AAUW was funded in 1881 in Boston, Massachusetts at the period when women were prevented from seeking further education and finding jobs in specialized industries. The AAUW’s goal was to improve women’s lives and personal progress, but it also thought that a higher proportion of college-educated women would benefit society as a whole.
AAUW was recognized lobbying as a strong weapon for change by 1951. For example, the organization’s early lobbying activities aided in the establishment of the United States Department of Education. The AAUW established the Educational Foundation in 1958 to carry on the work of a fellowship program that had been in effect since 1888.
The organization is made up of three corporations: the Association, a 160,000-member nationwide lobbying and advocacy group; the AAUW Educational Foundation, which funds research and provides educational subsidies to outstanding women worldwide; and the AAUW Legal Advocacy Fund, which provides funding and legal support to women in higher education who file gender-discrimination lawsuits.
American Association of University Women International Fellowship
Since 1917, the American association of university women has organized International Fellowships for women. The program provides financial assistance to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents who want to return to their native country to pursue a professional career while studying full-time graduate or postdoctoral studies in the United States. A limited number of grants are offered to women who are members of Graduate Women International for studies outside of the United States (excluding the applicant’s native country).
Eligibility/ Criteria
- Previous beneficiaries of any AAUW national fellowship or grant are not eligible for international fellowships
- Members of the AAUW board of directors, committees, panels, task forces, and staff, as well as current interns, are ineligible to apply for fellowships and grants from AAUW.
- International Fellowships are available to women scholars in all disciplines of study at an approved institution of higher learning or, for postdoctoral fellows, research.
- Unsuccessful candidates may apply again.
Candidates must satisfy the following requirements:
- Have citizenship in a nation other than the United States, or be in possession of a nonimmigrant visa if resident in the United States. Women who are presently, or anticipate to be during the fellowship year, a U.S. citizen, permanent resident of the United States, or dual citizens of the United States and another nation are ineligible.
- Possess an academic degree (acquired in the United States or overseas) equal to a U.S. bachelor’s degree before November 15, 2021.
- Plan to dedicate full-time attention to the specified academic plan throughout the fellowship year.
- Plan to return to their native country after finishing their education to seek a professional job.
- Be fluent in English and demonstrate competence by providing one of the Required Components, which may include particular English proficiency examinations, transcripts from English-speaking institutions, or a written declaration confirming English is the applicant’s native language. Applicants who intend to take one of the authorized English proficiency examinations should plan ahead of time and take the exam as soon as feasible.
- Master’s/first professional degree and doctoral applicants must have applied to an approved institution of study for the fellowship year by November 15, 2021, and must provide the name of the school in the International Fellowship application. While acceptance is not necessary at the time of application, fellows must include formal institutional confirmation with their award acceptance paperwork.
- Master’s/first professional degree fellowships are for master’s or professional degree-level programs such as J.D., M.F.A., L.L.M., M.Arch., or medical degrees such as M.D., D.D.S., and so on. Certificates, associate degrees, and bachelor’s degrees are not eligible.
- Doctoral fellowships are designed for doctorates classed as research degrees, such as a Ph.D. or an Ed.D.
- Postdoctoral candidates must show verification of their doctorate degree; have a doctorate classed as a research degree (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D., D.B.A., D.M.) or an M.F.A. before November 15, 2021; and identify where their research will be conducted.
- Master’s/first professional degree applicants and doctoral candidates must be enrolled in a U.S. approved institution in the United States during the fellowship year.
- Applicants should apply for the fellowship during any year of their program, but they must be enrolled in a full year of study or research. International Fellowships do not cover the cost of a single semester or year of study or research. Programs that terminate before April of the fellowship year are ineligible.
Application Process
- Provide three recommendations for intellectual endeavors from instructors or professional colleagues who are familiar with you, your work, and your academic background. When feasible, recommenders should be academics or professional colleagues from the applicant’s home country who can talk to the applicant’s qualifications as well as the country’s need for the specific skill or knowledge she intends to gain via her proposed study or research. References from dossier providers such as Parment or Interfolio are not accepted by AAUW.
- Upload transcripts from the college or institution where the highest degree (not a diploma) was acquired as proof of highest degree. The highest level of education must be at least a bachelor’s degree (must be earned on or before November 15, 2021).
- If the institution does not offer a transcript or a record of courses completed and grades earned, or if the degree did not require coursework, an official letter from the institution where the degree was received must be submitted, along with the degree completion date.
- Proof of current enrolment (only for presently enrolled applicants): Upload transcripts**/course lists/institution letters from the applicant’s present college or university, if she is enrolled.
- Transcripts must include a list of courses taken as well as grades earned. Many transcripts exclude current courses. If your fall 2021 semester grades are not accessible and are not on your transcript, the institution’s Office of the Registrar must give you with a list of courses completed that semester.
Deadline
- Recipients will get $18,000 for a master’s/first professional degree, $20,000 for a doctorate and $30,000 for postdoctoral research.
- The application is open around 1st of August to November 15 visit the official website for more information.
Source: scholarsarena
