Social Impact

Bill Emerson National Hunger Fellowship

During the 11-month fellowship, Fellows develop a deep understanding of effective solutions to hunger and poverty in the US. Following orientation and training in Washington, D.C., Fellows spend five months with community-based organizations. In mid-February Fellows return to D.C. for a second placement with organizations and government agencies focused on national anti-hunger and anti-poverty policy

Benefits: 

• The Hunger Center establishes its financial packages for fellows based on their location, taking into consideration the cost of living at both the field and policy placements.
• Emerson Fellows typically receive financial packages ranging from $38,000 to $45,000 over the duration of the fellowship
• Emerson alums pursuing Masters’ degrees in public health or public policy at select institutions of higher learning are eligible for significant discounts on tuition.
  • As of 2020, the Hunger Center maintains partnerships with Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College and the University of Virginia’s Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy
• Membership in a dynamic learning community of fellows
• Connection to an extensive network of alums, partners, and experts
• Experience working with community and policy leaders
• Training, mentoring, and leadership development
• Project management experience

Academic Levels: Graduating seniors or recent alumni.

Eligibility: 

• A commitment to ending hunger and poverty in the United States
• An ability to adjust and adapt to new situations
• A commitment to racial equity and social justice
• Demonstrated leadership qualities and skills
• An ability to solve problems in creative and innovative ways
• Enthusiasm for learning from a wide variety of individuals with expertise in the area anti-hunger/anti-poverty space; and a willingness to search for new models in anti-hunger and anti-poverty work
• A lived experience with hunger and poverty
• Experience working in low-income communities
• Excitement about peer learning in a tightknit community of fellows
• Bachelor’s degree, or equivalent experience
• U.S. citizenship or permanent legal residency

National Deadline: January

Breakthrough Teaching Fellowship

The Breakthrough teaching fellow experience is designed for undergraduates of all majors and for those who intend to pursue careers in education, as well as those who haven’t yet considered it.  The opportunity is unlike any other available to undergraduates and our alumni are transformed by the experience. Education coursework is not a prerequisite. We seek applicants with a deep interest in social justice and a passion for working with students. 

During the nine-week summer residency, Breakthrough teaching fellows receive over 100 hours of teaching and leadership training, and 75 hours of lead classroom experience.

Benefits: 

• Teaching fellows receive a living stipend.
• Some sites are able to offer additional financial aid.
  • The site directory includes each site’s living expense stipend range, as well as the potential availability of financial aid.

Eligibility: If you are a college student, you are eligible throughout your entire undergraduate career, even if you are graduating the spring or winter before the summer session for which you are applying to teach. Unfortunately, graduate students are not eligible. No citizenship requirements.  You will need to have authorization to be an intern in the U.S. (or Hong Kong if you are applying to teach in Hong Kong) by the time the summer program begins.

National Deadline: February

Davis-Putter Scholarship

The Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund provides grants to students actively working for peace and justice. These need-based scholarships are awarded to those able to do academic work at the university level and who are part of the progressive movement on the campus and in the community.

Amount: The maximum grant is $10,000 and may be considerably smaller depending on the applicant’s circumstances and the amount of money available.

Location: Individuals can participate in this program while attending most public institutions. See website for more information.

Eligibility: The Davis-Putter Scholarship Fund aids people active in movements for social and economic justice. These need-based scholarships are awarded to students who are able to do academic work at the college or university level or are enrolled in a trade or technical program and who are active in the progressive movement. Applicants must have participated in activities in the US.

National Deadline: March 31

Results Announced: July

Kathryn Davis Fellowships for Peace

The 100 annual fellowships are intended for exceptionally qualified individuals with demonstrated interest in one or more of the following areas: international, global, or area studies; international politics and economics; peace and security studies; and/or conflict resolution. Those in other fields, including working professionals, are encouraged to apply if their field of expertise requires them to study one of the languages offered.

Please note: There is a $75 application fee. Email them directly for a potential need-based waiver.

Amount: 

• The award covers tuition, room, and board for one summer in any of the 12 Middlebury Language Schools at any level of study.
• The award does not cover travel, books, or incidentals. 

Location: Middlebury, Vermont

Eligibility: All undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni.

Deadline: January

Knight-Hennessy Scholars

Knight Hennessy Scholars will receive full funding to pursue any graduate degree at Stanford. This includes the JD, MA, MBA, MD, MFA, MS, and PhD programs, as well as all joint- and dual-degrees. In addition to pursuing your graduate studies, shape your own experience as a Knight-Hennessy Scholar through the King Global Leadership Program. As a Knight-Hennessy Scholar, you will develop both the depth and range of subject expertise to confront the numerous grand challenges and opportunities of the future. You will be part of a unique community of change agents from a diverse range of backgrounds.

Benefits:

• Tuition and education expenses for any graduate program at Stanford

Eligibility:

• Citizens of all countries are welcome to apply. 
• You are eligible to apply to Knight-Hennessy Scholars if you apply during your final year of study for your first/bachelor's degree or within four years of earning your first/bachelor’s degree.  
• You must also meet the admission requirements of your intended Stanford graduate or professional degree program.

Resources:

Recording of 2022 Knight Hennessy Info Session,  2018 Knight Hennessy Scholars Program Webinar Slides 

*Undocumented students should verify eligibility/admission requirements for the graduate program of interest at Stanford.

Mickey Leland International Hunger Fellowship

A two-year opportunity to promote global food and nutrition security through learning and hands-on work. Leland Fellows gain experience and professional skills working with host organizations in development or humanitarian placements around the world, and learn to see what works in international development—and what doesn't—and how to make the system more efficient, more effective, and more just. Each class of Leland Fellows forms a learning cohort, sharing knowledge and insight and growing together throughout the two-year program. And the Hunger Center's dynamic leadership development curriculum centers the skills required to create change in the international development and humanitarian sectors. Leland Fellows are placed with host organizations—international and local NGOs, multi-lateral organizations, private sector entities, or U.N. Agencies—making substantive contributions to both program and policy initiatives.

Benefits: 

• The Hunger Center establishes its financial packages for fellows based on their location, taking into consideration the cost of living at both the field and policy placements.
• Examples of past packages include:
  • Washington, D.C.: $51,000/year
  • Lilongwe, Malawi: $30,500/year
  • Hanoi, Vietnam: $30,000/year
  • Huehuetenango, Guatemala: $27,500/ year.
• The fellowship also includes travel and accommodation during in-person trainings and travel to your placement locations

Academic Levels: Graduating seniors, graduate students, or recent alumni.

Eligibility: 

• U.S. citizenship or permanent legal residency

National Deadline: January

Paul and Daisy Soros Scholarship for New Americans

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans supports thirty New Americans, immigrants or the children of immigrants, who are pursuing graduate school in the United States.

Benefits:

• Up to $90,000 in support over the course of two years for graduate program tuition and living stipend
• Attendance at annual Fall Conference in New York City, fully paid

Eligibility:

1. NEW AMERICAN STATUS​​

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans is a fellowship program intended for United States immigrants and children of immigrants. To be eligible, your birth parents must have both been born outside of the US as non-US citizens, and both parents must not have been eligible for US citizenship at the time of their births. In addition, one of the following must be true of the applicant by the November deadline:

• US Citizen by Birth: You are a US citizen by birth and one of the following is true:
  • Both of your birth parents were born abroad as non-US citizens and were not eligible for US citizenship at the time of their births.
  • You were raised by only one of your birth parents, the parent that raised you was born abroad as a non-US citizen, and your second birth parent was not a part of your life growing up and you have no contact with them.
• Born abroad: You were born abroad as a non-US citizen and one of the following is true:
  • Naturalized Citizen: You have been naturalized as a US citizen either on your own or as a minor child under the application of one of your parents.
  • Adopted: You were born outside of the US or one of its territories and were subsequently adopted by American parents and were awarded US citizenship because of your adoption.
  • Green Card: You are in possession of a valid green card.
  • Refugee & Asylees: You have been granted asylum or refugee status in the US.
  • If None of the Other Categories Above Apply: Graduated from High School and College in the US: If none of the other categories apply to you and you were born abroad, you must have graduated from both high school and college in the US (this includes current and past DACA recipients).

2. ACADEMIC STANDING

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans is a fellowship program intended for immigrants and children of immigrants who are pursuing full-time graduate degrees at United States institutions. Eligible applicants will have a bachelor’s degree as of the fall deadline and may be applying to graduate school as they are applying for the fellowship, or they may already be enrolled in the graduate program that they are seeking funding for as of the application deadline. The fellowship program is open to all fields of study and fully accredited full-time graduate degree programs. In order to be eligible for the 2018 fellowship, an applicant should be planning to be enrolled full-time in an eligible graduate degree program at a US university for the following academic year. Eligible applicants must not have begun the third year of the program that they are seeking funding for as of the November deadline. Applicants who have a previous graduate degree or who are in a joint-degree program are eligible.

Ineligible programs: Online programs, executive graduate programs, joint bachelors/master's programs, certificate programs, post-baccalaureate programs, graduate programs that are not in the United States, and graduate programs that are not fully accredited.

3. AGE

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans is a fellowship program intended for students who are early in their careers. All students must be 30 or younger as of the application deadline.

National Deadline: November

Samvid Scholars Program

A new scholarship for future leaders and changemakers, Samvid Scholars was established in 2021 by Samvid Ventures to invest in the graduate education of future leaders who are committed to effecting positive change in society.

Award: 

• Up to $50K for tuition and fees each year for two years of study in an eligible graduate program
• Two years of leadership development programming to support them to continue to fulfill their extraordinary potential 
• Access to robust ongoing programming and an alumni community of mentorship, collaboration, and lifelong relationships 

Eligibility: 

• Pursue a full-time graduate program of 2 years or longer at a university in the United States, in one of the following eligible programs:
  • MD
  • MBA
  • JD
  • MPP/MPA
  • MPH
  • EdD
  • MS/MA in the social sciences or STEM
• Be a first-year graduate student for the following academic year
• Have an undergraduate GPA of at least 3.5
• Be a U.S. citizen or DACA recipient
• Maintain good academic standing in order to remain eligible for the second year of the scholarship

National Deadline: June

Scoville Peace Fellowship

The Herbert Scoville Jr. Peace Fellowship was established in 1987 to recruit and train the next generation of policy and advocacy leaders on a range of international peace and security issues.

The fellowship ensures a pipeline of the brightest, most dedicated, and diverse next-generation experts into leading think tanks and advocacy groups in order to inspire creative new approaches to the pervasive challenges to peace and security. Its goal is to bridge the gap between academia and the professional world by providing an entree for mission-driven grads eager to learn about and contribute to public-interest organizations.

Recent college and graduate school alumni work full-time in a six-to-nine month fellowship in Washington, DC.

Benefits: 

• Fellows receive a salary of $3,600 per month and basic health insurance compensation, plus travel expenses to Washington, DC.
• The program also provides $1,000 per fellow for professional development to attend relevant conferences or meetings that could cover travel, accommodations, and registration fees, or to take a language or policy course.
• The program arranges meetings for the fellows with policy experts and social networking events with alumni.
• Fellows also receive mentoring from a board member and a former fellow.

Location: Washington D.C.

Eligibility: 

• Received a bachelor’s or master’s degree within the past few years
• Have a background and strong interest in one or more of the approved policy issues addressed by the fellowship [link to list of issues]
• Excellent academic accomplishments
• Good written and oral communication skills
• Prior experience with public-interest activism or advocacy is highly desirable
• Considering a career working on international peace and security issues with public-interest organizations, the Federal Government, academia, or media
• United States citizens living in the U.S. or overseas are eligible to apply
• Non-U.S. citizens may only apply if they live in the U.S. and have a U.S. work visa for the duration of the fellowship. Non-U.S. citizens living outside the United States are not eligible to apply.

National Deadlines: October/Janaury

Quad Fellowship

This program will sponsor 100 exceptional American, Japanese, Australian, and Indian master’s and doctoral students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to study in the United States. The fellowship will develop a network of science and technology experts committed to advancing innovation and collaboration in the private, public, and academic sectors, in their own nations and among Quad countries. The program will build a foundational understanding among Quad Scholars of one another’s societies and cultures through cohort-wide trips and robust programming with each country’s top scientists, technologists, and politicians.

Award: 

• Each Quad Fellow will receive a one-time award of $50,000 which can be used for tuition, research, fees, books, room and board, and related academic expenses (e.g., registration fees, research-related travel). All Quad Fellows are eligible to apply for separate demonstrated needs-based funding of up to $25,000 to cover costs related to completing graduate-level studies.

  The Fellowship program has three core elements: 

  • Pre-program: Upon selection to the Quad Fellowship, Fellows Elect will have access to a variety of virtual resources and programming designed to build connections within the cohort as they navigate the graduate admissions process

  • Core program: Beginning in August and extending through until the end of the academic year, Fellows will take part in a residential experience followed by virtual programming opportunities designed to deepen their understanding of topics at the intersection of STEM and society

  • Alumni program: Upon graduation from the Quad Fellowship program, Senior Fellows will have access to resources that support a lifelong network across cohorts and the Quad countries

Eligibility: 

• Be at least 18 years of age at the time of application
• Be citizens or legal permanent residents of Australia, India, Japan, or the United States
• Have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in a STEM field before the start of the program
• Have a demonstrated record of superior academic achievement at the undergraduate level
• If applicants are currently enrolled in a Master's or PhD program in the United States, they may apply if they will be enrolled in a qualified academic program during their time as a Fellow

National Deadline: June.

Point Foundation Scholarships

Point Foundation empowers promising lesbian, gay, bisexual transgender, and queer students to achieve their full academic and leadership potential - despite the obstacles often put before them - to make a significant impact on society. 

Benefits:

• Up to $10,000 towards eligible education expenses.

Eligibility: 

• Must be enrolled or intending to enroll at an accredited college or university based in the United States, including Hawaii and Alaska.
  • Students enrolled or intending to enroll in a college or university in a United States territory are NOT eligible.
• Must be “out” as a person who identifies as a member of the LGBTQ community.
• Must be enrolled full-time for the full academic year.
• Must be enrolled in a degree-granting undergraduate or graduate/ doctoral program.
  • Post-doctoral research programs are not eligible.

National Deadline: January

Results Announced: March