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Political Science Department and other UW-Madison Scholarships and Awards

 

PAPER AWARDS:

  • WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN AWARD -- given each year to the student who has completed the best term paper written in a political science course or the best thesis.  Papers or theses are nominated by the individual faculty members who have worked with individual students on papers or theses. Deadline for nomination is May 15.
  • LEON EPSTEIN PRIZE -- alternates between the undergraduate or graduate student whose written work makes an outstanding contribution to the study of American or British politics. (Undergrad in odd years, grad student in even years). Application deadline is May 15.

SCHOLARSHIPS (2012 application deadline: extended to 7 March):

  • ELAINE C. DAVIS PRIZE -- One annual award of varying amount (approximately $250.00). It is awarded by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Political Science Department to a senior political science major in recognition of outstanding academic achievement and leadership in campus and/or community affairs. Awardee must have record demonstrating intellectual ability and curiosity, good citizenship, and an appreciation of the world outside her or himself.
  • PHILIP J. SCHEMEL AWARD -- awarded to a non-resident student with financial need. The Application must include evidence of financial need.  Including your financial aid award statement is helpful, but explanation of financial need is also acceptable.  Preference is for a student from New York or Connecticut, but all non-resident students will be considered. If no qualifying non-resident student can be found, then the award will go to a student from Wisconsin. Award is for $1600, awarded annually.
  • JUDITH HICKS STIEHM AWARD -- to provide support to an undergraduate studying political science (not necessarily a major), to be used for tuition or to provide funding for an opportunity that will enhance learning (e.g., internship, travel, or research); preference to Wisconsin resident; award based on significant financial need; awardee must have at least a C+ average. The application must include evidence of financial need. Including your financial aid award statement is helpful, but explanation of financial need is also acceptable.  If you wish to use the award for funding research or some other opportunity, you must provide a brief (no more than one page) description of your project/opportunity with your application. If you are working with a faculty sponsor or university program, please include that information as well. 
  • ZAKA AND AMED KHAN SCHOLARSHIP -- Two scholarships to be awarded to academically talented students with financial need. Students may be a resident or nonresident. Preference will be given to students with demonstrated commitment to public/community service and/or interest in a public service career. Each award is approximately $1200.

 

How to apply for these scholarships:

  • Students must be declared Political Science majors in order to apply.
  • The application is now available through Scholarships@UW-Madison for eligible students. To access the application, log in to My UW and go to the Finance tab. Please log on and complete the questions presented to you. Please keep in mind that the site is screening applicants for many L&S scholarships so you may be asked questions that seem unrelated to specific scholarships. The website will then present you with a list of scholarships for which you are eligible to apply, including those in the political science department. Review the whole application to get an idea of what information is needed and to gauge how long it will take you to complete..

 

Other Awards available on Campus:

  • University Book Store Academic Excellence Awards: Applications for these awards will be accepted by the Office of the Provost. Amounts of $1,000 each will be awarded to students who have completed outstanding independent project. Deadline varies. For more information, you can go to the following website: http://www.provost.wisc.edu/uaa/awards/bookstore.html (you will need Adobe Acrobat to access this information)
  • Wisconsin Women in Government (WWIG) Scholarships: This organization includes most women legislators and other leaders. Scholarships of $2,000 each will be awarded to students from UW institutions. Deadline is approximately May 1; for more information, see the WWIG website. Applications should be submitted to the Political Science Department prior to that date. They will then be forwarded for consideration in time for the deadline. An announcement regarding the deadline will be sent by email to all majors.
  • Wisconsin/Hilldale Undergraduate/Faculty Research Fellowships: These fellowships provide support for collaborative research. A grant of $3,000 is awarded to each student and $1,000 to each faculty/staff supervisor. The fellowships are administered by the Provost's office. Advance planning is strongly recommended. Deadline is in February. For a detailed description, application and deadline information go to: http://www.provost.wisc.edu/uaa/awards/hilldale.html.
  • Wisconsin Idea Undergraduate Fellowships: These are awarded for collaborative research projects that blend academic experience with service to the community. For examples of projects and application information, go to:http://www.morgridge.wisc.edu/programs/wif/wif_FAQs_funding.html. Deadline is in late February.