Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship

3.30

Not Required

Must maintain full-time student status for the duration of the scholarship award

Must be U.S. citizen (permanent resident)

Must attend in the United States accredited institution

Must pursue a master or doctoral level degree oceanography, marine biology, maritime archaeology, and all science, engineering, social science, and resource management disciplines involving ocean and coastal areas

Recipients will be required to participate in a mandatory NOAA Orientation Training

The evaluation criteria and weighting of the criteria are as follows: Academic Record and Statement of Career Goals of the Students (20%). Academic Record and Statement of Intent describing career goals and objectives of scholarship need. Statement of Intent - 12%, Letter of Support - 3%, Coursework - 5%, Quality of Project and Applicability to Program Priorities (30%); Quality of project and applicability to program priorities. Research proposals will be evaluated for relevance to NOAA's mission, with a particular focus on the mission of the NOAA Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Alignment with NOAA and National Marine Sanctuaries Priorities - 20%, Feasibility - 5%, Technical Understanding and Clarity of Proposal - 5%, Recommendations and/or Endorsements of Students (15%); Evaluation of recommendations and/or endorsement letters. The familiarity of Applicant - 7%, Strength of Support - 8%, Additional Relevant Experience (15%); Additional relevant experience related to the diversity of education: extracurricular activities; honors and awards, interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills. For the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program, this includes relevant work experience. (Interpersonal and written skills will be evaluated from information in the Statement of Intent and Research Proposal.) Experience - 7%, Communication Skills - 8%, Financial Need (20%); Financial need of student Estimated Financial Need - 5%, Statement of Financial Need - 15%

Required

Required

Must provide only two signed letters of recommendation

Must submit a list of schools where the applicant has applied; Must provide annual reports documenting the scholar's activities, accomplishments, academic progress, research progress, and education and outreach progress. The report must include copies of receipts indicating disbursement of the education allowance and copies of receipts for allowable expenses under the program collaboration. The report must include a certification from the scholar's academic advisor indicating that the student's work is on track and a copy of the official transcript indicating the scholar has a minimum term and cumulative GPA of 3.3.