Fulbright and Watson Updates—Aug. 15 Fulbright Intent to Apply Deadline and Aug. 30 Drop-In Advising

For those applying for a 2023-24 Fulbright or Watson Fellowship, the internal application deadlines are coming soon—Wednesday, 9/7 for Watson and Thursday, 9/8 for Fulbright.

If you are applying for a Fulbright, Monday, August 15 is the Intent to Apply Deadline.
Meeting this deadline insures you will receive feedback on your application and a copy of your transcript to upload prior to the 9/8 internal deadline. For details see go.middlebury.edu/fulbright.

Drop-In Advising for Fulbright and Watson on Tuesday, August 30 from 1-2:30 pm.
Join Dean Lisa Gates during an open advising session for active fall 2022 Fulbright and Watson applicants. Register to get the Zoom link to join.

Email fellowships@middlebury.edu with questions.

Luce Scholarship Competition Open; Deadline Oct 1

The application for the 2023-2024 Luce Scholars competition is officially open! 

The Luce Scholars Program offers early career leaders immersive, professional experiences in Asia. The Program aims to forge stronger, more informed, more compassionate relationships across geographic borders by creating opportunities for young Americans across diverse sectors and interests to deepen their ties and understanding of the countries, cultures, and people of Asia.

Luce Scholars are open-minded, curious, and engaged in the world. They are receptive to new ideas and perspectives.  They are individuals from a wide range of fields and come from a variety of backgrounds, but all share a common objective—to make the world a better place.

Learn more at https://www.hluce.org/programs/luce-scholars/

June 2022 Notes for Watson and Fulbright Applicants

If you’re thinking about applying for a Fulbright grant or Watson nomination in the fall, you should start working on these applications. Many of you have already talked with me about your ideas or completed a preliminary application this spring–which is a great way to get started! And yes, you can absolutely still apply for these in the fall even if you did not submit a preliminary application! Below are a few notes for those of you just considering these now or already working on the applications:

Dean Gates is happy to talk with you, answer questions and review essay drafts. You can email questions to fellowships@middlebury.edu and/or make appointments at go.middlebury.edu/appt . Dean Gates has limited appointment hours during the summer–June and July appointment hours are posted! If you don’t find available appointments that work for you, you can email some good days/times. Zoom and in-person meetings are possible. Email works too–that’s a great way to get feedback on essays or ask quick questions. Please note, Dean Gates will be out of the office during the middle of July, so drafts submitted at in that period will not be reviewed until the week of July 25.

Make sure you know the internal deadlines and application processes! See https://go.middlebury.edu/fulbright and https://go.middlebury.edu/watson for details. We often get questions that can be answered by reviewing the information on these pages, so please review carefully and then send your questions. You will also find information about internal deadlines and application instructions on these pages. Note: the fellowships office must register Watson applicants in the online Watson system. As of today, everyone who has notified us of their interest has been registered! If you can’t find your link, check your junk/clutter/spam filters. For technical or password problems with the Watson online system, you must contact the Watson office for help.

If you haven’t sent in a preliminary application for Watson or Fulbright, you can still apply! Alumni, you can apply for Fulbright through Middlebury; you just have to follow our internal process and deadlines. At this point in the summer, I recommend you start working on the applications themselves (not the preliminary application form) and email or talk with Dean Gates about your ideas or questions. The online applications for both are open and you can begin working on those.

For more Fulbright info, check out the webinars offered by the Fulbright team–see the schedule here: https://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/information-sessions. There are some great sessions coming up, including answering the short answer questions on the Fulbright application and office hours focused on the Study/Research and ETA grants with program staff. For Fulbright applicants, the main dates to focus on now are the August 15 “Intent to Apply” deadline, which guarantees we can provide at least one full round of feedback on your materials and the Fulbright internal deadline this year (Thursday, Sept. 8 at noon).

The Watson internal deadline this year will be Wed, Sept. 7 at noon. And yes, both of these internal deadlines are before classes begin, so please plan accordingly!

Virtual Public Service Weekend Conference–Applications Due June 6

Apply now to attend PPIA and NASPAA’s virtual summer conference BUILDING AN EQUITABLE AND SUSTAINABLE WORLD: A VIRTUAL CONFERENCE AND POLICY HACK-A-THON FOR FUTURE PUBLIC INTEREST LEADERS.

What’s the focus?

Public Interest Technology (PIT) is a rapidly growing and essentially important field where technology and public policy overlap. Carnegie Mellon University has been a leader in this space for over 50 years, promoting the use of technology to advance the public interest.

Our 2022 Public Service Weekend virtual conference will highlight the rising prominence of PIT and bring together a diverse group of practitioners from across the field—including policymakers, technologists, designers, and leaders—to develop innovative solutions to pressing issues in public policy and equity. This interactive weekend will introduce undergraduate students from a variety of backgrounds to careers and opportunities for graduate-level education in PIT.

Who should apply?

  • Rising college juniors and seniors interested in public policy, public interest technology, policy analytics, and related fields, who are strongly considering graduate education and/or careers in these fields.
  • Students can apply from ANY undergraduate major, including political science, government, the liberal arts, fine arts, and STEM fields. Successful applicants will share a passion for solving complex problems and working together with others from a diversity of fields, backgrounds and perspectives.
  • Preference will be given to students representing underserved communities from across the United States and/or working towards equity issues.

Check out https://www.heinz.cmu.edu/events/public-service-weekend-2022 for more information, dates, and application instructions. Applications due June 6!