Introduction to Fellowships
Fellowships are inter/nationally competitive, high-impact, potentially life-changing opportunities for talented and ambitious students and alumni to help fund study abroad, to pursue advanced study at top universities, or to engage in international research or service, English teaching abroad, selective internships in government and nonprofit organizations, research residencies at libraries and museums, and much more, at the undergraduate or graduate level, domestically and internationally. Fellowships are valuable experiences in themselves and are often avenues to aspirational academic and career goals.
Recipients of these awards receive recognition for their record of academic performance, leadership, service, undergraduate research, foreign language acquisition, creative achievements, and commitment to advanced inquiry and/or public good, in many combinations. Smaller awards for first- and second-year students often serve as springboards to subsequent opportunities. Fellowships open doors to careers in public service, advanced academic study, foreign service, international teaching and development, and other career and service pathways into meaningful and fulfilling lives.
Micah Fernando '22 (Biochemistry). Micah talks about his experience with the DAAD-RISE program in Germany.
Finding a Fellowship
There are so many opportunities for undergraduates and graduates alike! Search your major or interests, you'll be amazed at what you'll find!
How We Can Help You
The staff in the Frederik Meijer Office of Fellowships is here to help as you navigate through different paths and look into the opportunities that fit your specific needs and goals.
We are here to help you:
- Determine your academic goals and guide you toward the path that's best for you, be it teaching, service, business, or something else entirely.
- Achieve new heights you may not have thought possible by encouraging you to step outside your comfort zone and look beyond campus life.
- Discover, apply for, and hopefully embark on new opportunities both domestically and abroad to expand your knowledge and further your scholastic achievement.
What if I am unsure of my next steps in my degree plan or life after graduation?
No problem! We can support you as you explore multiple paths. Thinking about applying to competitive graduate programs? Weighing various combinations of majors? We'll help you navigate the process of exploring award opportunities within our office while also keeping your plans in mind. Interested in teaching English after graduation? Committed to public service and interested in internships and summer seminars that will help you network with organizations and mentors in DC and elsewhere? Interested in improving your language skills in one of the 'critical need' languages such as Arabic, Turkish, Mandarin, or Russian - while also preparing for a career in federal service? Attracted to opportunities to do research abroad? Drawn to graduate study abroad? Visit with us as you explore your goals and the many exciting opportunities available to you! We can help you create a multi-year action plan that will help you achieve your goals.
Note to International Students - Welcome to Grand Valley State University! If you are seeking information about how to afford the cost of study at GV, this isn't the right office. Your admission counselor and the GVSU Padnos International Center are fabulous resources for you. You can contact the Padnos International Center to learn more about employment opportunities for international students on campus and how to apply for CPT (authorization to work off-campus during your studies in a job related to your major or program) and OPT (authorization to work in the U.S. for a period of time in a job related to your major or program). If you are a graduate student, you'll want to contact the Graduate School at GVSU to learn more about when and where campus job postings for graduate assistants are listed and how to apply in the Workday system.
There are indeed some fellowships that are open to international students after graduation from GVSU! You would need to receive OPT authorization for fellowships within the U.S. (work authorization within your major/graduate concentration). Do keep in mind that, at that point, you would most likely be seeking actual employment with a pathway to H1B sponsorship, which is not something fellowships of this sort provide. The GVSU Career Center is a marvelous resource for you as you prepare for graduation and beyond.
Reasons to Apply
There are many reasons to apply for the opportunities within our office. Students who applied for nationally competitive awards but did not receive them, have nevertheless articulated numerous benefits to submitting an application:
- Learn how to submit a nationally competitive award application
- Prepare for the graduate school application processes
- Define career and educational goals
- Discover one's purpose and realize one's potential
- Build confidence and personal motivation
- Discover strengths and skills within yourself
- Practice writing personal statements
- Build relationships with faculty and other mentors
- Learn how to ask for letters of recommendation
- Develop vivid, persuasive, and effective writing skills and a distinctive personal voice
- Identify further follow-on opportunities
Autumn Chorney '23
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Autumn Chorney '23 (Psychology). Autumn was awarded the Gilman International Scholarship for the Winter Semester 2023. This scholarship enabled Autumn to participate as a research fellow at the University of New South Wales under Dr. Eddie Harmon-Jones. Here, Autumn examined the psychology of conspiracy theory and worked toward advancing emotion research.
The U.S. Department of State Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to U.S. national security and economic competitiveness.