The Undergraduate International Studies Fellowship (UISF) supports international travel and study for students in good standing and enrolled full-time at The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Second term freshmen, sophomores, and juniors are eligible to apply for Fellowships awarded each year.

The program is open to all students, but is intended to provide support for those who do not otherwise have the financial resources to participate in study-abroad programs, and who are members of underrepresented groups in undergraduate international study.

Students who have demonstrated academic excellence, extracurricular and civic engagement, are U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and have plans to engage in a substantive study-abroad experience are encouraged to apply.

Description

THE UNDERGRADUATE INTERNATIONAL STUDIES FELLOWSHIP provides travel awards for select students pursuing academic research or study in an international setting. In choosing recipients, the Selection Committee bases its awards on:

1. financial need,
2. evidence of satisfactory academic progress toward completion of an undergraduate degree, 
3. and the Stone Center’s interest in encouraging international study by underrepresented students.

The selection shall also be based upon an application essay that includes a description of a concrete academic project with clear objectives and goals for a student’s study-abroad experience. The applicant must also present a plan for sharing the results in a venue associated with the Stone Center upon the recipient's return.

Applications will be available early in the term before the student is scheduled to study abroad, although students will be eligible to apply up to a year before they intend to travel. If necessary, additional support is provided when students return to help them prepare for and present their project.

Each travel award shall be in an amount up to $2,500 and shall not be renewable.

Disbursement of funds will be made by the Director of the Stone Center.

Basic Criteria

The Fellowship Committee is interested in supporting viable study-abroad experiences, therefore applicants should be planning to participate in a University approved or recognized program although proposals for other University-related programs will be considered. The study-abroad experience must be at least one academic term in length. Priority is given to programs in areas of the African Diaspora although all program proposals will be considered and may receive awards.

Although it may be combined with other funds, the fellowship is intended to fund the travel program expenses of the awardee/individual student who studies abroad as part of a group, or who engages in an independent experience.

Fellowship awardees will be selected on the basis of an application that includes an essay outlining (1) goals and objectives of the intended study-abroad experience, (2) its relationship to their vocational, experiential or academic plans, and (3) the specific way they intend to use fellowship funds. In addition, the essay should describe the financial resources available to the applicant.

Upon return from the study-abroad experience, recipients will be expected to report back to the University community through a venue provided by the Stone Center. Report back activities may take a number of forms including written reports, travel essays, web-pages, multi-media projects, or other formats. The committee encourages recipients to be creative and imaginative when choosing their report back formats. The report back should occur in the first academic term of the recipient's return.

Eligibility Criteria

In addition to requirements of the Trust Agreement, the following criteria must be met:

• Student applicants must be available for interview by the UISF Committee.
• Student applicants must be enrolled in a full-time program of undergraduate study in the College of Arts and Sciences of UNC-Chapel Hill (if pursuing a double major, one must be through an academic department of the College of Arts and Sciences during the semester immediately before beginning travel).
  

Application Procedures

Students interested in applying for an UISF must complete an application form and provide additional documentation as required in the application. Applications for the UISF are available at the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History (Suite 215). For current deadlines, call the Stone Center at 962-9001.

Awardees Rules

Students awarded an UISF take full responsibility for the funds and for their disposition according to their stated plans. In the event an award recipient's plans change, students must contact the Director of the Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History to petition for any adjustments.

Awardees should be aware that fellowship funds may be subject to taxation and the student is responsible for any tax liability, and for reporting the grant on the appropriate tax forms and for paying any taxes due. All arrangements for travel and other expenditures incidental to travel are the sole responsibility of the student.

The UISF committee is responsible for recommending recipients in accordance with the trust agreement and the criteria established for the fellowship. The Director of the Stone Center is responsible for administering the fellowship following the recommendation of the committee.

Students receiving the UISF will be required to sign a Release and Indemnity Agreement.

Application Checklist

Please verify that your application includes the following materials:

• The Undergraduate International Studies Fellowship Application Form
• The Application Essay
• Two letters of recommendation
• Documentation of Academic Standing
• Signed Release (Media)
• Signed Honor Pledge

Application

Students may submit application form, media release, honor pledge, and application essay online using our web form. Students may also download a fillable Word document (.doc) form. The form can be filled out using Microsoft Word and then either submitted as an email attachment to the Stone Center or printed and sent via conventional mail. Completed applications, transcripts, and letters of recommendation need to be sent to:

The Sonja Haynes Stone Center for Black Culture and History
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
150 South Road
CB# 5250
Chapel Hill, North Carolina
27599-5250

Email: stonecenter@unc.edu