Fellowships & Grants

Fulbright US Student Top Producer, 2015-2016 The Office of Undergraduate Scholarly Engagement assists University of Portland students and alumni in the process of discerning which major fellowships are appropriate for each individual. In most cases, the fellowships are national in scope and are highly competitive. As well, we assist in the process of constructing the applications for the fellowships and, when needed, preparing for interviews. The skills that students gain from working with this office transfer to any number of life situations: writing personal statements, applying to graduate school, preparing for job interviews.

James Gaynor, Class of 2014, Goldwater Scholarship: "The Goldwater scholarship is one fo the few scholarships in the nation that is specifically awarded to students who plan to pursue graduate study and a research career in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics field … which makes this scholarship an excellent opportunity to distinguish one's self as a future academic and/or scientist on a national scale."
Emily Groh, Class of 2015, Boren Scholarship: "I am already reaping benefits far beyond the monetary award. I am a strong believer in taking advantage of any and all opportunities for travel and experiencing other cultures. I suppose if I had to sum up why I chose to apply for the Boren, it would simply be to have the invaluable, life-changing experiences that studying and living abroad inevitably bring!"
Mikayla Posey, Class of 2015, Gilman Scholarship: "Studying abroad is a unique and fulfilling experience; however, it can also be very costly. Because I pay for my own schooling, I did not know if I would be able to afford going to Salzburg, Austria after being accepted (to UP) and, thus, I applied for the Gilman in order to help overcome this hurdle."
Joe Sleven, Class of 2013, Fulbright Award: "I think in a weird way you learn a lot about yourself while filling things in (during the application process). You have to put thought into what your next steps are going to be, and about what the future has in store for you. Not to mention the grant itself is amazing. Seriously, it's a dream."
Frank Deryck, Class of 2014, NSF-GRFP: I am currently working as an instructor for community colleges in the southern California area, where my teaching specialty is quantitative psychology. I mainly teach research methods courses, and a large part of my work is mentoring undergraduate students in their own independent research. I am able to work effectively with my students since the GRFP gave me more opportunities to develop my own research abilities."
Lauren Arkoosh, Class of 2016, Hollings Scholarship: "The Hollings Scholarship offered me many opportunities including the ability to work in a professional environment in an extremely small field. I was also able to travel and, most importantly, network with other marine mammal scientists."