ICGC Scholar Fellowships support outstanding students who are clearly committed to the interdisciplinary study of the Global South in the context of global change.
We encourage departmental nomination of exceptionally capable students, especially—but not only—from the Global South and communities of color within the U.S.
Award Description
Awards vary in amount, duration, and format for the first year of study. Transportation costs to Minnesota are not covered. The student's home department typically guarantees support in the form of 50% teaching or research assistantships in the second and third years of study, and tuition and health insurance benefits for four years. Upon successful completion of all coursework and of oral and written doctoral qualifying examinations, research year support is provided through a combination of ICGC dissertation research support and/or home department research support.
In addition, recipients of ICGC Scholar Fellowships who are in Ph.D. programs are eligible to enter a competition for ICGC Predissertation Research Grants to undertake preliminary exploratory travel to the area of their proposed dissertation research. Students pursuing professional master’s degrees (and in some cases, students pursuing the PhD) are eligible to apply for ICGC International Internship Awards to help defray costs of international travel and housing if they choose to intern with an organization working on global issues.
As an integral part of their award, all fellowship recipients participate in the interdisciplinary seminars offered each year by ICGC and designed specifically for them. ICGC Scholars are required to enroll in these courses for credit; the courses partially fulfill requirements for the PhD Minor in Development Studies and Social Change. Students have the opportunity to present their own research and interests in informal seminars and also meet in weekly gatherings with other ICGC Scholars and faculty as well as to participate in ICGC research and scholarly activities.
Eligibility
To be considered for an ICGC Scholar Fellowship, applicants must:
- Hold at least a bachelor’s degree
- Have applied and been admitted to a graduate or professional degree program at the Twin Cities campus of the University of Minnesota in at least one of the following programs:
- Doctoral program in the College of Biological Sciences
- Doctoral program in the College of Education and Human Development
- Doctoral program in the College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences
- Doctoral program in the College of Liberal Arts
- Doctoral program in the School of Public Health
- Doctoral program in the Humphrey School of Public Affairs
- Master of Development Practice program
- Receive a nomination for these fellowships by the program, department, or college in which they will be enrolled
In reviewing nominees ICGC gives priority to students with academic interests related to equity, justice, and global change, particularly as they apply to the Global South*; potential for scholarly excellence; and a commitment to interdisciplinary work.
*Please note that ICGC interprets the Global South broadly, in terms of social and material conditions that may also be found in the northern hemisphere, rather than solely as a geographical location.
Questions Frequently Asked by Students
Can I apply directly for an ICGC Fellowship?
No, all applicants must be nominated by their departments to be considered for fellowship.
If you wish to be considered for a fellowship as a prospective student, you may send a completed Request for Departmental Nomination form, along with your application for admission to graduate study, to the department or school of intended enrollment (generally before mid-December).
To request an alternative format, contact ICGC at [email protected].
I am already a PhD student at the U. Can I still be nominated for an ICGC Fellowship?
No, current PhD students at the U are not eligible to apply for the ICGC Fellowship.
ICGC Fellowships are only available for graduate students who are newly entering their programs in the upcoming academic year, and we don't have funding to offer students who are already in their doctoral programs at the U.
Please consider getting involved in the ICGC community in other ways, such as:
- Taking courses in our graduate minor in Development Studies and Social Change
- Attending our public events
- Applying for the Graduate School's Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship with ICGC as the host
I am currently a master's (or an undergraduate) student at the U & will be applying for a PhD program at the U. Am I eligible for an ICGC Fellowship?
Yes, current UMN students who are newly entering PhD programs in the upcoming academic year are eligible to be considered for the ICGC Fellowship.
If you wish to be considered for a fellowship as a prospective student, you may send a completed Request for Departmental Nomination form, along with your application for admission to graduate study, to the department or school of intended enrollment (generally before mid-December).