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EGSC Scholarships

Announcing EGSC's Professional Development Scholarship:

EGSC Professional Development Scholarship Available Now!! Click Here

Program Description:

In keeping with the highest ideals of the EGSC, the Professional Development Scholarship Program awards outstanding graduate students in The Columbia University Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) a monetary scholarship intended to defray expenses for their academic and professional endeavors. Additionally, the EGSC hopes to broaden the impact of individual students in the SEAS community to reach diverse audiences and benefit the Columbia community. This award retains no citizenship requirements for eligibility, consistent with our desire to offer this award to all qualified graduate students in the SEAS community.

Application Deadline:

Spring Funding Deadline - December 1st (5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time) Summer Funding Deadline - May 1st (5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time) Fall Funding Deadline - August 1st (5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time)

* Please note that the Fall Funding Deadline for 2012 has been extended. Applications will be accepted through Monday, October 15th, 2012 (5 P.M. Eastern Standard Time)

Every effort should be made to submit applications in anticipation of expenses; in special circumstances, applications may be considered for reimbursement of expenses already incurred (at the discretion of the EGSC Executive Committee). For expenses occurring January 1st through May 31st, applications should be submitted by the Spring funding deadline. For expenses occurring June 1st through August 31st, applications should be submitted by the Summer funding deadline. For expenses occurring September 1st through December 31st, applications should be submitted by the Fall funding deadline.

All applications must be complete and submitted to the EGSC treasurer (treasurer@egsc.columbia.edu) by the appropriate deadline to be considered for funding. Any applicants requiring further clarification of program requirements should contact the EGSC treasurer sufficiently ahead of time; incomplete applications will NOT be considered.

Eligibility:
This award carries no citizenship requirements. Eligible recipients must be current graduate students (M.S., Ph.D., or M.S. leading to Ph.D.) enrolled full-time and in good academic standing in SEAS. Special consideration will be given to applicants who display financial need and/or show evidence of self-support. Current members of EGSC (Executive Board Members, University Senator, & Department Representatives) are NOT eligible to receive funding during their tenure.
Applicants are limited to one application per academic year. Winning applicants are not eligible to receive a similar scholarship in subsequent years. Students whose applications are not selected to receive funding are eligible to apply in subsequent years, although resubmission of identical applications is discouraged. Applicants found to be submitting expenses in duplicate to other funding programs for reimbursement may be disqualified, and no longer eligible for funding in subsequent years.

Anticipated Award Amount:

Applicants may request up to $1000 per application. No more than two awards will be distributed per term (See application deadlines; 6 awards total per academic year).
Any unused funds are non-transferrable, and may not be used for expenses unrelated to those explicitly stated in the funded application. Please note that original receipts and proof of acceptance/attendance (if applicable) are required in order to be eligible for reimbursement.

Application Preparation:
Applicants will be evaluated on three major components: (1) EGSC Scholarship Application, (2) Student Scholar Statement, and (3) Curriculum Vitae. For conference or summer school travel, applicants should additionally include confirmation of acceptance into the program.

EGSC Scholarship Application: This document may be found on the EGSC webpage.

Student Scholar Statement: The Student Scholar Statement provides applicants the opportunity to describe in entirety the intended use for the scholarship, and how the applicant intends to disseminate the acquired knowledge back to the SEAS community. The statement should encompass how the funds will be used, the merit of the proposed project in the context of SEAS and EGSC ideals, how the scholarship will benefit the awardee (academically and/or professionally), and the broader impacts of the proposed project to the SEAS community. Competitive applications will seek to disseminate knowledge to the SEAS community upon completion of the project. The statement should be no more than two pages; they should be written using standard 8.5" x 11" page size, 12-point, Times New Roman font, 1" margins on all sides, and must be single spaced or greater.

Evaluation:

Applications submitted to this scholarship program will be subject to Panel Review, and evaluated holistically for completion of the three major components (see Application Preparation). The review panel will consist of 5 members representing different governing bodies at SEAS, namely the Dean's Office, Graduate Student Affairs Office, and the EGSC Executive Board. Applications chosen to receive funding will receive notification via email shortly after the submission deadline. EGSC will not notify applicants who were not chosen to receive funding; successful applicants will be listed on the EGSC webpage.

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: May I submit applications to reimburse expenses that I incurred this past summer?

A: Unfortunately, as the scholarship has only begun to be offered in the Fall of 2012, expenses incurred prior to September 1, 2012 will not be eligible for reimbursement.

Q: I am a first year Masters student. How do I prove that I am in good academic standing?

A: Engineering students who are in their first semester of graduate school may submit applications for the EGSC Scholarship. If successful, applicants will be approved on a conditional basis, pending the status of the academic standing at the end of their first semester. To be eligible for reimbursement, you must be in good academic standing after the completion of your first semester.

Q: Can I use this scholarship to buy research equipment (i.e. - computers, ipads, etc.)?

A: Although we understand that the lack of technological resources may place constraints on our students' development, this scholarship is intended to fund the professional and academic pursuits and opportunities that are otherwise inaccessible due to financial hardship; it is meant specifically for endeavors that will have a broader impact on the Columbia engineering community. Research equipment that is essential for completing your degree requirements should be provided by your department and faculty advisor, regardless of funding status.