in the U.S. or abroad) equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree completed by November 15, 2018.
• Intend to devote herself full-time to the proposed academic plan during the fellowship year
• Intend to return to her home country to pursue a professional career
• Be proficient in English. Unless the applicant can verify that her native language is English (written statement required), that she received her secondary diploma or undergraduate degree from an English-speaking institution (transcript required), or that she will have completed one semester of full-time study in her discipline at an English-speaking college or university between November 2016 and November 2018 (transcript required), she must upload a recent ETS TOEFL* (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score (no older than November 2016). Institutional TOEFL scores and other English proficiency test scores (such as IELTS) will not be accepted. Minimum score acceptable: 550 for Paper-Based Test (TOEFL PBT); 79 for Internet-Based Test (TOEFL iBT); 60 for Revised TOEFL Paper-Delivered Test.
• Master’s/first professional degree and doctoral applicants must have applied by November 15, 2018, to an accredited institution of study for the period of the fellowship year and must indicate the name of the institution in the International Fellowship application.
• Master’s/first professional degree fellowships are intended for master’s or professional degree-level programs such as J.D., M.F.A., L.L.M., M.Arch., or medical degrees such as M.D., D.D.S., etc.
• Doctoral fellowships are intended for doctorate degrees, such as Ph.D. or Ed.D.
• Postdoctoral applicants must provide proof of their doctorate degree; hold a doctorate classified as a research degree (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D., D.B.A., D.M.) or an M.F.A. by November 15, 2018; and indicate where they will conduct their research.
• Master’s/first professional degree and doctoral applicants must be enrolled in a U.S. accredited institution located in the U.S. during the fellowship year.
• A limited number of awards are available to GWI members for study or research in any country other than their own. Note that foreign branches of U.S. institutions are considered outside of the U.S.
• Applicants must be conducting a full year of study or research. International Fellowships do not provide funding for a partial year of study or research. Programs ending prior to April of the fellowship year are not eligible.
• Master’s/first professional degree and doctoral fellowships support traditional classroom-based courses of study at colleges or universities. This fellowship program does not provide funding for distance-learning or online programs or for degrees heavily dependent on distance-learning components. Final decisions about what constitutes distance learning under these fellowships will be made by AAUW.

*TOEFL is given at designated test centers throughout the world. Applicants planning to take the TOEFL should check test locations, dates, and formats and take the test as early as possible. The code for AAUW is 9231. This code must be written on the test registration form so that the scores will be reported directly to AAUW and score report request form for tests previously taken. TOEFL is changing to an internet-based test and will be administered through the internet in most countries. Questions? Contact the U.S. Embassy in the applicant’s country. You can also write to: ETS TOEFL at TOEFL Services, Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6151, Princeton, NJ 08541-6151 USA; visit their website, ets.org/toefl; fax 610.290.8972; call 609.771.7100; or email toefl@ets.org.

Criteria for Selection and Application Review

The International Fellowships Panel meets once a year to review applications for funding. Awards are based on the selection criteria outlined on this page. Recommendations by the panel are subject to final approval by the AAUW Board of Directors. Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis according to funds available in a given fiscal year. To ensure a fair and objective review process, it is the policy of AAUW not to comment on the deliberations of its award panels. No provisions exist for reconsideration of grant proposals after the board has acted. AAUW does not provide evaluations of successful or unsuccessful applications. Applications and supporting documents become the sole property of AAUW and will neither be returned nor held for another year.

• Applicant residing in home country at time of application will receive special consideration
• Position on return to home country
• Academic and/or professional qualifications
• Applicant’s commitment to the advancement of women and girls in her home country
• Proposed time schedule
• Quality and feasibility of proposed plan of study or research
• Demonstrated evidence of prior community and/or civic service in home country
• Applicant’s country’s need for the specialized knowledge or skill
• Financial need
• Motivation for graduate study or research
• Applicant is from an underrepresented area of the country and/or type of university other than a top-level research institution

Regulations

International Fellowship funds are available for

• Educational expenses
• Living expenses
• Dependent child care
• Travel to professional meetings, conferences, or seminars, as long as it does not exceed 10 percent of the fellowship

International Fellowship funds are NOT available for

• Purchase of equipment
• Indirect costs
• Research assistants
• Previous expenditures, deficits, or repayment of loans
• Publication costs
• Institutional (overhead) costs
• Tuition for dependent’s education
• Grants-in-aid for less than a full academic year or travel grants
• Travel to or from a fellow’s home country
• Travel to or from the fellow’s research location, if abroad (does not apply to fellows who are GWI members with AAUW approval to study or research in a country other than their own)

With some exceptions based on relevant tax treaties, the fellowship stipend is subject to a 14 percent tax. AAUW will withhold these funds for payment to the U.S. IRS.

AAUW regards the acceptance of a fellowship as a contract requiring fulfillment of the following terms:

• All International Fellowship recipients are required to sign a contract as acceptance of the award. Retain these instructions as they will become part of the fellowship contract if the applicant is awarded a fellowship.
• An International Fellow is expected to pursue her project full time during the fellowship year (July 1–June 30). No partial fellowships are awarded. Fellowships may not be deferred.
• The International Fellowship dollar amount must be larger than any other single award or paying position (excluding sabbatical support or support from a program that is the functional equivalent of sabbatical leave) received during the fellowship year and must be acknowledged as the major award. Acceptance of concurrent funds of a lesser amount than the AAUW award is permitted but requires prior written approval of AAUW.
• Any changes in plans for the fellowship year must have the prior written approval of AAUW. AAUW must be notified promptly of any change in the status of an application resulting from acceptance of another award.
• Fellows may spend up to two months travelling abroad for research related to their project plan with prior written approval of AAUW.
• Fellows may work up to 15 hours a week or teach one section of one course, with prior written approval of AAUW.
• Stipend checks are made payable to fellows only, not to institutions.

Required Components

Start the application process by clicking on the link to access the application and create an account through our vendor site. Complete all required components in the following tabs.

• Eligibility: Applicants must pass the eligibility quiz to be reviewed by the selection panel.
• Applicant
• Recommendations: Provide three recommenders who are professors or professional colleagues well acquainted with you, your work, and your academic background, in striving towards scholarly pursuits. When possible, recommenders should be professors or professional colleagues in the applicant’s home country who can speak about the applicant’s qualifications and about the country’s need for the specialized skill or knowledge she plans to acquire with her proposed study or research. AAUW does not accept references from dossier services.
• Academics
• Narratives
• Budget
• Uploads:
  • Proof of highest degree — applicant will upload transcripts** from the college or university where the highest degree (not a certificate) was obtained.
    • Transcripts must include a list of courses taken and grades received.
    • If the institution does not provide a transcript or a list of courses taken and grades received or the degree did not require coursework, an official letter* from the institution where the degree was received that includes the degree completion date must be uploaded.
    • Do not upload copies of additional certificates or other documents the applicant may have received during her education.
  • Proof of current enrollment (currently-enrolled applications only) — applicant will upload transcripts**/lists of courses/institution letters from the college or university in which the applicant is currently enrolled, if she is enrolled.
    • Transcripts must include a list of courses taken and grades received.
    • Many transcripts do not include current coursework. If fall 2018 semester grades are not available and are not on your transcript, a list of courses taken that semester must be provided by the institution’s Office of the Registrar.
    • If the institution does not provide a transcript or a list of courses taken and grades received or the degree did not require coursework, an official letter* from the institution where the degree was received that includes the degree completion date must be uploaded.
  • Proof of bachelor’s degree — applicant will upload any one of the following:
    • Transcript** showing degree and date received (must be on or before November 15, 2018)
    • Copy of diploma showing date degree was received (must be on or before November 15, 2018)
    • Copy of acceptance letter to, or current enrollment in, a graduate-level program at a U.S. institution
  • Proof of doctorate or M.F.A. degree (postdoctoral applicants only) — applicant will upload any of the following:
    • Transcript** showing degree and date received (must be on or before November 15, 2018)
    • Official letter from institution where degree was received that includes the degree completion date
    • Copy of diploma showing date degree was received (must be on or before November 15, 2018)
  • Official report of TOEFL test scores or waiver request — applicant will upload report or waiver requirements based on criteria described above.
  • Letter of admission — applicant will upload a letter of admission* from the proposed institution of study or research.
    • If the applicant has not been accepted at the time of application, she must list the name of at least one institution to which she has applied.
    • Fellows must provide official confirmation from the institution with their acceptance materials.
• C.V./Résumé

*A certified English translation is required for all components provided in a foreign language. Translations must bear a mark of certification or official signature that the translation is true and complete.

** All transcripts provided must include the applicant’s full name, the school’s name, all courses, and all grades, as well as any other information requested in the application instructions.

Tips for Proposal Preparation

Read and follow all guidelines.

Many proposals are disqualified each year because applicants omit a key step in the guidelines or ignore instructions. If the applicant is unsure whether she is qualified to apply, email aauw@applyists.com for assistance.

Proofread all work thoroughly.

Proposals that are unclear or contain numerous mistakes distract the reviewer from focusing on the content and reflect poorly on the author’s ability to produce a high-quality product. Check to be sure that sentences are complete, clear, and grammatically correct.

Have someone else read the completed proposal.

An objective reader can often identify areas that need more explanation and may find errors the applicant has overlooked.

Be concise.

Reviewers must read dozens of proposals. Proposals that are clear and concise are more compelling.