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Funding Opportunities

Fellowship and scholarship opportunities exist for Northwestern students to participate in Global Health programs and to conduct their own independent research projects.  Funding opportunities are not limited to students with demonstrated financial need, as merit-based scholarships for program fees and well-crafted research projects also exist. 

Undergraduate Funding Opportunities

International Program Development (IPD)

  • The Hill-Urbina Global Health Studies Fellowship: The Hill-Urbina Global Health Studies Fellowship is designed to provide international study opportunities to Northwestern Global Health Minors. This highly competitive award is based on academic merit, essay quality, and financial need. Awards range from $3,000-$5,000.

  • IPD Service Fellowship for International Study: The Northwestern University IPD Fellowship for International Study is designed to provide financial support for Northwestern undergraduate students who have applied for IPD international programs. IPD fellowships exist so that all qualified Northwestern undergraduates have the opportunity for international experience, regardless of financial constraints. Awards (of up to $3,000) are based on essay quality, academic merit, and financial need.

  • John & Martha Mabie Fellowship for Public Health Research: The John & Martha Mabie Fellowship for Public Health Research, introduced in 2006, is designed to create research opportunities in Public Health for Northwestern students. This highly competitive award is based on quality of the research proposal, relevant previous experience, and academic merit. Applicants may design research projects for implementation abroad or in the US.

  • International Group Research (IGR) Fellowship in Global Health: The International Group Research (IGR) Fellowship in Global Health offers the opportunity for groups of students interested in global health to conduct a team research project in an international setting. IPD is looking for strong, well-prepared, and creative research projects and encourages students of all disciplines of study to apply. Teams may range from 3-4 students. The award amount is $10,000 - $12,000 for the entire team. This fellowship is sponsored by the Framework Programs for Global Health, a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Fogarty International Center.

  • The Innovative Healthcare Models Abroad Team Research Fellowship: The Innovative Healthcare Models Abroad Team Research Fellowship in Global Health offers the opportunity for teams of students to examine innovative healthcare delivery models around the world, especially in resource poor environments.  Proposals should highlight organizations or institutions using local, culturally appropriate solutions to address healthcare issues.   IPD is looking for strong, well-prepared, and creative projects and encourages students of all disciplines of study to apply.  Teams may range from 3-4 students.  The award amount range is $10,000 - $12,000 for the entire team. This fellowship is sponsored by the Framework Programs for Global Health, a grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Fogarty International Center.

Weinberg College of Arts & Sciences

  • Radulovacki Global Health Research grants provide funding for research on global health issues. If you are applying for research during the academic year, please use the application form for the Weinberg Academic Research Grant. If you are applying for research during the summer, please use the application form for the Weinberg Summer Research Grant. Note: a prior application to the URG committee is not required.

  • Katherine L. Kriegbaum Scholarships provide research grants for senior-year research projects. The scholarships are awarded by the Weinberg College Committee on Superior Students and Honors to those Weinberg College students who, in the judgment of the Committee, best demonstrate promise of distinguished research in their major. 

  •  Herskovits Undergraduate Fellowship Program provides funding for research involving use of Northwestern’s renowned Africana collection. These fellowships are administered by Weinberg College’s undergraduate program, the Program of African Studies, and the Melville J. Herskovits Library of African Studies. 

  • African Research Leadership Award: Grants are awarded for students to develop and lead a research project or program relating to African Studies. Students will demonstrate key leadership skills by developing, managing and completing a project exploring an issue in African Studies related to the student’s academic interests and program(s) of study. The project can be an extension of the research/immersion experience requirement of the African Studies adjunct major or of research completed in a past course.

International Studies Program

  • The Next Steps Program is co-sponsored by the International Studies Program and the Center for Global Engagement. Next Steps is focused on students who have returned from study abroad programs with an interest in conducting independent research abroad, are looking for engagement projects to undertake, or are interested in applying for Honors Programs, Fellowships, and Undergraduate Research Grants.

  • The Lee F. Anderson Memorial Global Education & Engagement Grant will provide funding for a Northwestern University rising junior or senior who demonstrates initiative and commitment in making a difference in the world. The grant will support student engagement, volunteerism or service projects either locally or abroad. Students are awarded $1,500 for individual projects and $3,000 for group projects.

The Office for Study Abroad

  • The Study Abroad Research Program (SARP), directed by the Study Abroad Office, is a small, intensive pre-departure program that focuses on study abroad research. Students are invited to participate based on their background, study abroad goals, and application essays. SARP encourages and prepares students to do research abroad that they can then turn into a senior honors thesis, independent study, fellowship, or postgraduate work when they return. 

Office of the Provost

  • Circumnavigators Club Travel/Research Grant, sponsored by the local Chicago chapter of the Circumnavigators Club Foundation, awards a fellowship worth up to $9000 to a Northwestern student for an around-the-world travel research project over the three-month period between the junior and senior year. The winner will prepare for the research project during the second semester of his or her junior year and spend the three summer months in actual travel and on-the-scene study. At the completion of the summer and upon return to the United States, the winner will submit a paper on the project and will speak to at least two Circumnavigators Foundation banquets during the succeeding nine months.

  • Undergraduate Engagement Grants support intensive and experiential learning.  The Office of the Provost offers funding for exceptional summer projects that cannot be completed or funded through existing programs.  These grants can cover a wide spectrum of experiences and can, therefore, be used in a wide variety of ways.  The common ingredient is a student-led idea that couldn’t be funded from other sources.

  • Conference Travel Grants encourage undergraduates to present their research results of perform productions at recognized regional, national, and international conferences or meetings.  Participation in scholarly conferences provides an important opportunity for students to communicate research findings to others in the field, network with other researchers, and expand an understanding of the scope and nature of academic research.

  • Undergraduate Research Grant programs offer students opportunities for both academic year and summer research grants. Undergraduate Research Grants fund a wide variety of endeavors as diverse as the range of disciplines and interests within the university. The Undergraduate Research Grants program is open to all undergraduates at Northwestern, and is distinct from funding sources within individual schools.

The Northwestern Office of Fellowships

  • Fulbright U.S. Student Program: This award supports a year's study or research inany of more than 100 countries for U.S. citizens who will have a bachelor's degree by the beginning of the grant period. Language requirements differ by project and by country

  • Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarships: Rotary Scholarships, like Fulbright Grants, aim to promote international understanding and peace among nations. NU has sent students to South Africa, Egypt, England, France, Switzerland, and Italy, among other countries  - the possibilities are endless.

  • Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship: Established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000, the Gilman International Scholarship Program offers a competition for awards for undergraduate study abroad programs. The goal of the Gilman Scholarship is to diversify the kinds of students who study abroad as well as the countries and regions where they go. To this end, the program strongly encourages students of high financial need and/or diverse ethnic backgrounds to apply, choose non-traditional study abroad destinations, especially those outside of Western Europe and Australia.

 

Graduate Student Funding Opportunities

International Program Development (IPD)

  • Travel Stipends: IPD offers travel stipends for students participating on IPD sponsored rotations in South Africa, Uganda, and China. Travel stipends range from $1,000 - $1,200.  The travel stipend support is sponsored by the Feinberg School of Medicine.

The Center for Global Health

  • International Health Fellowship: The International Health Fellowship Program was established to provide support to students who wish to conduct international clinical and research projects. This year, several M1 and M4 students will be awarded stipends to support their investigation of medical issues, examination of medical education processes, or health care delivery methods in a foreign country. The goal of the program is to gain a deeper understanding of how cultural and economic factors influence global health care systems.

  • Feinberg Travel Grant: Feinberg School of Medicine provides travel grants for medical students to offset the costs of travel in order to help them participate in and complete a wide variety of rotations at universities and medical clinics where FSM has formal agreements and affilations.  These grants are available for FSM students completing rotations in developed countries where GHI funds are not available.

The Global Health Initiative (GHI) Funds

  • The Global Health Initiative, established by the Chicago Lake Shore Medical Associates (CLSMA), for medical students wishing to pursue a primary care rotation or project in a medically underserved area abroad. Funds are available for individual students or for medical student groups, depending on the location, project, or rotation period. All medical student years are invited to apply. Funding applications may be approved in whole or in part. The mission of The Global Health Initiative is to provide resources for Northwestern University medical students for global educational experiences, enabling them to provide needed health care around the world while encouraging the education and proliferation of primary care physicians. The GHI Travel Funds are coordinated by the Global Health Education and Community Services program (Department of Family Medicine). To learn more, please visit the GHECS site.

The Program for African Studies

  • The Hans E. Panofsky Pre-Dissertation Awards were established to honor the curator emeritus of the Herskovits Library, Hans E. Panofsky, these awards support Northwestern graduate students planning to do pre-dissertation fieldwork or archival research in Africa. These awards are normally granted for work during the Summer, but the exceptions can be made.

  • The Guyer-Virmani Award honors Jane Guyer and Akbar Virmani, former PAS Director and Associate Director, for their dedicated support of graduate students' intellectual development at PAS. It is awarded on a one-time basis to PAS graduate students in their third year or above, especially to students who have completed pre-dissertation research and who have already received a Panofsky Award. It allows them to travel to archives and participate in conferences. Funding is normally in the range of $200-$400.

Buffett Center Graduate Student Summer Research Awards

  • Graduate Student Summer Research Awards provide summer funding for fieldwork outside the United States for Northwestern doctoral students writing dissertations on comparative and international topics relevant to important contemporary political, economic and social issues. The maximum award is $2500.