This document provides information about finding and applying for scholarships and awards at Indiana University. It lists resources for undergraduates, graduates, and specific departments. It discusses databases for finding awards and gives advice on developing relationships with professors. The document profiles past award recipients from IU and provides guidance on application components like statements of purpose, references, and transcripts. Overall, the document aims to help IU students identify and successfully apply for internal and external scholarship opportunities.

1. P A U L F O G L E M A N
U N D E R G R A D U A T E S C H O L A R S O F F I C E
E L I Z A B E T H L A M B E R T
G R A D G R A N T S C E N T E R
A L E X S T R O N G
G R A D G R A N T S C E N T E R
Finding and Applying for
Scholarships and Awards at
Indiana University

2. A little about us.....
Alex and Elizabeth – Grad Grants Center
IUB Herman B Wells Library
East Tower, Room 651
1320 E. Tenth St.
Bloomington, IN 47405-3907
812-855-5281
gradgrnt@indiana.edu
Paul – Undergraduate Scholars Office
Office: Hutton Honors College Room 216B
Bloomington, IN 47405
812-855-3948
pfoglema@indiana.edu

3. • Finding Awards
• Award Recipients from IU
• Application Components
Outline

4. Finding Awards
(a little comic relief in Speed Bump by Dave Coverly)

5. The Career Reference section of the library has a number of extensive indexes.

6. Other Campus Locations and Offices
Office of Scholarships: http://scholarships.indiana.edu/
A great starting place for undergrads that lists a number of scholarship opportunities and provides resources for funding
your education at IU.
Office of Overseas Study: http://overseas.iu.edu/apply/aid.shtml
Overseas Study awards over $225,000 in scholarships annually on the basis of financial need and academic merit.
Resources on the paged linked above include program specific scholarships; 21st Century Scholars; Internship Incentive
grants and links to other campus funding for international awards such as the Hutton International Experiences Program
(HIEP) and the Kelley School of Business Overseas Study Scholarships.
(Note – you do not have to be in the Hutton Honors College to apply for the HIEP award.)
Undergraduate Scholars Office: Website currently under construction. Excel list of awards currently available here:
http://ucare.indiana.edu/list-competitive-awards/
University Graduate School: http://graduate.indiana.edu/admissions/financial-support/fellowships-awards/
Provides a list of internally and externally funded awards for graduate students.
Grad Grants Center: http://www.indiana.edu/~gradgrnt/
Good starting place for graduate students to receive guidance on applying for awards and grants.
Departmental Awards: Explore your department(s) for funding.
Here is an example from the Biology Department: http://www.bio.indiana.edu/undergraduate/awards/index.shtml
Here is an example from the East Asian Studies Center: http://www.indiana.edu/~easc/funding/index.shtml

7. Online Databases
PIVOT : https://pivot.cos.com/register
Requires a valid IU username to register. Once you've created an account, click on "Funding" in the
top left corner and then on the next screen click on "Advanced Search" to open up the fields to
guide your search.
Grant Forward : https://www.grantforward.com/index
Similar to PIVOT and you can access from any computer with an IU username.
A third database is the Foundation Center Grants to Individuals but access to it is much
more restrictive. You can access it at the West Information Commons in the Wells Library, at the
SPEA/Business Library or in the Indiana Room at the Monroe County Public Library.
Foundation Center URL:
http://foundationcenter.org/findfunders/fundingsources/gtio.html

8. Other Advice
 Subscribe to department newsletters and listservs to see awards others have
applied for and contact them for advice. See student news on pages 8 & 9 of this
example from the Russian and East European Institute (REEI):
http://www.indiana.edu/~reeiweb/newsEvents/newsletters/2013/fall_2013_reeification.pdf
 Talk to your professors.
 Visit them during office hours. Make appointments to discuss topics of interest and inquiry and how to
explore them beyond the reading lists and assignments.
 Discuss proposing an independent readings course.
 Talk to them about being an honors thesis advisor.
 Read their bios and attend their lectures and events outside of class.
 Colleagues at Penn State provide a extensive and well-organized list of resources:
https://sites.google.com/site/psuufo/resources

9. Recipients from IU

10. Timothy Hoffelder, Boren Undergraduate Scholarship
Tanzania, 2012-13
 Participated in Swahili Flagship program
at IU.
 Became interested in Swahili through a
Kenyan friend met in high school. Was
encouraged to pursue the language and go
to Tanzania by IU professor.
 Timothy’s advice for students interested in
applying: “My advice to students
considering studying and living in
Zanzibar would be to have a completely
open mind. Be willing to learn, and to
learn from other peoples' perspectives.
Not everyone thinks like you, and
certainly, most people actually do not. Do
not take offense at cultural differences,
but give yourself the time to understand
them, and learn from them. Also, use
Swahili!”

11. Ellen Prusinski, Fulbright Graduate Scholarship
Indonesia, 2012-13
 Graduate student in Educational
Leadership and Policy Analysis
 In Central Java, Indonesia –
researching educational processes
surrounding international
migration and how NGOs are
attempting to fill the gaps.
 In addition to research, she taught
in a village preschool and
volunteered at a farmers union.

12. Five IU Students Received Goldwater Scholarships for 2014
From IU News Release April 7, 2014
(http://news.iu.edu/releases/iu/2014/04/goldwater-scholars.shtml)
The scholarships are for one or two years and can be used to pay the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board to a
maximum of $7,500 per year.
•Radhika Agarwal, an IU Bloomington junior from Carmel, Ind., majoring in biochemistry and biology. Agarwal's career
goals include conducting research in bacterial antibiotic resistance and biofilm formation and teaching medical students.
•Devin M. Bready, an IUPUI junior from St. John, Ind., majoring in biochemistry. Bready plans to seek admission to a
combined M.D./Ph.D. program and pursue a career as a physician scientist at the interface of science and medicine.
•Christian Rochford Hayes, an IU Bloomington junior from Kokomo, Ind., majoring in astronomy and physics. Hayes'
career goals include conducting research in galactic astronomy and teaching at a university.
•Micah Allen Rapp, an IPFW junior from Fort Wayne, Ind., majoring in biology. After graduation, Rapp plans to pursue a
Ph.D. in biophysics and teach at the university level. He is IPFW's first Goldwater Scholar.
•Emma Winkler, a IU Bloomington junior from Bloomington, Ind., majoring in biochemistry and microbiology. Her goals
are to conduct research in human disease and apply the research to drug discovery and treatment development.

13. Thirteen IU Students Named Recipients of National Science
Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships for 2014
National Science Foundation (NSF): http://www.nsfgrfp.org/
 NSF received over 14,000 applications for the 2014 competition, and made 2,000 fellowship award
offers.
 Fellows benefit from a three-year annual stipend of $32,000 along with a $12,000 cost of education
allowance for tuition and fees (paid to the institution), opportunities for international research and
professional development, and the freedom to conduct their own research at any accredited U.S.
institution of graduate education they choose.
Sheline, Leah Christine Indiana University Psychology - Developmental Temple University
Sell, Gabrielle Lauren Indiana University Life Sciences - Neurosciences JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY
Schmidt, Olivia Grace Indiana University Life Sciences - Ecology
Reynolds, Austin Indiana University Social Sciences - Biological Anthropology University of Texas at Austin
Kvam, Peter Dana Indiana University Psychology - Computational Psychology Michigan State University
Kersey, Alyssa Jean Indiana University Psychology - Cognitive Neuroscience University of Rochester
Hawkins, Robert Indiana University Psychology - Computational Psychology Indiana University
Hallberg, Zachary Francis Indiana University Chemistry - Chemistry of Life Processes University of California-Berkeley
Gujral, Swathi Indiana University Psychology - Cognitive Neuroscience University of Pittsburgh
Gao, Yuchen Indiana University Life Sciences - Cell Biology University of California-San Francisco
Engelhardt, Laura Ellen Indiana University Psychology - Developmental University of Texas at Austin
Brown, Kyle Wayne Indiana University Chemistry - other (specify) - Nuclear Washington University
Brown, Clayton Laroy Indiana University Life Sciences - Biochemistry Stanford University School of Medicine

14. University Honors and Awards
Indiana University is well-represented in a number of nationally competitive
award programs. The website of University Honors and Awards provides names of
recipients and profiles:
http://www.iu.edu/~uha/student/index.shtml

15. Application Components
 Statement of Purpose
 Personal Statement
 Reference Letters
 Transcripts
 Letter of Affiliation

16. Statement of Purpose
 Generally required by funding organizations.
 Usually restricted to a limited number of words or pages. It is important to be
concise.
 If you are having trouble getting started, start with the basics:
 Why me? – Draw a thread through your life experiences highlighting what you have
accomplished in the past that qualifies you for the award.
 Why here? – Provide reasons why you should be given the award to go to the place (or stay at
the place) where the award activity will be conducted.
 Why now? – Describe what stage you are at in your life and professional and academic
aspirations and how the award moves you toward those goals.

17. Statement of Purpose Continued
The Fulbright website provides a series of helpful prompts on their website
with application tips. Though they are aimed at academic activities abroad,
they address the core requirements of a good statement.
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/application-tips/academic
For those seeking English teaching opportunities abroad, see Fulbright’s
prompts here:
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/application-tips/eta
Last but not least…..you award agencies provide guidance about what you
are expected to address in your statement of purpose. Follow their guide.

18. Personal Statement
Differs from the statement of purpose in that you are expected to describe your
personal motivations and inspirations for pursuing the line of inquiry or study you
are in.
The University of Illinois’ Center for Writing Studies has published guidance and
advice for students writing personal statements:
http://www.cws.illinois.edu/workshop/writers/tips/personalstatement/
We also recommend Joe Schall’s website “Writing Personal Statements Online”:
https://www.e-education.psu.edu/writingpersonalstatementsonline/

19. References
 After your statement of purpose and personal statement, the reference letters
(aka recommendation letters) are arguably the next most weighted component.
Good letters address your abilities to carry out your proposal in your host
country; the relevance of your topic or activity to your field; and tie these to
your academic and professional goals.
 It is never too early to start developing relationships with professors,
administrators and supervisors (see slide number 8 for more ideas about
developing relationships with professors).
 Give your references plenty of notice and offer to assist by providing
information about you that you want the reference to highlight and about the
award you are applying for.

20. Transcripts
 Carry more weight in academically focused activities.
 Take care of incompletes.
 Address incompletes or other “blips” in your academic records. Don’t expect
reviewers (especially academics) won’t look at your grades.

21. Additional Essays & Guidance
Timothy Burke is a professor in the Department of History at Swarthmore who
wrote a blog entry about judging proposals and made notes for undergraduates
in his blog entry on January 5, 2010 titled Disposed to Propose:
https://blogs.swarthmore.edu/burke/blog/2010/01/05/disposed-to-propose/
Graduate students are advised to read “On the Art of Writing Proposals: Some
Candid Suggestions for Applicants to Social Science Research Council
Competitions” by Adam Przeworski and Frank Salomon:
http://www.ssrc.org/publications/view/7A9CB4F4-815F-DE11-BD80-001CC477EC70/

22. Last Bit of Preachy Advice
Expand your social network
Meg Jay’s book “The Defining Decade: Why Your Twenties Matter and how to make the most of
them now”:
The "urban tribe," as Jay describes it, are your buddies, the friends you call when you want to grab
frozen yogurt or play pick-up basketball after work. Yet when it comes to your career development,
it's likely that a stranger will help you more than your best friend ever will.
Jay cites a famous social networking study conducted by Stanford professor Mark Granovetter,
who found that "weak-tie acquaintances were often more important than strong-tie friends because
weak ties give us access to social networks where we don’t otherwise belong." If you are spending
most of your time with the same five friends, you are likely missing out on the new ideas and
opportunities that stem from these weaker connections.”
Accessed from http://www.businessinsider.com/dr-meg-jay-the-defining-decade-2012-7?op=1

23. Be sure to print your name and email address on the
appropriate sign in sheet. Our offices will be following
up with you over the coming months as the award
deadlines approach.
Thanks for coming!