The university encourages and supports academically-strong students seeking to advance
their educational and career goals through highly competitive fellowships and awards
available nationally and globally.
Competitive fellowships and awards and fellowships are available to support undergraduate
or graduate study in the United States or abroad for research or public service. Learn
more about the prestigious awards by attending an upcoming information session. Sessions
are held each fall and spring term and are open to all Towson University students
and alumni, regardless of major, year or enrollment in the Honors College.
The process of applying for competitive fellowship or award is in itself valuable.
Applicants learn how to present themselves more effectively; gain experience interviewing
and articulating their ideas and vision; challenge themselves to excel; and grow —
personally and professionally.
Successful Applications
Successful applications typically include:
a personal statement that is clear, succinct, and focused
a distinguished academic resume
strong letters of recommendation from faculty
a well-planned proposal for future research
Students interested in applying for a competitive fellowships and awards are encouraged
to contact the Director of Competitive Fellowships and Awards, Dr. Clare Muhoro, at cmuhoro AT_TOWSON.
Dr. Clare Muhoro is the director of competitive fellowships and awards in the Office
of the Provost. She coordinates TU’s efforts to support and promote students in obtaining
nationally competitive scholarships and awards such as the Fulbright, Rhodes, Truman,
Gilman and Goldwater fellowships.
Dr. Muhoro works across colleges with faculty and staff to identify competitive awards
for TU students; recruit eligible students to apply for awards; and provide support
during the application and submission processes.
Dr. Muhoro is a professor of organic chemistry and joined the TU faculty in 2005. She
received her B.Sc. in chemistry from St. Lawrence University and her Ph.D. in organometallic
chemistry from Yale University.
Select Competitive Fellowships and Awards
Boren Awards
Boren Scholarships and Fellowships provide up to $24,000 to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students to study abroad
in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in
study abroad. Although this program has a language component, it is open to all majors.
Deadline: Late January (fellowships); early February (scholarships)
The Charles B. Rangel International Affairs Summer Enrichment Program is a six-week summer program designed to provide undergraduate students with a deeper
appreciation of current issues and trends in international affairs, a greater understanding
of career opportunities in international affairs, and the enhanced knowledge and skills
to pursue such careers.
Critical Language Scholarship is an overseas language immersion program supporting the study and master one of
fifteen designated critical languages: Arabic, Azerbaijani, Bangla, Chinese, Hindi,
Indonesian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Russian, Swahili, Turkish,
and Urdu. Some languages require no prior experience.
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is a prestigious grant program awarded to graduating seniors and graduate students
to supports study/research projects or English teaching projects for students to conduct
outside of the U.S.
The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern
abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic competitiveness.
By providing Goldwater Scholarships to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue research careers in the natural
sciences, mathematics and engineering, the Goldwater Foundation is helping ensure
that the U.S. is producing the number of highly-qualified professionals the Nation
needs in these critical fields.
The Governor’s Summer Internship Program introduces Maryland’s best and brightest college students to the challenges and rewards
of working within state government through policy-based summer internships in the
Maryland state government.
Each year, through the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program, the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace offers approximately 11-13 one-year
fellowships to uniquely qualified graduating seniors and individuals who have graduated
during the past academic year. They are selected from a pool of nominees nominated
by several hundred participating universities and colleges. James C. Gaither Junior
Fellows work as research assistants to Carnegie’s senior scholars.
Marshall Scholarship finances young Americans of high ability to study for a degree in the United Kingdom
through a scholarship to pursue a postgraduate degree at any UK institution in any
field of study.
Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship awards in the world.
Rhodes Scholars are chosen not only for their outstanding scholarly achievements,
but for their character, commitment to others and to the common good, and for their
potential for leadership in whatever domains their careers may lead. Rhodes scholars
receive a scholarship to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree at the University
of Oxford in the United Kingdom.
The Truman Scholarship is premier graduate fellowship in the United States for those pursuing careers as
public service leaders, identifies young people at an important inflection point in
their development — when they are college juniors — and recognizes and rewards their
commitments to devote themselves to public service.