NSEP Scholarship
Fellowships for Study Abroad and Domestic Study:
(Due Date)
Official web site: < http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep>
Who Can Apply:
Graduate (and Undergraduate) students who wish to work in the government
(in some capacity) and who are interested in a foreign
language. A Candidate must be U.S. citizen at the time of
application. Candidates must also be either enrolled in or
applying to a graduate degree program at an accredited U.S.
college or university located within the United States. To
receive the award you must provide evidence
of admission and enrollment in such a program. Boren Fellows must remain
enrolled in their graduate programs for the entire duration of the
fellowship.
Amount:
Fellowships provide support for overseas or domestic study, or a
combination of
both.
The maximum level of support for a combined overseas and domestic
program
is $30,000. A maximum of $12,000 per semester for up to two semesters
($24,000) is available for overseas study. A maximum of
$12,000 is available for a program of domestic study only.
Support for domestic study is limited to language
or area
studies that enhance a degree program; it is not intended to support the
general tuition costs of obtaining a degree.
Funding from other
sources may be combined with the fellowship, but Fellows
must
inform IIE/NSEP of any additional funding they receive. Budget line
items
cannot be duplicated.
Bridge Awards
NSEP is collaborating with the National Bureau for Asian
Research (NBR) to sponsor an add-on award to one's Boren
Fellowship. Up to 10 Boren Fellows will be placed at the
NBR to work as research associates
with staff in the NBR offices in Seattle, Washington, or
Washington, DC. Bridge awards are available to Boren Fellows studying in
Eurasia, South Asia, East Asia, and Southeast Asia. To apply,
applicants should mark "yes" to indicate interest in the Bridge
award and complete the optional one-page essay, #4, in the
program proposal section of the application. Successful candidates
receive the
award in lieu of the domestic portion
of NSEP funding. All 2008 awardees will begin
their NBR work no earlier than the summer
of 2009. For more information visit http://www.nbr.org/nextgeneration/BorenBridgeAward/Boren06.html
Purpose:
The National Security Education Program (NSEP) Provides a
unique funding opportunity for U.S. students to study world
regions critical to U.S. interests
(including Africa, Asia, Central & East Europe, Eurasia, Latin America &
the
Caribbean, and the Middle East). The countries of Western Europe,
Canada,
Australia, and New Zealand are excluded. NSEP was designed to provide
Americans with the resources and encouragement they need to acquire
skills and
experiences in areas of the world critical to the future
security of our nation in exchange for a commitment to seek
work in the federal government. As students
of
other cultures and languages, Boren Scholars and Fellows begin to
acquire the international competence needed to communicate
effectively across borders, to understand other
perspectives, and to analyze economic and political affairs.
Applicants design their own programs and may
combine domestic language and cultural study with overseas
study. Study of a foreign language appropriate to the
identified country or region must be an integral part of each
application proposal. (Note: Boren Fellowship support may not
be used for study of French or Spanish unless such language
instruction is at an advanced level or combined with the study
of
science, engineering, or business.)
History:
Was created to help support students who are going to study and
help the U.S. government with it's relationship with other
countries that are of critical interest
and
importance.
Application process:
All application will be submitted online at the
official website
Each year, NSEP publishes a list of geographic
areas, languages and fields of study identified as critical to U.S.
national security. Applicants are strongly encouraged to focus
their studies on one of the geographic areas, languages, and/or fields of
study
listed below. NSEP remains interested in encouraging applications for study
in
other countries and world regions where a compelling argument can be made
that an
increased understanding and appreciation represents an important
contribution to U.S. national security.
Study in countries where there is no U.S. diplomatic presence is
not permitted using NSEP funds
Study of a foreign language appropriate to the identified
country or region must be
an integral part of each application. The language component
must incorporate opportunities to develop, maintain, or advance
proficiency in a language, including instruction and application
inside and outside the classroom setting.
Since many languages in critical countries and regions are
not commonly taught at U.S. institutions, programs providing
beginning language instruction in these languages are appropriate
for Boren Fellowship applicants. Prior study of another language
will serve as an indication of interest and aptitude.
For
those students who have an advanced-level
proficiency in Chinese, or Russian please note that
you are eligible for support under the Boren Fellowship to
participate in a National Flagship Overseas Program. Please see
http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep/graduate/flagship.htm
The Language Flagship for further
details.
NOTE: Study of
Spanish or French is permissible only when it is at an advanced level of
competency or combined with the study of science, engineering or business, in
which
case it must be at an intermediate level.
At the time of application, the Language Proficiency Form should be
completed by a language instructor or other qualified evaluator. NSEP/IIE
will verify the assessed competency level. The award will be made
contingent upon verification of the appropriate level in Spanish and
French.
Please check back in August for the 2009-10
application.
(this
is when it will be available on the offical web site.)
Basically you will have:
- a preliminary nomination
section (you will need to get in touch with the school
representative.)
- an online application,
- you will be writing a proposal
of study (I would focus on the significance of studying
in that
country to the U.S. government.)
- transcript
submission
- 3 letters of recommendation
(make sure they are people/faculty who know you
well
and who you trust to portray you well because you will not see the
recommendations (submitted online as well) you should probably
write them a
letter
of thanks afterwards).
- You will have to write up a
budget for funds (tuition, travel expenses, living
expenses, insurance, books/school supplies, and other)
- You will also have 3 essays
and an optional essay. Essays one and two should be no
more than the equivalent of two single-spaced pages using a
12 point Times New Roman Font. Essays three and four should be no
more than the equivalent of one single-spaced page using a 12 point
Times New Roman font.
Topics for essays:
- Describe in detail the program of
study for which you are requesting NSEP funding, including specific
plans for domestic and/or overseas study, and other compelling
and significant features of your proposal. If you are requesting support for
domestic study only, be sure to provide an explanation of the reason you are
unable
to study outside the United States.
- Explain the significance of your selected region, language,
and culture to your
academic field, to the nation's
security, and to your career goals and personal development.
- Describe your specific goals for language study, including
the proficiency level you hope to attain and how you plan to
develop your language skills to that level. What plans do you have
for continuing your language study following your Boren
Fellowship?
- Describe in detail your interest in working as a research
associate for the National
Bureau for Asian Research (NBR).
Identify which program at NBR you would be
most interested in working, and explain how your work in that program will fit
your
experiences and interests. Discuss
how the NBR experience will contribute to your
long
and short-term career plans, and explain how you will continue your language
development during the period of the Bridge award.
Checklist:
- Completed online application including three online
reference forms and optional online language proficiency form
- Official transcripts from all universities and colleges
attended
- Budget worksheet (If necessary) – An additional sheet of
paper detailing your
online
budget
- Evidence of enrollment in a graduate degree program
(provided by a current transcript or documentation from the
registrar's office. Applicants who are not enrolled in a graduate
degree program when applying for a fellowship must
indicate the graduate programs to which they have applied in the online
application)
- Letter of overseas affiliation - This letter is not
required at the time of application
NOTHING WILL BE EXCEPTED LATE SO DOUBLE CHECK YOUR MATTERIALS
Final Selection process:
Fellowship award recipients will be selected on the basis of
merit with consideration for:
- academic record and potential to succeed in the proposed
program
- commitment to international education to fulfill academic
and career goals
- language interest and aptitude
- quality and appropriateness of the proposed program and its
relevance to the
goals
of the National Security Education Program
- commitment to service in the federal government.
- evidence of ability to adapt to a different cultural
environment.
The review process has three stages:
First Stage - IIE
will review each application for completeness. Applications that are
incomplete (missing recommendations, transcripts, etc.) will not be
forwarded to merit review panels.
Second Stage - All
complete and eligible applications will be forwarded to appropriate
merit review panels for
consideration. The members of these panels are selected by
IIE and are comprised of college and
university faculty as well as experts from the
public and private sectors.
Third Stage -
National Panel Review - Those applications determined to be meritorious
at the second stage review will be
forwarded to a national nominating panel, which will designate
Fellowship finalists to the National Security Education Program Office.
National Panel members are chosen by
IIE and are comprised of college and university faculty as well as
experts from the public and private sectors.
The National Panel will consider:
- the strength of the applicant's proposal in terms of the program
preferences, including country and language of study, as well as the
applicant's field of study; and
- the ethnic, racial, and gender diversity of the fellowship
finalists.
- The panel is also directed to give special consideration to
students from science, engineering, and business.
Duration & Conditions:
- Boren Fellowship awards are made for a minimum of one
semester and maximum
of two academic years.
- Overseas programs can be no longer than 12 months.
- Summer programs must be equivalent to an academic semester to be
considered. - Programs can begin no earlier than May 15, 2008 and no
later than June 1, 2009.
You must work for the
government when you graduate. The duration of this
government service will be the length of assistance provided by the fellowship
and
in no cases shorter than a year. You have two years from the
time your studies end (graduate or terminated) to complete this
requirement. The NSEP service
requirement stipulates that an award recipient work in the federal government in
a
position with national security responsibilities. The Departments of Defense,
Homeland Security, State, or any element of the Intelligence
Community are
priority agencies. If an award recipient demonstrates to NSEP that no
appropriate position is available in one of these agencies after
making a full and good faith
effort
in accordance with conditions established by NSEP, the award recipient must
seek a position with national security responsibilities in any
federal department or agency. Approval of service outside of a
priority agency is contingent upon
satisfactory demonstration of a full and good faith effort in accordance with
conditions established by NSEP. (More information about how to get a job and
types
of jobs available for this service requirement can be found on the official
web
site.
Announcement:
The U.S. Congress has recently included a provision that will enable
2008 NSEP award recipients to fulfill the
NSEP Service Agreement in a broader range
of employment opportunities. This provision
allows for an additional option -- to fulfill
the service agreement in a “position in the
field of education in a discipline related to
the study supported by the program.” Please
note that this option will be available by petition only, and only to
individuals who can demonstrate that they have exhausted
all opportunities to gain federal
employment. NSEP is working to develop guidelines for implementing this
option. These guidelines will be available for all recipients of a 2008
award. Please also note that this provision is listed in the 2008 Defense
Authorization
Act, which as of mid-January has not yet
been signed into law by the President, but is expected to be by early
February 2008.
Final Reminder that all materials
must be submitted by the appropriate Due dates.
This scholarship has applicants from all over the nation, and
dates can not be bent for
one applicant. There is a list of
important up to date dates/deadlines on the official
web site (Official web site
http://www.iie.org/programs/nsep
) that should be helpful, and if
you follow them you should be fine. There
are also some helpful
FAQ and more information about the
foundation on the web site. Good luck with
your application process. If you have
any other questions or if we may be of further assistance with your
application process please contact the graduate office.