Deadline: January 10, 2015
The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is accepting applications for the Selected Professions Fellowship. The AAUW Selected Professions Fellowships are awarded to women who intend to pursue a full-time course of study at accredited U.S. institutions during the fellowship year in one of the designated degree programs where women’s participation traditionally has been low (see list below). Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
About the Fellowship
Established in 1970 with a $25,000 grant from the Max C. Fleischmann Foundation, Selected Professions Fellowships originally focused on opening doors for women in the male-dominated fields of law and medicine. The focus has since expanded to include science and technology as the demand for a technologically skilled work force has grown without proportional representation by women.
Selected Professions Fellowships are awarded for the following master’s programs:
- Architecture
- Computer/information sciences
- Engineering
- Mathematics/statistics
Fellowships in the following degree programs are restricted to women of color, who have been underrepresented in these fields:
- Master’s in business administration — applicants may apply for second year of study only
- Law — applicants may apply for third year of study only
- Doctorate in medicine — applicants may apply for third or fourth year of study only
Eligibility
- Applicants must be full-time students at an accredited U.S. institution during the fellowship year, and should be pursuing a course of study in the U.S. over the full academic year. Priority is given to women who do not already hold a master’s or first professional degree.
- Open only to women from ethnic minority groups historically underrepresented in these designated fields within the United States: Black/African Americans, Mexican Americans, Puerto Ricans and other Hispanics, Native Americans/Alaska Natives and Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders.
Selection Criteria
In selecting fellowship recipients, the Selected Professions Fellowships’ panel will use the following criteria, weighted in order of importance:
- Professional promise and personal attributes, including:
- potential as a practicing professional and promise as a role model in new and innovative or nontraditional fields of study, research or practice
- intent to contribute (through chosen profession) to societal well-being and commitment to the advancement of women (50%)
- Academic excellence and related academic success indicators (40%)
- Financial need (10%)
- Special consideration will be given to applicants who demonstrate their intent to enter professional practice in disciplines in which women are underrepresented, to serve underserved populations and communities or to pursue public interest areas, and to applicants who are nontraditional students.
For more information, visit AAUW Selected Professions Fellowships.
