Lisa Gates

Watson Webinar on Wed 9/12 at 3pm EST!

Lisa Gates / September 11, 2018 / Fellowships

The Watson foundation is holding a fall webinar for prospective applicants on Wednesday, September 12th, 3pm ET. This webinar would be great for students interested in learning more about the Watson and those applying for nomination this year. You can sign up for the webinar here:

Sign up for the Watson Webinar on 9/12

From foster care to opera; from Cambrian Explosion to human augmentation; from threatened big cat species to spoken word, the Watson Fellowship provides graduating seniors with a remarkable year to explore their deepest interests on a global scale. Fellows create original projects, execute them outside of the United States and embrace the ensuing journey. At our half century mark, today Watson Fellows comprise leaders in nearly every field, inspired by a ‘dream year’ that continues to shape the arc of their lives and those of others.

The Watson fellowship is open to all citizenship types. Students can only apply for nomination their senior/super-senior fall–and this year’s internal nomination deadline for Fall 2018 applications is Tuesday, Sept. 11. For more information, see go.middlebury.edu/watson or contact Watson Advisor Lisa Gates at fellowships@middlebury.edu.

August Reminders for Watson and Fulbright Applicants

Lisa Gates / August 6, 2018August 8, 2018 / Fellowships

For those thinking about applying for a Fulbright or Watson Fellowship this fall, read on for reminders and answers to common questions. Dean Gates will be out of the office Aug 5-21. During this time, you can reach Colleen Norden at fellowships@middlebury.edu.

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Watson Applicant Notes
If you are not yet registered for the Watson online application, contact fellowships@middlebury.edu. Keep working on developing your project idea, making in-country contacts, and shaping your project plan. Dean Gates can provide feedback on essay drafts AFTER August 22. Please send drafts to fellowships@middlebury.edu.

Instructions for nomination materials and submission are online at go.middlebury.edu/watson. Deadline is Tuesday, Sept. 11 at noon. No applications will be accepted after this date.

Please review the following documents carefully:

Middlebury’s Watson Applicant Timeline and Checklist

Middlebury’s Watson Application Guidance

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Fulbright Applicant Notes

August 15 “Intend to Apply” Deadline
Send a copy of your Fulbright Embark application as a pdf along with a word doc with the Statement of Grant Purpose (SGP) and Personal Statement in an email to fellowships@middlebury.edu for Dean Gates to review. In the email, provide names of your intended recommenders, language evaluators (if relevant), and status of affiliation (if relevant). To generate the PDF of the Embark application, you can “print to PDF” or print and scan to make a copy of the application. Be sure to label each file with your last name.

We do not expect a polished application at this point. Recommendations, transcripts, affiliation letters, etc. are not needed at this time (but if you have an affiliation lined up, include a copy of that). Dean Gates will review your materials, send comments as needed, and you can continue working on your application. We will order transcripts (no charge) for those who have an active application in the Fulbright Embark online system only and send requested materials by August 15.

If you do not send in your materials by Aug 15, you can still apply! Be aware Dean Gates will be less able to provide substantive comments on your essays depending on when you send in your materials to review. You will also need to order your own transcript. If you discontinue your application after this point, that is also fine, just let us know as soon as you determine that. See go.middlebury.edu/fulbright for complete application instructions, guidance documents and the Middlebury Fulbright Applicant Checklist.

September 12 at noon (Wed) This is a hard deadline!
No applications will be accepted after this date.
Submit your complete and polished Fulbright application in the Embark online system. All components of your application should be done at this point. Essays must be polished with no grammatical or spelling errors. Revisions after this date only happen when the campus committee review process notes issues that require your attention. If you have late recommendations or problems with an affiliation letter, please still submit your application by the deadline and be in touch with fellowships about the issue. Note: by submitting the application, you are sending it to the Fellowships office at this point, not to Fulbright. After your committee evaluation is added, we submit to Fulbright in October.

Please review the following documents carefully:

Middlebury’s Fulbright Applicant Timeline and Checklist

Fulbright Application Guidance

Fulbright Essay Guidance

A few important notes:

Transcripts: Fulbright will accept unofficial transcripts as well as official ones at this stage. If you upload an unofficial transcript, make sure that it is concisely organized, in chronological order, and contains the necessary elements on an official transcript (courses, grades by semester, overall GPA, major, etc.). If you are a transfer student or have grades from other schools you would like represented, you will need to obtain a transcript from those previous institutions and upload.

Affiliation letters (study/research grants): The affiliation letter is from the institution/individual in the host country with whom you are proposing to work. It should be written in or translated to English, printed on official letterhead and signed by the author. If an English translation is provided, both the original letter and the translation should be uploaded. Letters should include the author’s position title, indicate the author’s willingness to work with you on the intended project, should speak to the feasibility and validity and merits of what is being proposed. The letter should also indicate any additional resources or contacts that the adviser can provide to support the work. Letters will vary, but the strongest letters will address these points noted.

Recommendations and language evaluations: It’s courteous to give at least three weeks notice for these. You can certainly schedule the language evaluation to take place when you return to campus, but the evaluation needs to be submitted by the Sept. 12 noon deadline. If you have the same person complete both a recommendation and language evaluation, please use two separate email addresses to register them. You want to choose recommenders who know you and are best suited to comment on your proposed research or ETA grant application.

Fulbright has a great Application Tips section on the website and make sure to follow any special instructions on the specific country page.

For alumni applicants: if you are not currently enrolled as a graduate student at another institution, you can choose to apply through Middlebury College or At-Large. If you apply through Middlebury, you must adhere to our internal deadline and will have a campus interview (via Skype or phone). The campus evaluation will be added to your application. You will also be counted as a Middlebury grantee, which we like!

Fulbright webinars and tutorials: are ongoing this summer. Check out http://us.fulbrightonline.org/about/videos-tutorials and http://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants/information-sessions (click on webinars to see schedule).

Fulbright online application: Start your online application through this section http://us.fulbrightonline.org/applicants .

NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program & NIH MD/PhD Partnership Training Program Application Opens Aug 1

Lisa Gates / August 1, 2018 / Fellowships, Graduate School Funding, STEM, UK

The application portal opens August 1, 2018!

These programs are looking for outstanding scholars who wish to pursue a PhD or MD/PhD through an accelerated, interdisciplinary, collaborative biomedical research program. The program is based on the British system, in which students perform doctoral research without required formal courses other than those students choose to take in relationship to their own interests. Students selected for admission to the program have already developed a passion for science through engagement in summer, job related, or undergraduate research programs. These programs provide a unique training opportunity at the largest biomedical research facility in the world.

These programs provide a unique training opportunity at the largest biomedical research facililty in the world.

Basic application requirements as follows:

Bachelor’s Degree (minimum)
GRE and/or MCAT scores
US Citizen or permanent resident

Learn more about the programs here: https://oxcam.gpp.nih.gov/

Questions? Contact Dean Gates at fellowships@middlebury.edu

Summer Meeting and Application Feedback Availability for Dean Gates

Lisa Gates / June 20, 2018 / Fellowships

Dean Gates will be available for conversations and fellowship feedback July 12-Aug 3. For meetings (phone, Skype, in-person), sign up on the online calendar at go/fellowships . If there are no times or no times that work for you, follow the instructions online and contact fellowships@middlebury.edu to arrange a time. Do not email Dean Gates directly as she will be traveling and not checking email regularly outside of that window. Colleen Norden will be able to respond to you if you email fellowships@middlebury.edu .

If you are applying for a Watson and/or Fulbright, you should have received some general advice already via email. And if you submitted a preliminary application by 6/19/18, you should have received comments on your proposal. The general advice documents for Fulbright and Watson will also be available on the fellowships website (go/fellowships) in the relevant fellowship section.

Enjoy the summer and keep working on your proposals!

Applications Open for the 2019 Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program!

Lisa Gates / June 20, 2018 / Fellowships, Graduate School Funding

The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Program is now accepting applications for the 2019 Rangel International Affairs Graduate Fellowship Program at www.rangelprogram.org! Application Deadline: Sept. 17, 2018

The Rangel Graduate Fellowship is a program that aims to attract and prepare outstanding young people for careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Department of State in which they can help formulate, represent and implement U.S. foreign policy. The Rangel Program selects outstanding Rangel Fellows annually in a highly competitive nationwide process and supports them through two years of graduate study, internships, mentoring, and professional development activities. This program encourages the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the Foreign Service, women, and those with financial need. Fellows who successfully complete the program and Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers, in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy.

Program Benefits

An orientation to the Program and the Foreign Service at Howard University in Washington, D.C. in late spring 2019.
Two summer internships, one on Capitol Hill in summer 2019 and one overseas at a U.S. embassy in summer 2020.
Up to $37,500 annually toward tuition, fees and living expenses for a two-year master’s degree in fields related to the Foreign Service such as Business Administration, Economics, Public Policy, and International Relations at a U.S.-based institution.
Mentoring from a Foreign Service Officer throughout the duration of the fellowship.
Employment in the State Department Foreign Service for those who successfully complete the program and meet Foreign Service entry requirements, in accordance with applicable law and State Department policy, with each Rangel Fellow committing to a minimum of five years of service.

Eligibility Requirements

U.S. citizenship
Seeking admission to graduate school in fall 2019 for a two-year program in an area of relevance to the Foreign Service at a U.S.-based institution
Cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher on a 4.0 scale at the time of application

About the U.S. Foreign Service

Foreign Service Officers in the U.S. Department of State are responsible for formulating, implementing and supporting U.S. foreign policy. Their work includes analyzing political and economic events around the world; negotiating with foreign governments; assisting U.S. citizens abroad; educating foreign audiences about American culture and values; and managing an embassy’s operations. They are engaged in foreign policy issues such as conflict resolution, human rights, environmental and health issues, nuclear nonproliferation, and educational exchange. A Foreign Service career is much more than just a job; it is a uniquely demanding and rewarding way of life. Foreign Service Officers work in Washington and in more than 250 diplomatic posts worldwide. As representatives of the United States, Foreign Service Officers have a direct impact on people’s lives, witness history in the making, and help create and implement U.S. policy.

Contact fellowships@middlebury.edu with questions!