Student Scholarships and Opportunities

Students collaborating

There are a wide range of scholarships and opportunities available for students interested in international travel and research, both within GW and externally. This list will continue to be updated as new scholarships and opportunities arise.

As of September 2021, the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program has eliminated their minimum length requirement, which opens up the scholarship to students going on any kind of international program. This means any Pell Grant recipients participating on Short-Term Study Away Programs (STAPs) are newly eligible for this scholarship.

 

Visit the Gilman Program Website

Facilitated by the GW College of Columbian Arts of Sciences (CCAS) and the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences (SMHS), The Chung-wen Shih Scholarship is intended to promote cultural exchange between the East and West; especially in medicine and healthcare, among GW students.

Selected participant(s) will each receive up to $5,000 applied to international scholarly opportunities for the 2021-22 academic year.

Background

Professor Chung-wen Shih received her PhD in English Literature at Duke University and was a Post-doctoral Fellow in East Asian Studies at Harvard University. She was Assistant Professor of Chinese at Stanford University before joining the faculty at George Washington University in 1971, where she was Chairman of the Department of East Asian Language and Literature for over 20 years. Professor Shih published numerous books and produced several film documentaries on China’s modern writers and the Tang culture. She has been a benefactor of the University for many years. In 2014 Professor Shih established an endowed scholarship under the GW Columbian College of Arts & Sciences. The recipient(s) of the scholarship are current or future George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences medical students, such as Pre-Med students who have demonstrated an interest in integrating traditional Chinese medical practices (example: traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture, qigong healing, etc.) with Western Medicine.
Eligibility

  • Undergraduate students at George Washington University have accepted admission to GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences’ MD Program through the early selection process and students participating in the BA/MD program; OR
  • Currently enrolled medical students and residents at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
  • Application Materials: Eligible applicants should submit the following materials for review by the committee:
  • Resume
  • Official transcripts (undergraduate and graduate as applicable)
  • Personal statement describing your interest in East-West cultural exchange, experiences in Eastern culture, evidence of interest in integrating Chinese medical practices into Western Medicine, and any relevant travel or academic studies that support these experiences or interests. (maximum of 4 pages, double spaced)
  • Proposal with a detailed description of your project that includes objectives and intent of the experience, as well as its content, structure, learning objectives, and timeline
  • Provide a budget indicating how you intend to use the funding throughout the project
  • Provide a letter of support from your project mentor – to include his/her intent to provide guidance and support through the duration of the project
  • At least two letters of recommendation, at least one from a faculty member at George Washington University.
  • A letter confirming that you authorize the Chung-Wen Shih Scholarship Committee to review GW Financial Aid Account information; this email should include your Name and GW ID number.
  • Medical students must provide a Letter of Support from your Career Advisory Dean or the Student Affairs Dean.

Timeline

  • Scholarship Announcement: Oct 20, 2021
  • Deadline for Applications: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
  • Decisions Announced: Four to six (4-6) weeks after submitting a completed scholarship application. If awarded the scholarship, please plan for an additional six weeks for funds to be processed.

Reporting Requirements

  • A paper describing the scholar’s project, experience, and any results and implications for the project
  • A presentation to the Columbian College of Arts & Sciences and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences, which may include faculty, students, and the selection committee

Selection Process and Criteria

The selection committee will be composed of representatives from the Columbian College of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Applications will be reviewed and scored based on:

  • Academic Excellence
  • Quality and organization of the proposed project (i.e., potential to achieve goals and objectives).
  • The educational value of the proposed project
  • Relevance of project to the mission of CCAS and students’ long term goals
  • Quality of the infrastructure and support by the mentor/host organization.
  • Potential for Success – will take into account factors such as interpersonal skills, professionalism and leadership.

Contact

Questions and Completed Application Materials should be submitted to:

Genevieve McKenna
Program Manager
Office of International Medicine Programs
2600 Virginia Ave. NW, Suite 308
Washington, DC 20037
[email protected]

The GW Global Leaders Fellowship awards outstanding international graduate students with an application fee waiver and tuition award of up to $10,000 per academic year. To qualify, students must be:

  • citizens of one of the countries eligible for this initiative;
  • studying on an F-1 visa; and
  • be admitted to and enroll in an on-campus Columbian College master’s program.

The fellowship is available to qualified students from:

  • Bangladesh
  • Brazil
  • Colombia
  • Ghana
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Kazakhstan
  • Mexico
  • Nepal
  • Nigeria
  • Pakistan
  • Turkey
  • Vietnam
     

Learn More About the Global Leaders Fellowship 

International Media Seminar in Paris (SMPA 3195-10)

2019 Paris STAP

The short-term International Media Seminar program combines the excitement of spending spring break in Paris with a unique learning experience, focused on the changing nature of communications media in a new global environment.

During the course of the spring break, students will meet with some two dozen international media leaders — journalists, executives, scholars, and government officials. Meetings are held in classrooms, media offices, production facilities and private homes — offering a once in a lifetime behind-the-scenes experience. Free time is also scheduled into the program so that students have the chance to see the sites and enjoy the city.

Over the past fourteen years, students at the George Washington University have been able to participate in the Paris Seminar as part of a regular three-credit course SMPA 3195, "Globalization and the Media", open to all GW undergraduate and graduate students. The program is taught and chaired by Professor Lee Huebner. Student participants have found the Paris Media seminar to be a highlight of their university careers — introducing them to new places, new perspectives and new personalities. As one recent participant put it, "the Paris trip was life-changing… the trip of a lifetime."

You can view a detailed description of the course and trip (PDF). Questions about the trip and the course can be addressed to Professor Lee Huebner at [email protected].

Both the course and the Paris Seminar are designed to give undergraduate and graduate students an opportunity to study the global media landscape from a truly international perspective — not only in theory, but in fact. By talking with a wide array of experts who live and work in a foreign media environment, students are able to see familiar media issues in a new light — even as they become more familiar with other media cultures.

 

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The Price of Freedom: Normandy 1944 (History 3044W)

2019 Normandy STAP

“The Price of Freedom: Normandy 1944” (History 3044W) is an experiential course which explores the causes, conduct, and consequences of modern war through the vehicle of the 1944 Normandy Campaign, examining its impact on individuals, communities, and the nation.

Through an extensive series of lectures, discussions, and films we explore the massive, complex, and uncertain D-Day invasion and the fighting through the liberation of Paris. The course will carry 4 credits, satisfy a WiD requirement, and meet GPAC elements for Global Perspective, Oral Communication, and Critical Thinking. The course will be limited to 17 students. It will meet for lectures on Tuesday and Thursday from 4:45 to 6:00 pm, discussion on Thursday from 6:00 to 7:00 pm, and on Thursday, after discussion, for watching films from 7:00 until 9:30 pm or so. Each student writes four papers, including a biography of a soldier from his or her hometown who died in the Normandy Campaign and who is buried in the Normandy American Cemetery.

Then, Pandemic permitting, on Friday night, March 11, 2022, the class will fly to London to begin a rigorous “staff ride” (that’s army-speak for a participatory, educational tour) of the entire campaign – all the way from the planning in England to the beaches and on to Paris. Each student will conduct a briefing about some element of the campaign at the appropriate location.  The highlight of the trip will be a visit to the actual landing beaches and the laying of a wreath at the memorial in the American Cemetery at Omaha Beach, followed by each student presenting a eulogy for his or her soldier at the soldier’s graveside. We’ll return Tuesday, 23 March.

To apply for the course, please submit a written application to Professor Long by 5pm on Friday, October 15, 2021. You can obtain the Application in the History Department Office (Phillips 335), or from Professor Long (Phillips 300). Professor Long will interview each applicant and the successful applicants will submit an application, through GW Passport, to the CCAS Office of Global Initiatives.

It is anticipated that the additional expense associated with the travel element of the course will be about $4,700 for items like airfare, hotels, some meals, bus transport, etc. In addition, you should plan on taking about $350 - $400 to cover the cost of 4 lunches, 5 dinners (plus any spending money). You will be required to make a $500 deposit when you are accepted for the course. One half of the balance will be due on January 10, 2022, and the balance on February 10. A limited amount of scholarship money is likely to be available for students who require assistance to be able to participate. Please try to evaluate your circumstances carefully.

 

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