Deadline: November 1, 2019
Applications for the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans 2020 are now open. Every year, The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans supports thirty New Americans, immigrants or the children of immigrants, who are pursuing graduate school in the United States.
Each Fellowship supports one to two years of graduate study in any field and in any advanced degree-granting program in the United States. Over the two years of the Fellowship, Fellows are required to attend the annual Fall Conference in New York City, which is fully paid for by the program. The Fall Conference takes place over a weekend in late October and is an opportunity for the new Fellows to get to know one another and the Fellowship staff, alumni, and community, celebrate, and examine the New American experience.
In addition, the director or deputy director of the Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships will visit each Fellow on their respective campus during the first fall semester of their Fellowship. The Fellowship funding should allow Fellows to focus on their studies full-time, which is why Fellows are not able to work full-time during their graduate program. Finally, Fellows are required to remain in good standing in their graduate program while receiving funding. At the close of their two years as an active fellow, Fellows must submit an exit report. More details on the visit and the requirements of the Fellowship are provided when selected applicants sign a contract with the Fellowship.
Fellowship
- Each Fellow receives up to $90,000 in financial support over two years, and they join a lifelong community of New American Fellows.
Eligibility
To be eligible, your birth parents must have both been born outside of the US as non-US citizens, and both parents must not have been eligible for US citizenship at the time of their births. In addition, one of the following must be true of you as of the November 1:
- Born in the US: You are a US citizen by birth and both of your parents were born abroad as non-US citizens.
- Born abroad:
- Naturalized Citizen: You have been naturalized as a US citizen either on your own or as a minor child under the application of one of your parents.
- Adopted: You were born outside of the US or one of its territories and were subsequently adopted by American parents and were awarded US citizenship because of your adoption.
- Green Card: You are in possession of a valid green card.
- Refugee & Asylees: You have been granted asylum or refugee status in the US.
- If None of the Other Categories Above Apply: Graduated from High School and College in the US: If none of the other categories apply to you and you were born abroad but graduated from both high school and college in the US (this includes current and past DACA recipients).
- If you were raised by only one of your birth parents, the following must be true:
- The parent who raised you must have been born abroad as a non-US citizen.
- Your second birth parent was not part of your life growing up and you have no contact with them.
- The fellowship is intended for immigrants and children of immigrants who are pursuing full-time graduate degrees at United States institutions.
- All students must be 30 or younger as of the application deadline.
Selection Criteria
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program uses three primary criteria for selection of Fellows:
- The candidate has demonstrated creativity, originality and initiative in one or more aspects of her/his life.
- The candidate has demonstrated a commitment to and capacity for accomplishment that has required drive and sustained effort.
- The candidate has demonstrated a commitment to the values expressed in the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. This would include, but not be limited to, support of human rights and the rule of law, opposition to unwarranted encroachment on personal liberty, and advancing the responsibilities of citizenship in a free society.
In addition, the program considers two further criteria:
- The candidate gives promise of continued significant contributions. Those contributions are likely to reflect distinctive creativity, originality and initiative and will mark the candidate as a leading and influential figure within her/his fields of endeavor.
- The candidate’s graduate training is relevant to her/his long-term career goals and is of potential value in enhancing her/his future creativity and accomplishment.
Application
For more information, see FAQ or visit Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships.
