Astronaut Scholarship - Feb. 11 deadline

Greetings!

My name is Kathryn Meehan, and I direct the GT Fellowships Office. The $10,000 Astronaut Scholarship is for STEM majors in any field except for pre-med who are engaged in research (see additional eligibility information below). Please read the following information very carefully.

The Astronaut Scholarship deadlines are coming soon, but the most important thing to do first is to determine if you're eligible, decide whether you want to apply, and to request your two recommendation letters by this Monday, Feb. 11th or before. You can forward information from this email to your recommenders, along with your resume and any supplementary information you might want to share regarding your work and activities. If the Astronaut Scholarship is not a good fit for you, please feel free to reply to this email to learn more about additional fellowships that may be of interest. I hope to hear from you soon!

This email includes relevant sections copied from Astronaut Scholarship Foundation information for applicants and faculty, and additional explanations I have added.

DEADLINES

Deadline to request your two letters of nomination (recommendation) from two GT professors: Monday, February 11th by 5:00 pm (or before)

Deadline to notify Dr. Kathryn Meehan via email of your intent to apply (Send essay draft and names of both recommenders): February 14th by 5:00 pm.

Deadline for submission of ALL application materials to Dr. Kathryn Meehan (see checklist below): February 25th by 5:00 pm.

These are strict deadlines to ensure that your application will be considered in this year's on-campus competition.

NOTE: To apply, you need to be a junior or a senior according to graduation date, so you need to have one or two complete academic years remaining at Georgia Tech after spring of 2013. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me.

Astronaut Scholarship Information

The Astronaut Scholarship Foundation’s (ASF) award is for outstanding students who exhibit motivation, imagination, and exceptional performance in the fields of engineering, mathematics and natural or applied sciences at one of the twenty-seven schools with which the Foundation has agreements. The award is for $10,000.

Students nominated for Astronaut Scholarship should be highly motivated, focused in their academic objectives and possess intellectual daring. ASF recognizes that these special students may be so involved, they excel in science, mathematics and engineering although they may be somewhat less successful in general studies courses. Students should be nominated by a professor at their institution who knows the student very well.

Although we wish to make it clear that the award will be made primarily on the basis of merit, financial need may be considered.

Nominee Requirements/Eligibility:

• Be a U.S. citizen (birth certificate, U.S. passport or naturalization papers required).

• Be a junior or senior at the time the scholarship begins.

• Have completed two years of full-time study at the ASF-supported/nominating school.

• Major in Natural or Applied Science, Engineering or Mathematics (biomedical research students are eligible, however, pre-med are not).

• Maintain full-time student status during both terms of the ASF-supported academic year.

• Have conducted a considerable amount of research in their specific field.

Submission Guidelines:

• The nominating faculty member should, at a minimum, complete the scholarship nomination form with assistance from the nominee.

• Two nomination letters from faculty members (one from the nominating professor) at the student’s institution must be submitted to the Foundation, including details on research achievements/endeavors.

• Students must submit a short not to exceed one pagee of 12 point type, statement of personal interests, activities, hobbies and goals. The narrative letter supporting the nomination form should give examples of the involvement and commitment of the student to their studies beyond the formal classroom setting as shown on the transcript. Creativity is an important attribute to document.

• An official transcript must be submitted.

• Students must submit a current, personal resume.

• Completed nominations should be submitted to the Astronaut Scholarship liaison, Dr. Kathryn Meehan, by 5:00 pm on February 25^th, 2013. (See earlier required deadlines above.)

ASTRONAUT SCHOLARSHIP SUBMISSION CHECKLIST

• Nominee Statement (1-page, single-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman font, 1-inch margins, top, bottom, left, and right)
• Nominee Resume
• Nominee’s Most Recent Official Transcript
• Nominee’s Financial Summary Form (attached)
• Nominee’s Proof of Citizenship (Birth Certificate, US Passport or Naturalization Papers)

• Two Faculty Nomination Letters (must be based at the student’s institution) (To be completed by two GT professors and placed in signed, sealed envelope)
  
• Nomination Form (attached) (To be completed by one of the two professors nominating the applicant)

Essays, Financial Forms, and Resume should be emailed directly to Kathryn Meehan, but official transcripts, letters of recommendation/nomination forms, and proof of citizenship must be dropped off at the GT Fellowships Office: Clough Commons suite 205.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Kathryn Meehan.

Kathryn Meehan, Ph.D.
Georgia Institute of Technology
Director, Fellowships Office
Clough Undergraduate Learning Commons
266 Fourth St. NW, Ste 205
Atlanta, GA 30332-0940
404-385-8515
kathryn.meehan@gatech.edu
http://www.fellowships.gatech.edu