USC students have won more than 620 national awards, totaling more than $17.8 million, since the Fellowships Office was created in 1994. USC now hopes to make it easier for students to know about, and research these fellowships.
The Office of Fellowships and Scholar Programs has collaborated with the Office of the Provost and University Technology Services in order to unveil Investigate National Fellowship Opportunities, or INFO. The program is an online database with a wide range of search parameters that students can utilize to pinpoint national fellowships that meet their academic and professional goals.
“We are excited to provide high ability Carolina students with an online database to search for national fellowships,” said Novella Beskid, director of the Office of Fellowships and Scholars Programs. “It is a critical advising tool for to maximize funding opportunities to meet [student’s] academic and professional goals.”
The idea was first brought up by Jen Bess, the fellowships coordinator. Bess came from the University of Chicago, where they had a similar database available to students.
The USC Fellowships Office wanted to offer this opportunity to students because a lot of individuals do not know what fellowships are, and often confuse them with university and departmental scholarships.
INFO not only provides information on individual fellowships, but also includes related deadlines and associated campus workshops coordinated and led by national fellowship advisors, faculty members and past student winners.
The Office of Fellowships and Scholars Programs hopes that this new database will help students conduct more in-depth research regarding these awards on their own.
“One of the most important steps in applying for a national fellowship is knowing which of the many that are available relate to their interest and goals,” Beskid said. “Students are encouraged to attend workshops in order to find those which best fit with their future career path.”
To learn more about the INFO program, visit http://www.sc.edu/ofsp/INFO.