Grant, Scholarship & Fellowship Opportunities

Department Awards

The department awards several merit-based scholarships to geography students each year. Nominations and applications open on September 15 and close on January 15 each academic year. Application and nomination processes are described below.

Departmental Scholarships

  1. Geospatial Technology Scholarship
  2. Physical Geography Scholarship
  3. Human Geography Scholarship
  4. Graduate Student Data & Field Studies Scholarship

Description: Undergraduate majors and graduate master's students are invited to submit applications for the three specialty area (Geospatial Technology, Physical Geography, and Human Geography) scholarships. Graduate students are invited to submit applications for the Data & Field Studies Scholarship. The principal objective of these scholarships is to support student scholarly and/or research activities. Each award is approximately $250.

Proposal Instructions

F. Andrew Schoolmaster Award to Outstanding Undergraduate Student

Description: For the Outstanding Undergraduate award, individual faculty members nominate students.

Criteria: Junior or senior standing; completed at least four geography courses; cumulative GPA 3.25 or higher; outstanding course project. Faculty must nominate with complete dossier by January 15 each year. A complete dossier includes:1) the student's UNT unofficial transcripts, 2) the student's Curriculum Vitae, 3) a letter of support (from the nominator), and 4) one letter of support from another UNT faculty member.

F. Andrew Schoolmaster Award to Outstanding Graduate Student

Description: For the Outstanding Graduate award, individual faculty members nominate students.

Criteria: Generally goes to a second-year student; cumulative GPA 3.5 or higher; outstanding thesis. Faculty must nominate. Faculty must nominate with complete dossier by by January 15 each year. A complete dossier includes:1) the student's UNT unofficial transcripts, 2) the student's Curriculum Vitae, 3) a letter of support (from the nominator), and 4) one letter of support from another UNT faculty member.

Nationally Competitive Awards:

Outstanding students may also apply for prestigious, nationally-competitive awards, such as those listed below. Once you have found the grant, scholarship, or fellowship you want to apply for, the following instructions can serve as guidelines for initial feedback about your application:

  1. Determine the word or "character" limit for each entry.
  2. Fill out the response in a Word document, adhering to the word or "character" limit.
  3. Place the response beneath a cut-and-paste of the essay prompt (that is, the instructions for that essay), and have your major professor review it for thematic and stylistic feedback.
  4. Incorporate the feedback from your major professor into your Word document.
  5. Cut and paste the revised Word document into an email and send it to the Director of the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships at jduban@unt.edu with the name of the grant in the subject line. He will provide additional feedback in the areas of style and tone.
  6. When you, your major professor, and Dr. Duban are satisfied with the Word document, you will undertake the same process for each subsequent entry or essay.
  7. After completing each entry this way, you will cut and paste those entries into the appropriate boxes or columns in the formal application. Never work on the Internet site of the application until you have completed the essay(s) in Word.
  8. Students should complete the application at least three weeks prior to the deadline and show a copy of the completed application to any person from whom they expect a letter of recommendation. The completed application will give your recommenders more to say about you and will also allow them to place their recommendations in the context of the specific scholarship and its expectations. Professors will also interpret the three-week buffer as a welcome gesture of courtesy.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowships for Undergraduate Seniors or New/Early Graduate Students: http://www.nsfgrfp.org

National Institutes of Health Undergraduate and Graduate Research Fellowships and Internships: https://www.training.nih.gov/programs

Udall Scholarships in (a) Environmentalism, or (b) Native-American Health Care: http://www.udall.gov/OurPrograms/MKUScholarship/MKUScholarship.aspx

Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarships for Undergraduates and Graduate Students: http://smart.asee.org/about

PEO International Peace Scholarship (for International Women Graduate Students):
http://www.peointernational.org/peo-foundation

Smithsonian Museum Fellowships: http://www.smithsonianofi.com/fellowship-opportunities/

Social Science Research Council Fellowships for Undergraduate and Graduate Students: http://www.ssrc.org/fellowships/all/

Harry S. Truman Scholarships for College Juniors Interested in Public Policy and Careers in Public Service: www.truman.gov

National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships: http://ndseg.asee.org/about_ndseg/supported_disciplines

Ford Foundation Fellowships: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/FordFellowships/PGA_048001

Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowship: http://woodrow.org/fellowships/ww-teaching-fellowships

Gates-Cambridge Scholarship: http://www.gatescambridge.org/

Pat Tillman Foundation Scholarships for Military Veterans or their Spouses: http://www.pattillmanfoundation.org/tillman-military-scholars/apply/

Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for Citizens in Transition or for U.S. Citizen Children of Immigrants: http://pdsoros.org/overview/

The American Association of University Women (AAUW):
http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/

Rotary Future Visions Grants: http://www.rotary.org/en/members/runningadistrict/futurevisionpilotprogram/Pages/fv_global_grants.aspx

These Rotary grants fund graduating seniors and graduate students studying in one of the following areas:

  • Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution
  • Disease Prevention and Treatment
  • Water and Sanitation
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Basic Education and Literacy (including music literacy)
  • Economic and Community Development

Hispanic Scholarship Fund Awards: www.hsf.net

Rhodes, Marshall and Mitchell Scholarships:

UNT has a single nominating committee for these three scholarships, each of which allows graduating seniors or recent alumni to study abroad. August 6 is the receipt deadline for all forms, essays, transcripts, and letters of recommendation (Sage 228, Office for Nationally Competitive Scholarships). While these competitions now feature electronic uploads, the UNT Faculty Nominating Committee consults only hard copy for purposes of preliminary deliberation.

Rhodes Scholarship: http://www.rhodesscholar.org/

Marshall Scholarship: http://www.marshallscholarship.org/

George Mitchell Scholarship: http://www.us-irelandalliance.org/content/3/en/George%20Mitchell%20Scholarship%20Program%20%7c%20US-Ireland%20Alliance.html

Also explore the comprehensive search protocol and list of opportunities prepared by the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships. Students studying geography and related fields are potentially eligible for many of these awards: http://www.opgf.unt.edu/.