CHARLES CENTER SUMMER SCHOLARSHIPS

CLICK HERE TO SEE THE SUMMER 2009 AWARD RECIPIENTS

The Charles Center offers a number of funding opportunities to support research during the summer. Unless otherwise noted, all awards are $3000 and projects must be for seven full-time weeks of undergraduate research. To be eligible, applicants must be continuing students (i.e., not graduating seniors) in good academic standing. Recipients must agree to blog about their research on the Process of Undergraduate Research (POUR) site at least five times and present their work at a summer scholarship event in the fall of 2009.

Here is a brief description of each of the awards offered. In general, each application consists of an application form, 2-3 page double-spaced project proposal, 750-word personal statement, Banner transcript, and two letters of recommendation. Unless otherwise noted, all applications are due by 12:00 noon on Friday March 20, 2009.

On letters of recommendation: the Charles Center will not make copies of letters. Applicants must ensure that each of their recommenders submits the original plus three copies of the letter in a sealed envelope, signed across the seal, for EACH of the scholarships applied for. So a student applying for the Charles Center Domestic Scholarship and the Cummings would have eight copies of each of the two letters. Read the information on each scholarship carefully and if you still have questions about this, please contact the Charles Center at 221-2460.

In addition to submitting four paper copies of each application, you must complete the online form for each scholarship you are applying for, also by the 12:00 deadline on the 20th.

A note on combining internships with research: Students may incorporate an internship into their project only if their time is not already committed to another undertaking, and the student is able to dedicate at least seven full-time weeks to the project.  For example, if the student is doing a full-time, seven week, unpaid internship with an environmental non-profit organization and this non-profit permits the student to dedicate full-time to the research, the student is eligible for funding; if the work with the non-profit is a fully paid job, the student may not receive funding because 100% of the student's time is already committed. A student cannot receive money for research if they are getting paid for an internship or if they cannot dedicate seven full time weeks.

Access the online form for all awards EXCEPT the W&M Honors Fellowship here.

Go here to access the online form for the W&M Honors Fellowship.

NEW! William & Mary Honors Fellowships

All students who have been approved to conduct departmental Honors in the 2009-10 academic year are eligible to apply for fellowships of up to $6,000 through the new William and Mary Honors Fellowship program.  Five of these Fellowships will be funded by Ted Dintersmith, an alumnus who completed honors theses in both Physics and English when he was an undergraduate.  Additional funding will be awarded through a new William and Mary Honors Fellowships website that will allow alumni (and others) to provide funding to individual students.
William and Mary Honors Fellowships include:
    •        $4,000 to the student for 10 full-time weeks of summer pre-honors research;
    •        up to $1,000 for the student to draw on for project-related expenses; and
    •        $1,000 for the student’s faculty supervisor, to support his or her research.
All of the 2009 W&M Honors Fellowships applications submitted by the March 20, 2009 deadline will appear on the donor website (unless a student elects to not participate).  A faculty committee will review and rank all of these applications and funding from Mr. Dintersmith will support the highest ranked proposals that have not been funded by other donors through the website. (click here to read more)

Biomathematics Summer Scholarships for research in mathematics applied to the life sciences, quantitative biology, and biostatistics. Examples projects include but are not limited to: mathematical modeling or quantitive data analysis in molecular, cellular, or organismal biology; bioinformatics and computational molecular biology; population dynamics; theoretical aspects of evolution and ecology; and computational neuroscience. Proposals may involve either one or two faculty advisors. Please direct questions to Professor Gregory D. Smith. All eligible Charles Center Domestic and International Scholarship applicants are considered for this award so follow those instructions and use one of those cover sheets. Applicants must submit complete applications including eight copies of each letter of recommendation if applying for both a Charles Center and Biomath award.

Chappell Fellowships support students' close collaboration with William and Mary faculty members engaged in summer research. The Chappell Fellowship is intended to provide the student with a creative research experience as well as providing the faculty member with research assistance. It is understood that the nature of the student's research experience will vary considerably from one field to another; however, in all cases it is crucial that the student's role go significantly beyond mechanical tasks such as data entry, photocopying, or library errands, while it may, of course, include tasks of this nature. Note: This application requires a 1-page statement from the Chappell advisor describing his/her project and how the work of the Chappell Fellow will contribute to it.
Click here for more information / Click here to download the application cover sheet / Faculty advisor listings

Charles Center Scholarships for International or Domestic Research fund students to do seven weeks of research abroad or in the U.S. These awards are made possible by Frank Batten, W. Edward Bright '78, the estate of Helen Y. Cohen, Gale and Steve Kohlhagen '69, Suzanne Louis '71, the estate of Dewey Renick, Richard '52 and Nancy Sayford, W&M Class of 1943, W&M Class of 1968, and the W&M Parents' Association. Please note: based on what you are doing (domestic vs. international), these are also the forms to use for the Biomathematics Scholarship (requires 2 complete sets of forms / recommendations), Christian-Ewell Scholarship (requires only 1 set of forms), the Christopher Wren Association Scholarship (requires only 1 set of forms), and the James Reilly Undergraduate Summer Scholarship (requires only 1 set of forms); you will automatically be considered for one of these awards based on the nature of your research project.
Click here for more information / Click here for the Domestic Research Cover Sheet / and here for the International Research Cover Sheet.

The Christian-Ewell Scholarship provides support for a student to engage in summer research on topics related to Latin America. Mr. Bruce Christian '73 established the endowment which funds the Fellowship. The award is made in honor of Judith Ewell, Newton Professor of History, for her work at the College. All eligible Charles Center International Research Scholarship applicants are considered for this award so follow those instructions and use that cover sheet.

This Christopher Wren Association Scholarship provides support for one student to engage in summer research on a humanities topic. Eligible fields include American Studies, Black Studies, Classical Studies, English, History, Linguistics, LCST, Medieval & Renaissance Studies, Modern Languages, Music, Philosophy, Religious Studies, and Theatre. All eligible Charles Center Domestic and International Scholarship applicants are considered for this award so follow those instructions and use one of those cover sheets.

The Computational Science Training for Undergraduates in the Mathematical Sciences (CSUMS) project is a new collaborative program between the Departments of Mathematics, Applied Science, and Computer Science at the College of William & Mary. It is supported by the National Science Foundation (NSF) for the period 2007–2012. The goal of CSUMS is to enhance computational aspects of the education and training of undergraduate students in the mathematical sciences and to better prepare these students to pursue careers and graduate study in fields that require integrated strengths in computation and the mathematical sciences. You can find more information here.
Note: This is not a Charles Center scholarship. You must go to the link provided above for more information on how to apply.

Cummings Memorial Summer Scholarships for Research in the Sciences and Mathematics are made possible by the Frances L. and Edwin K. Cummings Memorial Science Research Endowment. Strong preference is given to applicants from groups that are underrepresented in the William and Mary student body.
Click here for more information / Click here to download the application cover sheet

Dintersmith Fellowships - see WM Honors Fellowships, above.

Lawrence and Jean Irwin Memorial Internship Stipend / Bertha Taylor Scholarships for Public Affairs Internships: Thanks to the generosity of these patrons, the Government Department is able to award a number of stipends to help support students undertaking summer internships related to politics and government.  The exact number of awards and the amount of each will vary from year to year, but in general about ten will be given, ranging from $250 to $1000 each. Applications will be considered starting April 22. See this page for complete details and the application form.

The J. Edward Grimsley Fellowship for Journalism was created to allow William and Mary undergraduate students to gain practical journalism experience during the summer.  Mr. Grimsley graduated from the College in 1951 with a degree in Government.  Now retired, he is the former editor of the Richmond Times Dispatch and has won numerous awards from the Virginia Press Association.  In 2008 the Charles Center will award one $3,000 fellowship to a student doing an unpaid internship in journalism.  The Grimsley Fellow must dedicate a minimum of seven full-time weeks to the Fellowship, should not be receiving funding from other sources, and must be returning to the College in the fall following the award (unless studying abroad). Applicants are responsible for securing their own internships. Note: the Grimsley application deadline is 12:00 noon on April 30, 2009.
Click here for more information / Click here for the application cover sheet

The Jacobs Scholarship supports students to travel to Israel to conduct research, study or service projects. The scholarships are intended for students with special interests in the past and present religious, cultural, and political life of Israel. Previous projects include work on The Efficacy of Violence Prevention Programs in Israel, Othering in the Art of Palestinian and Israeli Children, Pluralism and Segregation in Israel, and Studying Biblical Hebrew Poetry in Jerusalem. These awards are made possible by the estate of Nathan P. Jacobs.
Click here for more information / Click here for the application cover sheet

The James Reilly Undergraduate Summer Scholarship supports a student doing public policy research. The award was created as a tribute to James Reilly '98 who died in the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center. All eligible Charles Center Domestic and International Scholarship applicants are considered for this award so follow those instructions and use those cover sheets.

The Llanso-Sherman Scholarship supports summer independent research by a rising senior who has indicated interest in a career in medical research. It was established by Mr. Peter Neufeld '58 to honor the memory of Thomas Harlan Llanso '59 who died from diabetes and Alan Clarke "Smokey" Sherman '58 who died from Lou Gehrig's disease. The recipient is selected by the departments of Biology and Chemistry on a rotating basis. In 2009, the award will go to a Chemistry student. Please contact Professor Gary Rice, Chair of the Chemistry deapartment, for more information

The Kraemer Scholarships fund study abroad in the British Isles. They are funded by Richard Kraemer '65.
Click here to download more information / Click here for the application cover sheet

Mercury Project funding supports student and faculty research in any academic discipline that relates to mercury.  Examples could include art reflecting mercury and the environment, sociology and health risks of eating seafood, international history of metal mining, policies and treaties on global movement of pollutants, economics of mercury pollution from coal-fired power plants, recycling mercury waste, or any other subject that directly or indirectly relates to mercury as a global hazard.  Awards are available for faculty or student for year-long or summer research and/or curriculum development. Please contact Dan Cristol or Sharon Zuber for more information on the project.
Click here for more information / Click here for more information

The Virginia Crouch Memorial Research Grant provides $1000 on an alternating basis to a student studying Botany and a student studying Virginia history. The scholarship is a tribute to the extraordinary life of Virginia Crouch ‘90, who died in a 1997 fire. Graduate as well as continuing undergraduate students are eligible. In 2009 the award will go to a Biology student. Please contact Professor Paul Heideman, Chair of the Biology department, for more information.