Friends of the International Center Fellowship

Call for Nominations

Background

The FIC was a non-profit, all-volunteer organization founded in 1961 (dissolved September 2021) whose mission statement was to support international education, to foster friendship, understanding, and cooperation within the international community, and to create a meeting place on the UC San Diego campus for people who share these aims. This mission may not seem novel in present times, but, at the time, the concept of global citizenship did not exist and the very word “foreign” often engendered fear rather than igniting curiosity. The FIC operated a variety of programs, building cross-national community while supporting international scholars and their families at UC San Diego, as well as funding an academic student support program for both undergraduate students studying abroad and graduate students whose work had an international component and/or global relevance. 

The FIC student support program began with a single award in 1975 and at its peak, before the pandemic of 2020, awarded 41 scholarships to undergraduate students and 32 fellowships to graduate students. Over the life of the FIC student support program, it has awarded over $1 million to UC San Diego scholars. Upon the dissolution of FIC in 2021, a new endowment fund was created to support graduate student fellowships in perpetuity. The Graduate Division will be awarding Friends of the International Center (Friends) fellowships to UC San Diego graduate students for 2022-23.

About the Award

• The selection of students for the 2022-23 scholarships will be made by a committee, in consultation with a representative from the former FIC.
• Up to 15 graduate fellowships of $2,000 each will be awarded for 2022-23.
• Each graduate academic program may nominate a maximum of two outstanding eligible graduate students for these awards.

Eligibility

• Nominees must be enrolled full-time in a UC San Diego matriculating graduate degree conferring program.
• UC San Diego graduate students planning to conduct research or study abroad. (The review committee is aware that the coronavirus pandemic has significantly impacted travel and will consider future intention to conduct research or study abroad as fulfilling this criterion.) 
• Foreign graduate students in residence at UC San Diego during 2022-23. 
• Students must have a distinguished academic record.
• The student must have completed one year of full-time graduate study for the Ph.D., D.M.A., M.F.A., or M.P.I.A. at UC San Diego by the time of award.
• Students must be registered for a full-time program of study and research in 2022-23 at UC San Diego or, in the case of foreign student nominees, will be on campus at UC San Diego in 2022-23.
• Students who promote international friendship, understanding, and cooperation in a meaningful way.
• The following degree programs are not eligible:
  • School of Medicine M.D. (currently listed)
  • Skaggs School of Pharmacy Pharm.D. and Masters Degree in Drug Development & Product Management
  • Rady School of Management M.B.A.

Nomination Materials

If your department will nominate two students, please ranks your nominees with #1 being the strongest candidate.

Please submit the following for each student applicant:

1. Letter from the department chair or graduate advisor containing:
   • An evaluation of the nominee's graduate performance to date and potential for future contributions to research or artistic activity in the student's discipline.
   • Other support the student is receiving and the student's financial need, if any.
   • Contribution the student has made, if any, to promote international friendship, understanding, and cooperation at UC San Diego.
   • Program ranking, if more than one student is nominated.
2. Statement from the nominee
   • Two-page maximum
   • In the statement, the nominee should describe their qualifications for the award, graduate study, career plans, financial need, past and proposed contributions to promoting international friendship and understanding at UC San Diego. The nominee should also explain their intended use of the award.
     • A willingness to volunteer, mentor and/or pay it forward with their peers is encouraged though not a requirement. 
     • A willingness to meet with one or more of their donors is encouraged though not a requirement. 
3. Student's vitae with current email and mailing address.
4. Student's current transcript. (Unofficial is acceptable.)

Deadlines

• Monday, March 28, 2022
  
  • Only department submissions will be accepted; students and faculty must work with their departments and may not self-nominate.
  • Generally, the call for nominations happens annually in February, this past year's process was delayed due to the pandemic and staffing transitions.
• Scholars will be selected and notified shortly thereafter
• Department representatives should submit nominations via the Google Form linked below:
  • To see a sample of the nomination form click here to view the form.
  • Questions can be directed to the Student Services and Support Portal, write the name of the fellowship in the subject line.

Past Recipients

Coming soon.