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Wednesday, November 4, 2009

USA: 2010 Switzer Environmental Fellowship Program

Overview

The goal of the Switzer Environmental Fellowship Program is to support highly talented graduate students in New England and California whose studies are directed toward improving environmental quality and who demonstrate the potential for leadership in their field.

The Switzer Environmental Fellowship Program is in its 23rd year of existence. The Foundation broadly defines its interest in the environment and the means by which positive results can be achieved. Awards have been made to students pursuing environmental policy, economics, land and water conservation, public health, journalism, architecture, environmental justice, business and law as well as the more traditional sciences of biology, chemistry and engineering.

The application process for the Switzer Environmental Fellowships is highly competitive. Each year, through an extensive application and interview process, at least twenty Environmental Fellowships are awarded, ten in California and ten in New England, out of an initial pool of well over 300 applicants. Candidates compete separately for Fellowships in New England and California.


Eligibility Requirements

Competition for the Switzer Fellowships is intense. There are typically over 150 applicants for the ten fellowships in each region. Please make sure you meet all of the Fellowship eligibility requirements and carefully follow the application procedures below.

An applicant for a Switzer Environmental Fellowship must:

•be a US citizen;
•be enrolled in an accredited graduate institution in California or New England;
•have strong academic qualifications; and
•have academic and career goals focused on environmental improvement, regardless of the school, major or program in which they are enrolled.

In addition:

•Applicant must plan to be enrolled as a full time student for the entire '10 - '11
academic year in order to be considered.


•Master's degree candidates must have completed at least one semester of course work to apply and be seeking the Master's as a terminal degree. Master's degree students planning to pursue a PhD are advised to wait until they are in their PhD program to apply.

•Individuals enrolled in one-year Master's degree programs may apply prior to enrollment, but must be formally accepted into their program to be eligible for a Fellowship interview. Interviews take place in May.

•Applicants at the PhD level must plan to have completed at least three years of Doctoral work by July 1, 2010. or plan to have passed their qualifying exams by May 1, 2010. Please note that PhD candidates with a clear research and career focus are more competitive than individuals who are still undecided or early in their academic program.

•Mid-Career students may apply and must demonstrate how their academic program will enhance their effectiveness as an environmental professional.

Application Procedure

All students applying for a Switzer Environmental Fellowship must submit an online application form. A link to the online form is given below. Each applicant will be prompted to create an account before gaining access to the application form. This will allow applicants to save their work, make edits and track progress during the application review process. Specific application instructions are available on the application form. General guidance is provided here to help you prepare the necessary documentation. General guidance is provided here to help applicants prepare the necessary documentation. It is imperative that applicants review the eligibility requirements above prior to applying. Applications take a lot of time and work to complete, and ineligible applications will not be reviewed.

The following materials are required to be submitted with the application as uploaded MS Word or Adobe PDF documents. APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE CONSIDERED COMPLETE UNLESS ALL OF THESE MATERIALS ARE SUBMITTED AS INSTRUCTED. We cannot allow any exceptions. (Please note that if you need to convert hard copy documents to digital format, the online application has a 'Fax to File' capability that you can use for this purpose but it requires immediate proximity to a fax machine. Further instructions available on the application form.)

•A 2-3 page original essay. The essay is a critical component of the application screening process. The essay must offer insights into the personal motivations of the applicant as well as how his/her academic experience will be applied to environmental improvement. The essay may be single or double spaced, but please use at least 11 point type for all text. The essay should address the following:

1.The applicant’s vision of his/her future role in the environmental field, including influences and experiences shaping that vision.
2.A description of how the applicant’s background, academic studies, or other experiences will be applied to a career dedicated to effecting positive environmental results.
3.A brief description of the applicant's academic focus, describing how it will have a direct, early and positive impact on environmental quality. A description of the applicant’s academic research may be included as part of the application packet, but should not be the sole emphasis of the essay.
4.One or more examples of how the applicant has been an agent of change or contributed to solving an environmental issue or problem.
5.Evidence of leadership ability and experience. Personal and professional challenges overcome may be described as well as accomplishments.


•Two professional letters of recommendation. (Recommendation letters must be submitted directly to the Foundation per the "Recommendation Instructions".)

•A current resume, including relevant work and volunteer experience. Please include number of hours per week and number of weeks or months worked for each professional and volunteer experience noted.

•Your most recent graduate academic transcripts (Undergraduate transcripts are not necessary except in the case of some applicants enrolling in one-year master's programs.)

•A brief outline of the general course of study or research planned.
•Evidence of financial need where applicable. Although the Switzer fellowship is merit-based, financial need may be considered when comparing equally qualified applicants.

Fellowship Award Requirements

Fellowship Retreats

In late September and early October, annual fall retreats are held in New England and California to welcome new Fellows in each region and provide an opportunity for former Fellows to renew acquaintances. It is a requirement of the fellowship that new Fellows attend the fall retreat the year they are selected. Former Fellows are always encouraged to attend these retreats. New Fellows will be notified of the exact dates and locations for the annual retreats at the time of their Fellowship award.

We also hold two additional optional retreats in late winter/early spring. For 2010, the New England spring retreat will take place in Boston, Massachusetts, in late February. The California spring retreat will take place in Los Angeles, California, in late March.

Reporting Requirements

Switzer Fellows are required to submit two written reports during their fellowship year. An interim report must be received by January 15, mid-way through the fellowship year, and a final report by June 15 at the end of the fellowship year. Guidelines and requirements for these reports will be provided in advance of each due date. Payment for the second half of the Fellowship award will be released upon receipt of a satisfactory interim report.

Use of Fellowship Funds

The Fellowship is paid in two equal installments, the first in June and the second in late January. The entire grant may be applied to one or more of the following: tuition, matriculation and other university fees, living expenses, education or research related expenses. To the extent that the fellowship is not used for tuition, it may be considered income and the Fellow may be liable for income tax. The Foundation does not file IRS-1099 Forms on the Fellowships. Fellows are however, required to submit a report of expenditures to the Foundation at the end of the Fellowship year. Please consult with your tax advisor for proper treatment of the award.

Exclusions

Employees and Trustees of The Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation and their family members are not eligible to apply and the Foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, gender, religion, sexual orientation or national or ethnic origin in the selection of Fellows.

Other information

For more information, please see Fellowship Benefits and Frequently Asked Questions. Learn about past Fellows through the Fellowship Network Directory or under Recent Awards.

Switzer Fellowship Network

A significant aspect of the Switzer Environmental Program is the Switzer Fellowship Network. The Switzer Fellowship Network is a system of support, opportunity and exchange for the more than 450 Switzer Fellows throughout the U.S. and in numerous foreign countries. The Network provides a vibrant connection between and among Switzer Fellows, and other leading environmental practitioners. The goals of the Switzer Fellowship Network are to:

1. Support and reinforce the careers and efforts of the community of Switzer Fellows and facilitate their support of each other.

2. Assist Switzer Fellows in achieving positions of leadership and visibility in order to increase their effectiveness.

3. Foster collaboration among Fellows working on similar or complementary issues or sectors and to promote peer-to-peer learning and coaching.

4. Develop a community of Switzer Fellows who share in training, leadership, and networking opportunities.

5. Provide an interdisciplinary source of expertise from which organizations, government agencies, policy makers and media contacts can draw when expertise on an environmental issue is needed.

Switzer Fellowship Network activities include the regional networking opportunities, issue-based meetings, webinars and conferences, and professional skills training. The annual Fellows' retreats in California and New England, which are open to all Fellows, are the keystone networking events sponsored by the Foundation each year. Numerous other convenings and gatherings are scheduled throughout the year and Fellows are invited to plan events and programs.

Since Switzer Fellows are located throughout the world, Network communications play a central role in fostering a vibrant community of Fellows. The Foundation provides a variety of opportunities to keep Fellows connected virtually through a Switzer Fellows' listserve, a Fellows-only discussion forum, and online social networking. The Foundation also provides regular electronic news updates and feature stories about Fellows to the Network community.

The searchable Fellowship Network Directory helps Fellows to find colleagues with similar professional interests or who live in the same geographic area.

The Trainings & Other Opportunities section of this website lists trainings and meetings of special interest to Fellows.

Career Coaching and Mentor Program

The Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation offers career support services to help Fellows apply their academic studies to the real world of environmental issues. We help identify leadership development opportunities to best prepare Fellows for their chosen career path. The Foundation can also assist in finding other Fellows, or perhaps a mentor or advisor to provide professional contacts, networking opportunities or other guidance. The purpose of a mentor or advisor is to support and encourage the Fellow in attaining his or her career goals. Fellows can select a mentor from past Switzer Fellows and other environmental professionals listed in the Switzer Fellowship Network Directory, or suggest individuals with whom they would like to work. This is an OPTIONAL part of our Fellowship Program and is meant to provide access to professional contacts and career guidance from a perspective other than what Fellows might have available to them at school.

Other Switzer Foundation Grant Programs

The Robert and Patricia Switzer Foundation is committed to supporting and enhancing the leadership skills and professional development of all Fellows, even after the Fellowship year. Professional Development Grants are available to Fellows after their Fellowship year for training or conferences that will advance their professional skills and standing. The Leadership Grants Program is available to Fellows who have completed their studies and wish to partner with a non-profit or public agency to create a special project or position within that organization that applies their professional and leadership skills to a critical environmental issue. Funds are also available for collaborative projects among Fellows through the Collaborative Initiatives Fund.

Application Deadline February 1, 2010
Application Requirements Completed online application
Interview Dates: New England Fellowships:
Saturday, May 8, 2010 - Boston

California Fellowships:
Saturday, May 15, 2010 - San Francisco
Fellowship Payment dates Late June 2010
Late January 2011
Contact for further information

For eligibility and general questions:
Erin Lloyd, Program Officer
(207) 338-5654 or e-mail, erin@switzernetwork.org or

For technical assistance with online applications:
Don Brackett, Administrative Officer
(207) 338-5654, or e-mail, don@switzernetwork.org

Apply online (http://www.switzernetwork.org/fellowship-forms.html)


Please kindly mention Scholarization.blogspot.com when applying for this fellowship


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Scholarship Team: Ph.D Scholar Krisstofferson Joniel Scholarship Adviser, PhD Scholar Chea Vitom Scholarship Adviser and Senior Lecturer, PhD Scholar Rebecca T. Dalisay Scholarship Adviser, Ph.D Student Jiao Wang Scholarship Coordinator, MSc Student Dennise Maricel Scholarship Coordinator