Funding Your Education

Introduction
The Ernest Stempel Foundation provides support to selected charities and organizations that focus on education, the environment, medical research and the disadvantaged. FIUStempel College of Public Health & Social Work is honored to distribute this award, which provides financial support to incoming students joining the Dietetics & Nutrition, Public Health, or Social Work programs.

The Stempel Research scholarship provides new master’s students (beginning in fall 2020) with the opportunity to engage in a research project with a faculty member. Students will receive hands-on research experience working alongside a faculty member on a pre-determined topic or project for two consecutive semesters. Students can apply for a project in any discipline.

The recipient receives a one-time, non-renewable fixed scholarship that may be applied towards University tuition, fees, books and supplies, housing/living expenses and travel. The recipient will be selected based on specific criteria. Continuation of support from one semester to the next will be based on the student’s academic and research progress during the scholarship year. This is a one-time award, provided to the recipient in the first year of study in a master’s program.

Criteria

Applicants must:
• Be a new/entering student
• Motivated to work on a research project with a faculty member
• Meet the minimum admission requirements for their respective master’s program and must have been fully admitted into the program at the time of the award. 
• Have a minimum of a 3.4 undergraduate GPA.
• Submit an essay, current resume, and recommendation form
• Meet the qualifications for the identified project
• Submit the endorsement/approval from project leader (form provided by the faculty)

Recipients must:
• Be fully admitted to the master’s program, maintain full-time enrollment status, and good academic standing (3.0 or higher) throughout the term of the scholarship. 
• Complete a FAFSA form with the Office of Financial Aid (if applicable).
• Work closely with the assigned faculty member on the pre-determined research project for the fall and spring semester
• Maintain regular communication with the assigned faculty member who monitors the student’s progress in the project. 
• Maintain good academic standing and make sufficient progress on the assigned research project in order to keep the award 
• Have satisfactory evaluation on mid-year progress report

Application Procedures
• Eligible applicants are asked to complete all portions of the application at: https://fiu.academicworks.com/ 
• Applicants must review the call for research projects and send the faculty project leader(s) an email with their resume and brief statement of interest for working on the project. Applicants must obtain a preliminary approval (form provided by the faculty) in order to proceed with the application process (students may obtain approval for more than one research project; list of projects and faculty contact information is located under the questions section).
• Rank their project preferences (up to three but must rank at least two)
• Application will not be reviewed if the faculty preliminary approval form is not included (form provided by the faculty)
• Submit a typed personal statement (double spaced, two-page maximum) that will address the applicant’s: 

1. Practice/research interests and goals for a career in the applicant’s academic discipline; 
2. The chosen research project(s) of interest and why it is of interest to the applicant. 
3. Any prior research experience, if any, conducted individually or as part of a team (not required);
4. Knowledge, skills and abilities that will contribute to the research project;
5. How the scholarship’s financial assistance will help the applicant fulfill his or her educational, personal and professional goals.

Faculty Recommendation Form
The application must include a recommendation form from a faculty member who is familiar with the applicant’s academic work. The applicant must send the request via Academic Works. The faculty member’s responses must detail: 
• The applicant’s academic performance, dependability, and consistency in completing course requirements and assignments. 
• The applicant’s experience and potential to contribute to the research project;
• The relevance of the research project to the applicant’s background and future aspirations

Post-Acceptance Process
• Students must submit an appropriate photo to include with application. No selfies, please.
• Student must provide name of faculty advisor/mentor. 
• Brief bio, notable achievements, etc. 
• A letter to the donor that expresses how the project has helped the student both financially and academically.

The application portal for spring is now open. For additional requirements and application materials, please visit the FIU Academicworks Scholarships website. The application deadline is April 24, 2020.

You may also contact Irene Abad at the Stempel College Office of Student and Alumni Affairs at iabad@fiu.edu or 305-348-4692.

The Stempel Publication Award recognizes a current doctoral student or doctoral graduate of FIU Stempel College who has had a paper accepted for publication or published in the previous twelve (12) months. The doctoral graduate need not be enrolled to receive the award, but must be no more than one semester or one year post-graduation. For the student or doctoral graduate to be considered for the award, s/he must be the research article or paper’s first author in a peer-reviewed journal. This is a one-time award. Previous Stempel Publication awardees are not eligible to reapply for the award.

A scholarship of $1,000 will be awarded in the spring term to two awardees. The scholarship will be awarded during the Stempel College Graduation Reception at the end of the semester.

Criteria
• Must be a doctoral student or recent doctoral graduate (graduated in the last twelve months) of any of the three doctoral programs at Stempel College (Dietetics & Nutrition, Public Health, Social Welfare).
• Must be a current doctoral student or doctoral graduate of FIU Stempel College who has had a paper accepted for publication or published in the previous twelve (12) months
• Must be the first author on the research paper or article in a peer-reviewed journal. 
• This is a one-time award. Previous Stempel Publication (previously known as Path Science) award recipients are not eligible to reapply for the award.

Application Materials

Manuscript
The application must include a copy of the manuscript; if published, a copy of the printed manuscript; if not published, a copy of the manuscript as submitted. If the manuscript is not yet published, a letter from the journal editor accepting the paper for publication.

Acceptance/Acknowledgement
A letter of acceptance or acknowledgement of the submission of the manuscript from the journal is desirable.

Applicant Statement
The application must include a letter from the applicant explaining the paper, clearly describing the applicant’s role in developing the research and writing the manuscript, and addressing its contribution to the discipline.

Faculty Letter of Support
A letter from a member of College’s faculty who is very familiar with your work. The faculty member’s letter must provide an evaluation of the quality of the research included in the manuscript, the applicant’s contribution to in developing the research and writing the manuscript, and an evaluation of the journal in which the paper was or will be published.

The College Scholarship Committee will evaluate applications based on the quality of the paper, quality of the journal in which the paper was published or accepted for publication, and the faculty member’s letter.

Post Acceptance:
• Students must submit an appropriate photo to include with application. No selfies, please.
• Student must provide name of faculty advisor/mentor. 
• Brief bio, notable achievements, etc. 
• Thank you note to the donor.

The application deadline is January 31, 2020. For additional requirements and application materials, please visit the FIU Academicworks Scholarships  website.

For more information, please contact Irene Abad in OSAA at iabad@fiu.edu or 305-348-4692.

The Stempel Travel Scholarship provides support to graduate students in FIU Stempel College to attend virtual conferences, scientific meetings or workshops to present papers, posters or for their participation in professional development workshops. Graduate students (master’s or PhD) in the College’s four programs, dietetics and nutrition, public health, social work and disaster management, may apply. Awards will be based on the quality of the paper or poster, the applicant’s response to the questionnaire on academic works, the faculty member’s letter of support, quality of the scientific conference or meeting/workshop, and adequate progress by the candidate toward completion of the degree.

A total of 5 Stempel Travel scholarships in the amount of $750 each will be awarded in the fall semester.

Criteria:
• Must be a graduate student in the college (master’s or PhD)
• Applicant must have submitted an abstract; have had an abstract accepted for presentation at a conference or meeting; or must have applied and been accepted to attend a workshop for professional development. 
• Students who are presenting can only apply if the abstract has been accepted.
• Stempel College graduate students are eligible to apply for up to one travel award per academic year.
• Priority will be given to students who are traveling in the semester in which the award is disbursed.

Application materials:

Applicant Statement
The application must include a statement from you that includes the following: statement of professional purpose; research interests and goals for a career in your academic discipline; how the conference or meeting fits in the scope of your presentation; description of the research that you will be presenting and the contribution of the research to your discipline; your contribution to the research and writing of the paper or poster; relevance of the abstract/presentation/workshop and how it aligns with your professional goals; how the funding will help you achieve those goals.

For professional development, include a statement of professional purpose; research interests and goals for a career in your academic discipline; relevance of the professional development event and how it aligns with your professional goals; what you will be doing at the event and what skills you will gain or learn that relate to your field; how the funding will help you achieve those goals. We highly recommend including an agenda for the event.

Submission or Acceptance Notification
The application must include a copy of the paper or poster to be presented. 
The application must include a copy of the letter or email regarding acceptance of the manuscript/abstract or poster for presentation.
If you are attending a professional development event, please include a copy of the registration and/or email confirmation that you registered.

Faculty Letter of Support
The application must include a letter of support from a member of College’s faculty familiar with your work. The faculty member’s letter must detail your progress toward completing the degree, an evaluation of the quality of the paper or poster to be presented, your role in the research and development of the paper or poster presentation, and the relevance of the workshop or presentation as it aligns with your professional enhancement.

Post-Award Process
• Students must submit an appropriate photo to include with application. No selfies, please.
• Student must provide name of faculty advisor/mentor. 
• Brief bio, notable achievements, etc. 
• Thank you note to the donor will be appreciated.

The application deadline is September 11, 2020. For additional requirements and application materials, please visit the FIU Academicworks Scholarships  website.