Scholarships & Awards for Current INFO Students

Scholarships for HCIM Students Only

Jenny Preece and Ben Shneiderman Award for Excellence in HCIM

The Jenny Preece and Ben Shneiderman Award for Excellence in HCIM, endowed by, and named in honor of, two influential HCI researchers, educators, and thought leaders from the University of Maryland, will be presented to a member of the HCIM graduating class who has demonstrated leadership, high ethical values, and meaningful contributions both in and outside of the classroom during their time at UMD. Awardees are selected by the HCIM Program Committee each Spring.

Eligibility of Awardees: HCIM degree students currently enrolled at the College of Information

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Scholarships for MLIS or PHD Only

Helen A. Tegnell Scholarship

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the Helen A. Tegnell Scholarship for one or more MLIS or PhD students. 

Established in December 1982 by a donation from Col. and Mrs. Russell M. Tegnell in memory of their daughter, Helen A. Tegnell, to provide financial assistance to worthy students enrolled in the MLIS or PhD programs in the College of Information.

 The amount of the award(s) will be up to $5,000.

 Eligibility of Applicants: MLIS or PhD degree students currently enrolled at the College of Information

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Scholarships for MLIS Only

Parker Hamilton Libraries of the Future Scholarship

The College of Information invites applications for the B. Parker Hamilton Libraries of the Future Scholarship for an MLIS student who champions diversity and inclusion in their academic focus, who is involved in their community, and who is planning to work in a library.

Established by Art Brodsky and Jill Lewis to honor Parker Hamilton, who retired as Director of the Montgomery County Public Libraries after an extraordinary career that established MCPL as one of the nation’s leading public libraries. During her 36 years with MCPL (12 as the Director), Parker Hamilton worked tirelessly to make library services accessible to the increasingly diverse population of Montgomery County. Her dedication, leadership, and passion for libraries made a difference in the lives of everyone in Montgomery County. This merit-based scholarship is for MLIS students currently enrolled at the College of Information.

The amount of the award will be up to $2,000.

Eligibility of Applicants: MLIS students currently enrolled in the College of Information. Your Statement of Achievements, Career Interests, and Goals must demonstrate how you champion diversity and inclusion in your academic focus, your involvement in your community, and your plans to work in a library.

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Barbara Van Dongen School Library Media Fellowship

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the Barbara Van Dongen School Library Media Fellowship for one student who is enrolled in the School Library specialization at the College of Information.

Established by Barbara Van Dongen, an alumna of the College’s School Library Media program, this fellowship is available to any student who is currently enrolled in the School Library specialization in the College of Information.

The amount of the award will be up to $5,000.

Eligibility of Applicants: Any student who is currently enrolled in the School Library specialization at the College of Information.

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Bruce Ambacher Digital Archives and Curation Fellowship

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the Bruce Ambacher Digital Archives and Curation Fellowship for an MLIS student who is enrolled in or entering the Archives and Digital Curation specialization at the College of Information.

This award honors the legacy of Dr. Ambacher at the iSchool in initialing the Archives and Digital Curation specialization and his extraordinary work in the archives profession. As a leader on the forefront of digital curation and electronic records management, Dr. Ambacher played a vital role in developing national and international standards and practices for digital curation and preservation. This scholarship is available to any MLIS student enrolled in or entering the Archives and Digital Curation specialization.

The amount of the award will be up to $1,200.

Eligibility of Applicants: MLIS students currently enrolled in or entering the Archives and Digital Curation specialization at the College of Information.

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Christine Glaab Law Librarian Fellowship

The College of Information invites applications for the Christine Glaab Law Librarian Fellowship for an MLIS student who has a demonstrated interest in pursuing a career in law librarianship.

This fellowship was established in 2018 by John Glaab in memory of Christine Glaab’s passion for libraries, reading, and education, as well as her dedicated service to the field of law librarianship. Christine Glaab received her bachelor of science degree in sociology and her MLS from the University of Maryland in 1975. She spent the majority of her career as a law librarian working for three large Washington, D.C. firms before completing her professional career as head librarian for the U.S. Government Surface Transportation Board. The Christine Glaab Law Librarian Fellowship has been established to encourage future professionals to enter this field and assist them in pursuit of their MLIS degree at the University of Maryland INFO College.

The amount of the award will be $1,450.00.

Eligibility of Applicants: Applicants for the Christine Glaab Law Librarian Fellowship must be currently enrolled in the MLIS program at the College of Information and must be pursuing a career in law librarianship or have expressed an interest in serving as an information professional for a law firm, law school or court, or serving in the legal or judicial operations of a state or U.S. Government agency. Primary preference will go to students from West Virginia. If no student from West Virginia is eligible for the fellowship, the award will be open to any MLIS student who fulfills the career-oriented intentions described above. Your Statement of Achievements, Career Interests, and Goals must demonstrate your interest in a career in law librarianship.

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Frank G. Burke Fellowship

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the Frank G. Burke Scholarship for one or more students who have completed their first year in the History and Library Science (HiLS) specialization in the MLIS program and who have a demonstrated interest in archives and record management.

The amount of the award will be up to $1,000.

Eligibility of Applicants: Applicants must have completed their first year in the History and Library Science (HiLS) specialization in the MLIS program at the College of Information. Your Statement of Achievements, Career Interests, and Goals must demonstrate your interest in archives and record management.

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Gloria Davidson Endowed Fellowship

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the Gloria Davidson Endowed Fellowship for an outstanding MLIS student who is enrolled in the School Library specialization at the College of Information.

This award was established by Gloria Davidson to recognize and reward future school library leaders. Gloria is a library and education leader whose career transformed the role of school librarians and the services of school libraries. As Head Librarian and Director of Media Services at T. C. Williams High School in Alexandria, VA, Gloria engaged principals, teachers, parents, and the school board in building valuable partnerships that elevated the understanding of the important role the library plays in a student’s education. Gloria received the Virginia Educational Media Association’s Educator of the Year Award for her leadership role in building one of the strongest library media collections in a Virginia public school. She was also recognized by the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce with their award for Excellence in Education. This merit-based scholarship is available to an outstanding MLIS student enrolled in the School Library specialization at the College of Information.

The amount of the award will be up to $3,000.

Eligibility of Applicants: MLIS students currently enrolled in the School Library specialization at the College of Information.

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Myra Wilson Scholarship

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the Myra Wilson Scholarship for one part- or full-time MLIS student with an interest in pursuing a career in law librarianship, public library reference service, or international librarianship.

This scholarship was established in 1999 in memory of Myra Wilson, a graduate from the College of Information, to honor “her respect for education, and her delight in finding answers to myriad, often obscure, questions…”  The qualifications of the scholarship winner will reflect those of Myra Wilson: excellent interpersonal skills and a terrific sense of humor. This scholarship is for currently enrolled MLIS students with an interest in law librarianship, public library reference service, or international librarianship.

The amount of the award will be up to $5,000.

Eligibility of Applicants: MLIS students currently enrolled part- or full-time in the College of Information. Your Statement of Achievements, Career Interests, and Goals must demonstrate your interest in law librarianship, public library reference service, or international librarianship. Your Statement must also clearly describe how you meet the qualifications, as detailed above.

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Nancy & Daniel Balz MLIS Scholarship for Returning Students

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the Nancy & Daniel Balz MLIS Scholarship for Returning Students for two currently enrolled MLIS students who are returning students. To qualify as a returning student, you must be at least 25 years old and have experienced a br3eak in your formal education before coming back to school.

The Nancy and Daniel Balz MLIS Scholarship for Returning Students, established in 2018, will support scholarships for two returning students in the MLIS Program in the College of Information. Nancy and Daniel Balz have chosen to establish this scholarship because of the positive experiences Nancy had taking classes in the MLS program in the early 1990’s. While working as a researcher for the Oxford University Press’ Oxford English Dictionary, she updated her 1972 Master’s in Library Science education with the computer skills and technical knowledge being taught to MLS students at the time. The support of the UMD faculty gave her the confidence to pursue her further goal of working in a public library. She spent the rest of her career working in the Montgomery County Library System as a Children’s Librarian at four successive libraries.

The amount of the award will be up to $2,000.

Eligibility of Applicants: Applicants for the Nancy and Daniel Balz MLIS Scholarship for Returning Students must be returning students who are currently enrolled in the MLIS program here at the University of Maryland College of Information. Your Statement of Achievements, Career Interests, and Goals needs to describe your status as a returning student, your reasons for returning to school, your related achievements, and your career goals.

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Noyes Library Association Scholarship

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the Noyes Library Association Scholarship for one or more students with an interest in children’s librarianship.

Established in April 1988 by the Noyes Library Association of Kensington, Maryland, this scholarship is available to all MLIS students with an interest in children’s librarianship who are currently enrolled in the College of Information. Preference will be given to students with demonstrated financial need.

The amount of the award will be up to $3,000.

Eligibility of Applicants: MLIS students with an interest in children’s librarianship who are currently enrolled at the College of Information. Your Statement of Achievements, Career interests, and Goals must demonstrate your interest in children’s librarianship. Preference will be given to students with demonstrated financial need.

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Scholarships for MIM Only

MIM Alumni Scholarship

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the MIM Alumni Scholarship for one or more students with demonstrated academic excellence.

Established in 2012 by the alumni and friends of the MIM program, this scholarship is available to students currently enrolled in the MIM program at the College of Information and who have demonstrated academic excellence.

The amount of the award will be up to $2,000.

Eligibility of Applicants: MIM degree students currently enrolled at the College of Information who have demonstrated academic excellence.

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For Students in any INFO Graduate Program

College of Information Alumni Chapter Scholarship

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the College of Information Alumni Chapter Scholarship for one or more graduate students pursuing any degree program at the college.

Established by the College of Information Alumni Chapter, this award is given to any full- or part-time degree-seeking graduate student currently enrolled in the College of Information.

The amount of the award will be up to $5,000.

Eligibility of Applicants

Any full- or part-time degree-seeking graduate students currently enrolled at the College of Information. To be eligible for this scholarship, you need to ask an INFO  faculty member to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf to infoawards@umd.edu. The letter must be submitted by the deadline specified in this call.

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Dr. Joan Giesecke Health Informatics Fellowship

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the Dr. Joan Giesecke Health Informatics Fellowship for two graduate students with an interest in health informatics, health librarianship, or health information technology pursuing any degree program at the College.

Dr. Joan Giesecke received her MLIS from the University of Maryland in 1973. She spent 25 years in the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s (UNL) Libraries, where she tripled the library’s endowment, oversaw renovations to improve the libraries in size and service, enhanced the diversity of the libraries’ faculty, and developed relationships to help the colleges advance their teaching and research. She joined UNL in 1987 and was promoted to Associate Dean, and then served as Dean of Libraries from 1996 to 2012. From 2012 until her retirement in 2014, Dr. Joan Giesecke served as special assistant to the Chancellor and coordinated campus-wide accreditation efforts. Upon her retirement, she was recognized as Dean and Professor Emerita. This fellowship is for one graduate student with an interest in health informatics, health librarianship, or health information technology pursuing any degree program at the College.

 The amount of the award will be up to $5,000.

 Eligibility of Applicants Graduate students with an interest in health informatics, health librarianship, or health information technology who are pursuing any degree program at the College of Information.

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Library Systems & Services (LSSI) Scholarship

The College of Information invites applications for the annual award of the Library Systems & Services (LSSI) Scholarship for one or more part-time students pursuing any degree program at the college.

The LSSI Scholarship Endowment was established by Library Systems & Services, LLC, in June 2000. This scholarship is available to part-time students pursuing any graduate degree program at the College of Information. Applicants must be currently enrolled in six credits or fewer in the College and must intend to enroll in six credits or fewer in Spring 2020.

The amount of the award will be up to $1,500.

Eligibility of Applicants: Part-time students pursuing any graduate degree program at the College of Information. Applicants must be currently enrolled in 6 credits or less at the College and must intend to enroll in 6 credits or less in Spring 2022.

1. “Beyond These Walls” Student Travel Awards for INFO Masters Students: The College of Information offers “Beyond These Walls” Student Travel Awards in both the Fall and Spring semesters. Established in 2012, this fund provides financial support to allow Master’s students from any program at the College of Information to attend local and national conferences, present research, and gain experience and exposure to professionals in our field. If applying for a scholarship in the Fall, travel must be completed by mid-March of the following year. If you would like to apply in relation to a trip that will take place after this date, please watch for the call for the Spring “Beyond These Walls” Student Travel Awards, which will come out early in the Spring semester. Two awards of up to $500 each are available for the Fall and Spring semesters. Eligibility of Applicants: master’s students currently enrolled at the College of Information.
   • The “Beyond These Walls” Student Travel Awards have a separate application process from the other college scholarships. Please apply here. 
2. Dr. Dana Rotman Student Travel Award for INFO Doctoral Students: The College of Information is pleased to offer the Dr. Dana Rotman Doctoral Student Travel Award. This fund was established by Dr. Yaron Rotman, Dana’s husband, to enable College of Information doctoral students to attend and present at conferences. Dana received her doctorate from our college in 2013. As a student, Dana frequently attended academic and professional conferences and was excited to present her work, learn from fellow academics and researchers, and network with professionals in the field. The Dr. Dana Rotman Doctoral Student Travel Award can serve as a matching grant for the Graduate School’s Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Grant. Although it is not required for the student to apply for the Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Grant, it is highly encouraged to apply to offset the costs if needed. These two awards are intended to help defray the expenses incurred by graduate students who are traveling to scholarly, scientific, or professional conferences to present papers, posters, or other scholarly material. The following guidelines have been established in order to accommodate as many students as possible and to allow applications to be processed in a timely manner.
   • The Dana Rotman Doctoral Student Travel Award has a separate application process from the other college scholarships. Please apply here. As part of the process, you will need to provide your CV, proof of participation in the conference (e.g., acceptance letter), accepted manuscript, statement of support from your advisor, and estimated expenses.
   • Eligibility: Doctoral students who are currently enrolled in the College of Information and who have been selected to present a paper or lead a committee or workshop, or who are assuming another significant scholarly role or a specific participation role, at a professional or academic conference, are eligible to apply. Doctoral students are eligible to receive this award twice: once before the achievement of candidacy and a second time after the achievement of candidacy. Students must be registered, degree-seeking graduate students during the travel period, and applications must be made before the travel dates.
   • Timeline: The Dr. Dana Rotman Doctoral Student Travel Award will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We encourage students to apply at any time, but well before the travel dates. Note that the Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Grant requires applications to be submitted before the travel dates.
   • Award amount: Award amounts will be determined based on each individual application. The maximum award amounts that students can request are as follows: $250 (domestic conference, east of the Mississippi River); $400 (domestic conference, west of the Mississippi River); $600 (international conference)
   • Post-award process: The PhD Coordinator will communicate the results of your application with you via email. If you receive an award, you will be put in touch with the INFO College’s finance and administration teams to assist you with post-award paperwork. The Dr. Dana Rotman Doctoral Student Travel Award is awarded on a reimbursement-basis. Please remember to keep all of your conference-related receipts.

Selection of Recipients

Selection of recipients will be based on the applicant’s professional goals, career interests, academic achievement, and qualifications as defined by each scholarship award requirements. Based upon a review of students’ entire application packets, the Program Committees and/or College of Information Awards Committee will make the scholarship decisions.

Please note: Applicants who have already won a particular scholarship in a previous year are not eligible to be considered for the same scholarship again. All awards are contingent upon availability of funds.

Application Procedure

Please create your user profile in Scholarship Universe.  More information can be found here: https://financialaid.umd.edu/resources-policies/scholarship-search

Most applications will be available beginning in the Spring semester and will be awarded for the following Fall semester.

When completing your application in Scholarship Universe, please include answers to all questions and tailor your personal statement to the award(s) for which you are applying.

For those awards that are NOT featured in Scholarship Universe, an email or notification will be sent to eligible students on when applications or nominations are open.

A complete application packet must include:

1. A completed scholarship & awards online application form:

1. 1. 1. Even if you are applying for multiple scholarships, submit only one (1) completed application form.

2. Current résumé or CV

1. 1. 1. Please name your file using the following naming convention: ‘YourLastName_YourFirstInitial_ Resume’ (e.g., ‘Smith_J_Resume’).

3. Current unofficial transcript

1. 1. 1. If this is your first semester, submit an unofficial transcript from the College or University that you most recently attended.
      2. If you have completed at least one semester at the College of Information, you can request your unofficial transcript here: http://registrar.umd.edu/current/Policies/Transcripts.html
      3. Before uploading your transcript, please rename your file using the following naming convention: ‘YourLastName_YourFirstInitial_Transcript’ (e.g., ‘Smith_J_Transcript’).

4. Statement of Achievements, Career Interests, and Goals

1. 1. 1. This statement must be no more than 500 words.
      2. Separate statements must be submitted for each scholarship for which you wish to apply.
      3. Each statement should be targeted to the specific description and eligibility requirements of the particular scholarship. For example, a statement for the Noyes Library Association Scholarship will need to demonstrate an interest in children’s librarianship.
      4. Please use the following file naming convention for each statement that you upload: ‘YourLastName_YourFirstInitial_ScholarshipName’ (e.g., ‘Smith_J_Noyes’).

5. List of three (3) references

1. 1. 1. For each reference, please include the person’s name, title, institution, contact information (including telephone number and e-mail address), the capacity in which you know (or have known) this person (e.g., instructor, advisor, employer), and how long you have known this person.
      2. Please note that by submitting this application, you are giving us permission to contact any or all of these references.
      3. Please name your file using the following naming convention: ‘YourLastName_YourFirstInitial_References’ (e.g., ‘Smith_J_References’).

6. If you are applying for the College of Information Alumni Chapter Scholarship, please ask a College of Information faculty member to submit a letter of recommendation on your behalf to infoawards@umd.edu. The letter must be submitted by the deadline specified below.

Applicant must upload numbers 2) through 5) via the online scholarship application form. Each of these must be submitted as a separate file. Please note that we can only accept the following file types: .doc, .docx, .pdf, or .rtf. If you have any questions, please contact infoawards@umd.edu.

Deadline for Submission

Fall Semester (includes all of the awards and scholarships listed, contingent on available funding):

The initial email for the Fall Semester’s call for applications will go out to the various College of Information email lists in the previous mid-Spring semester with several reminder emails going out before the deadline on May 31st. Complete applications must be submitted through Scholarship Universe by the deadline OR through the online INFO application. Incomplete application packets will not be reviewed.

Spring Semester (incudes only the two (2) undergraduate awards):

The initial email for the Spring Semester’s call for applications will go out to the College of Information email lists near the end of January with several reminder emails going out before the deadline in mid-February.

Award Notification and Presentation

Upcoming Fall Semester decisions will be made over the summer months with winners being notified by end of August. Spring Semester decisions will be announced mid-March. Awards will be presented at an awards ceremony in the late Spring Semester. Scholarship award recipients are expected to attend.

If you have any questions, please contact infoawards@umd.edu.

University of Maryland (UMD) Financial Aid – UMD offers loans, grants, and scholarships to undergraduate students.

Universities at Shady Grove (USG) Financial Aid – USG offers 60+ financial aid opportunities specifically for students at USG.

• 2+2 Transfer Scholarship
• Maryland Delegate & Senatorial Scholarships
• State Financial Assistance Programs and Applications
• Financial Aid & Scholarships for DACA & Undocumented Students
• UMD Career Center Bright Futures Unpaid Internship Scholarship – awards students with need-based scholarships ranging from $250-$1,250 to help offset expenses during unpaid internships. Must be with a non-profit organization or government agency.
• The Carlson Family Leadership Scholarship – The Carlson Family Leadership Scholarship provides annual scholarships to undergraduate students at the University who are in good academic standing and are active members of any registered student organization at the University. Preference shall be given to students who demonstrate strong leadership skills or the ability to develop such skills. Demonstrated financial need or other circumstances will also factor in to the selection process.
• The Brandon James Malstrom Memorial Scholarship Fund – The Brandon James Malstrom Memorial Scholarship was established in December 2002 by Brandon’s friends and family. Spendable income from the Scholarship provides an annual scholarship for a transfer student at the University who shares the educational aspirations that Brandon exemplified.
• The Joseph M. Mitchell Scholarship – Scholarships will be awarded each fall and spring semester to one or more deserving students. These are one-time awards of up to $1,000 per recipient. Contributions to the Scholarship Award fund are welcomed.
• The Maryland Parents Association Scholarship Fund – The Maryland Parents Association Student Scholarship Fund was established in 2005 by the Parent Advisory Council to provide support for current students in good standing who may be unable to continue their education at the University due to extenuating financial circumstances. The fund provides a one-time award for the academic year and is available to students who have completed at least 24 credit hours at the University. Scholarships of up to $2,000 are awarded annually.
• The Divine Nine Emergency Tuition and Assistance Fund – This fund was established by university alumni associated with the National Pan-Hellenic Council, Inc. It provides emergency tuition and book assistance to undergraduate students who are members of a NPHC affiliated organization and are enrolled in an undergraduate program at the University. The average award amount ranges from $250-$500.
• The LGBT Advocacy Scholarship Fund – Supports students who advocate on behalf of the LGBT community at the University of Maryland.
• The Veterans in Transition Crisis Fund – This fund was established by the S. Irwin Kamin Foundation in honor of Dr. Nancy K. Schlossberg to provide immediate emergency support to UMD veteran students experiencing unforeseen financial hardship.

Other Scholarship Opportunities: go.umd.edu/USG_External_Scholarships

The UMD Graduate School offers additional aid opportunities. When seeking financial aid, apply early. The announcement of awards of financial assistance will be made at the earliest possible date.

The UMD Office of Student Financial Aid offers loans, grants, and scholarships to graduate students.

• Financial Aid FAQs for Graduate Students
• Financial Aid for International Students
• Federal Aid (including Work Study)
• Fellowships

Only degree-seeking students in the College of Information are eligible for assistantships available through the University. Graduate assistantships (GA) are available in the College of Information and across University departments. Students can find GA positions listed on the UMD Employment site, the University Libraries employment page, and through college email notifications.

The Fulbright US Student Program provides grants to graduate students to study or teach abroad. It is the nation’s largest study abroad fellowship program and is designed to give graduate students opportunities for international experience, personal enrichment, and open exchange of ideas with citizens of other nations. Awards typically last for one academic year, but length and timing of awards varies by individual country and/or region.

Effective Fall 2011, the Graduate School will provide one year (up to 20 credits) of tuition remission for Fulbright Students enrolling in a Ph.D. Program, and two years of tuition remission (up to 20 credits per year) for Fulbright students enrolling in a Masters Program. No Fulbright student may receive more than two years of tuition remission from the Graduate School. As always, tuition remission applies to fall and spring semesters only and does not cover winter or summer terms. (Masters students are eligible for two years of tuition remission because so few are provided graduate assistantships following their first year.)

The Fulbright application process begins 18 months in advance of the first grants in an award cycle. Application information is generally available in early February of each year for awards beginning in September of the following year. With the exception of the seminar offerings, the deadline for all applications August 1. Applications must be submitted online through the Fulbright website. For questions or assistance, please contact fulbright@umd.edu.

Doctoral Students Research Awards (DSRA)

The purpose of the DSRA is to provide funding to assist current INFO College PhD students who could greatly advance their doctoral research (e.g., Integrative Paper, proposal-, or dissertation-related research) by means of limited financial support, including participant compensation for human-subjects research; purchase of hardware or software (exceptions apply) needed to complete the research project; and travel-related expenses for presenting at conferences, colloquiums, workshops, or other scholarly meetings. The DSRAs provide up to $1,500 to cover costs associated with students’ research on a reimbursement basis. Students may receive the award twice during their PhD education at the INFO College.

• Eligibility: College of Information PhD students
• Amount of support: up to $1,500.00 per application
• Process: Applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis. Once the funding is approved, recipients will work with the research support staff to manage the spending of the allocated funds. All funds are to be spent and work completed within 2 years of the date of notification. Final reports will be due upon completion of the work, or no later than 2 years from the date of notification.
• In the online application form, please include the following:
  • 1-Page Project description
  • Proposed budget & timeline
  • Student’s CV
  • Advisor Letter – Students who are applying must provide a statement from a faculty advisor/mentor attesting to research need and lack of other funding available
• We will communicate within one week from the application is submitted.

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Dissertation Fellowships and Awards

Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship & Lee Thornton Endowed Fellowship: The Graduate School’s Semester Dissertation Fellowship program includes the Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship and the Lee Thornton Endowed Fellowship. Dissertation fellowships provide full-time support to University of Maryland doctoral candidates who are in the latter stages of writing their dissertations.  Awarded students for AY 21-22 can choose to use the fellowship in either Fall 2021 or Spring 2022. Fellowship benefits include a $15,000 Stipend, a Candidacy Tuition award (899 only), a credit for mandatory fees, and reimbursement for the purchase of an individual student health insurance plan for the semester.

• • Eligibility: Eligible candidates are current UMD doctoral students who will have advanced to candidacy by June 1, 2022, and expect to graduate by August 2023.
  • Nomination Process:  All doctoral programs are eligible to nominate candidates for the Semester Dissertation Fellowship. Please see the Nomination Allocation Schedule in the Guidelines.
  • Deadline: Nominations are due by noon, Wednesday, February 9, 2022. *Eligible students must contact their department for the department’s internal deadline.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/dissertation-fellowship

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Research Fellowships/Internships

Graduate School Summer Fellowships: In partnership with University of Maryland doctoral programs, the Graduate School is pleased to offer the Summer Research Fellowship and the Summer Internship Fellowship programs. These summer fellowships support research activities that advance a doctoral student’s progress toward degree, as well as alternative learning experiences that advance a doctoral student’s professional developments.  The fellowships carry a stipend of $5,000 with specific cost-share requirements, as detailed in the Guidelines. These fellowships are not intended for dissertation completion.

• • Eligibility: Eligible candidates must be UMD doctoral students who are at “mid-career”, and have plans to graduate after August 2023.
  • Nomination Process:  All Ph.D. programs are eligible to nominate candidates for the Summer Research Fellowship and the Summer Internship Fellowship. Please consult the nomination allocation schedule in the guidelines.
  • Deadline: The nomination deadline is noon on Wednesday, February 23, 2022.  *Eligible students must contact their department for the department’s internal deadline.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/gs-summer-fellowships

Graduate School Internship Research Fellowship
In partnership with University of Maryland doctoral programs, the Graduate School is pleased to offer the Summer Internship Fellowship program. The Internship Fellowship provides students with the opportunity to participate in alternative learning experiences that advance a doctoral student’s professional developments.  The fellowships carry a stipend of $5,000 with specific cost-share requirements, as detailed in the Guidelines.

• • Eligibility: Eligible candidates must be UMD doctoral students who are at “mid-career” (just before, at, or just after reaching candidacy).
  • Nomination Process:  All Ph.D. programs are eligible to nominate up to 2 candidates for the Summer Internship Fellowship.
  • Deadline: The nomination deadline is noon on Wednesday, February 23, 2022. *Eligible students must contact their department for the department’s internal deadline.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/summer-internship-fellowship

Kulkarni Foundation Summer Research Fellowship
Dr. Ashok Kulkarni, a distinguished alumnus of the India Institute of Technology and the University of Maryland Graduate School, generously endowed the Kulkarni Fellowships. They are intended specifically to help graduates of IIT enrolled in post-graduate studies at the University of Maryland to achieve their academic goals. Together with funding from the Graduate School and campus graduate programs, the Kulkarni endowment provides research support to four University of Maryland doctoral students. The Kulkarni Fellowships are a cost-share program that provides research support for doctoral students at “mid-career” and enables recipients to devote a summer of focused work to prepare for or complete a key program benchmark.  The Fellowships carry a stipend of $5,000 with specific cost-share requirements which are detailed in the guidelines.

• • Eligibility: Eligible candidates for the Kulkarni Fellowship must be graduates of the Indian Institute of Technology and currently enrolled in a doctoral program at the University of Maryland. Candidates must be able to show that a summer of focused work will enable them to prepare for or complete a key benchmark in their program’s requirements.
  • Nomination Process: Departments/Programs with eligible students may nominate up to two students for the Kulkarni Fellowship.
  • Deadline: Nominations are due by noon on Wednesday, February 23, 2022. *Eligible students must contact their department for the department’s internal deadline.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/kulkarni-foundation-summer-research-fellowship

International Graduate Research Fellowships
International Graduate Research Fellowships provide graduate students with a meaningful research experience in an international context, broadening the student’s knowledge and perspective. The fellowships take advantage of ongoing collaborations between UMD faculty and their international colleagues, and, through graduate student exchange, enhance those collaborations.

• • Eligibility: This fellowship supports UMD students who are interested in conducting collaborative research abroad with international colleagues. This fellowship also supports international students who are interested in traveling to UMD to conduct collaborative research with UMD faculty.
  • Deadline: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/international-graduate-research-fellowships

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Awards for Excellence

Charles A. Caramello Distinguished Dissertation Award
The Charles A. Caramello Distinguished Dissertation Award recognizes original work that makes an unusually significant contribution to the discipline. Four awards are given each year, one in each of these broad disciplinary areas: 1) Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering, 2) Social Sciences, 3) Humanities and Fine Arts, and 4) Biological and Life Sciences. Recipients of the Charles A. Caramello Distinguished Dissertation Award receive an honorarium of $1,000 and may be selected for nomination to the CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award competition.

• • Eligibility: Eligible candidates must have defended their dissertation in the calendar year 2021.
  • Nomination Process and Deadline: Each college/school has been allocated a specific number of nominations based on the number of Ph.D.s that are awarded annually. Please see Appendix B in the guidelines to view the allocations.  Departments seeking to make a nomination must consult with their college about internal deadlines.  College nominators should submit nominations by noon, Wednesday, February 23, 2022. *Eligible students must contact their department for the department’s internal deadline.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/distinguished-dissertation-award

UMD Three Minute Thesis (3MT) Competition
The 3MT competition challenges students to communicate the significance of their research projects to a non-specialist audience in just THREE MINUTES! The University of Maryland Graduate School invites graduate students from all disciplines to compete in the annual Three-Minute Thesis Competition (3MT).  Graduate students from all disciplines are eligible to participate! View the History and Overview of the 3MT Competition for more information.

• • 2022 Competition:  The first-round college-level competitions will take place in early March. The first round will be done in either virtual, in-person or hybrid from.  Winners from the first-round competitions will advance to the campus-level final-round competition which will be held in-person during Graduate Research Appreciation Day (GRAD) on April 6, 2022.
  • Eligibility: Graduate students from all disciplines are eligible to participate!
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/umd-three-minute-thesis-competition

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Endowed Awards

Dr. James W. Longest Memorial Award for Social Science Research
The Longest Award, established by Mary Jack Wintle (Mrs. James W. Longest), honors the memory and outstanding personal and professional achievements of Dr. James W. Longest. It provides $2,000 to support doctoral dissertation research in the social sciences with potential benefits for small and/or disadvantaged communities. Candidacy tuition remission is granted for each of two semesters (if not covered by other tuition remissions). Dr. James W. Longest served on the research faculty of Cornell University for ten years before coming to the University of Maryland in 1967. Dr. Longest retired and became Professor Emeritus in 1990. He took great interest in assisting students, for whom he set high professional standards, and continued advising students until his death in November 1992. Throughout his distinguished career, Dr. Longest supported an interdisciplinary approach to problem-solving in the areas of community development and the delivery of services in rural areas.

• • Eligibility: Eligible students must be University of Maryland doctoral students who have reached candidacy by August 1, 2022.
  • Nomination Process: Departments/Programs may nominate one student.
  • Deadline: Nominations are due by noon on Wednesday, March 2, 2022. *Eligible students must contact their department for the department’s internal deadline.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/dr-james-w-longest-memorial-award-social-science-research

The Michael J. Pelczar Award for Excellence in Graduate Study
After earning multiple degrees at the University of Maryland culminating with a doctorate in 1941, Dr. Michael J. Pelczar’s professional career at the University began in 1946 and spanned over 30 years.  He was a Distinguished University Professor of Microbiology and served as Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research for many years.  In honor of Dr. Pelczar’s retirement in 1977, the Michael J. Pelczar Graduate Award was established from contributions made by friends and alumni and the award is intended to honor excellence in graduate studies. The Michael J. Pelczar Award for Excellence in Graduate Study offers $1,000 to an outstanding University of Maryland doctoral candidate who has demonstrated excellence beyond his or her coursework, and who has served at least one academic year as a teaching assistant with a commendable performance.

• • Eligibility: Candidates must be University of Maryland doctoral students who have reached candidacy by April 1, 2021.
  • Nomination Process:  Departments/Programs may nominate one student.  Nomination deadline is noon on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. *Eligible students must contact their department for the department’s internal deadline.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/michael-j-pelczar-award-excellence-graduate-study

Phi Delta Gamma Graduate Fellowship
The Phi Delta Gamma Graduate Fellowship offers $1,000 to a University of Maryland graduate student who “best exemplifies interdisciplinary scholarship achievement.”

• • Eligibility: Eligible candidates must be currently enrolled doctoral students at the University of Maryland.
  • Nomination Process:  Programs may nominate one student.  Nomination deadline is noon on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. *Eligible students must contact their department for the department’s internal deadline.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/phi-delta-gamma-graduate-fellowship

Dr. Mabel S. Spencer Award for Excellence in Graduate Achievement
The Spencer Award, established by the daughters of Dr. Mabel S. Spencer, honors the memory and outstanding professional achievements of Dr. Spencer. It carries a stipend of $17,500 and candidacy tuition remission (if not covered by other tuition remission). Dr. Spencer taught at the University of Maryland from 1948 to 1968. Her energy, dynamic personality, and commitment to bringing about the positive change made her a leader in the University community. Dedicated to programs and activities that advanced the interests of women at the University, Dr. Spencer was also known for her extraordinary ability to communicate with and provide assistance to her students, especially those from underrepresented minorities and from foreign countries.

• • Eligibility: candidates are University of Maryland doctoral students who will have reached candidacy by August 1, 2021.
  • Nomination Process and Deadline Information: Departments/Programs may nominate one student for this award. Nomination deadline is noon on Wednesday, March 3, 2021. *Eligible students must contact their department for the department’s internal deadline.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/dr-mabel-s-spencer-award-excellence-graduate-achievement

Other Awards (External)

Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholar Award (limited submission)
The Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that works side-by-side with policymakers such as state legislators and education agency officials as they implement policies to help students achieve more, prepare students for college and careers, and boost college completion. One important SREB initiative is to increase faculty diversity by offering the SREB Doctoral Scholar Award. The goal of the Doctoral Scholars Award Program is to increase the number of minority students who earn doctorates and choose to become faculty at colleges and universities. SREB Doctor Scholars receive full-time graduate assistantship support, tuition remission, and payment of mandatory fees (spring and fall) for at least three years. SREB will cover the costs for the SREB Scholar to attend and participate in the Annual Institute on Teaching and Mentoring for each year the student is in the Doctoral Scholars program and will pay for the student’s UMD advisor to attend this conference for one of those years. In addition, SREB Scholars have access to professional development resources and opportunities. More information about SREB and the Doctoral Scholar Award can be found at https://www.sreb.org/.  The Graduate School has agreed to become an Institutional Funding Partner for the SREB Doctoral Scholar Award. Eligible students must be nominated to the Graduate School by their program. UMD Program support of the SREB Doctoral Scholars program helps to promote a more diverse campus community.

• • Eligibility Information for the UMD SREB Institutional Doctoral Scholar Award:  Eligible students include 1) newly admitted students who will begin the UMD program in Fall 2021 and 2) first-year students who began their program in Fall 2020.  Programs eligible to make nominations are campus-based Ph.D. programs.  Please seek additional SREB eligibility information on the SREB website.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/fellowship-information/southern-regional-education-board-doctoral-scholar-award

Big Ten Academic Alliance Smithsonian Institution Fellowship
These one-year fellowships are offered through the Smithsonian’s Office of Fellowships and Internships in partnership with the Graduate Dean’s of Big Ten Academic Alliance in order to support research in residence at Smithsonian Institution facilities. The fellowships carry a stipend of $40,000 (plus tuition and health benefits) shared on a 50/50 basis by the Smithsonian Institution and the Fellow’s university. The Graduate School is pleased to partner with the Smithsonian in sponsoring UMD students.

• • Eligibility: Students must have completed all coursework for their programs, and must have been admitted into doctoral candidacy and satisfied all requirements except completion of the dissertation in order to qualify. Only students enrolled at Big Ten Academic Alliance institutions are eligible to apply. Since 2014, eight outstanding students from UMD have been awarded the Big Ten Academic Alliance/Smithsonian Institution Fellowship.
  • Application Process: Application materials must be submitted electronically between by November 1, 2020, at 5 PM through https://solaa.si.edu.  For additional information and application instructions, please visit https://www.btaa.org/resources-for/students/smithsonian-fellowship.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/big-ten-academic-alliance-smithsonian-institution-fellowship

Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fund Fellowship
This national competition is open to graduate students with outstanding character and ability, who hold promise for achievement and distinction in their chosen field of study, and who demonstrate a need for financial assistance.  The Liebmann Fellowship covers the cost of tuition and provides an annual $18,000 stipend for living expenses.  For more information about the Fellowship, please visit http://fdnweb.org/liebmann/. The University of Maryland Graduate School may nominate up to three candidates for consideration by the Fund’s selection committee. Graduate students wishing to be considered for nomination must submit their complete application package in hard copy (single-sided) to the Graduate School by Friday, January 10, 2020. All applications should be sent to the Graduate School Office of Funding Opportunities to Assistant Director Robyn Kotzker, 2123 Lee Building, 7809 Regents Drive, College Park, MD 20742.

• • Eligibility: Graduate students at the University of Maryland who are U.S. citizens are eligible to apply.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/dolores-zohrab-liebmann-fund-fellowship

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Students Apply Directly

Beta Phi Mu Honor Society Eugene Garfield Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship

• • Eligibility: To be eligible, candidates must be enrolled in a doctoral-level research program at an institution with ALA, CILIP, or other Beta Phi Mu Executive Board approved accreditation.
  • Deadlines:
    • Mid-November: Application opens
    • Mid-March: Application closes
  • Link: https://www.betaphimu.org/garfield.html

Facebook Fellowship Program

• • Eligibility: “Applicants must be full-time PhD students who are enrolled in an accredited
    university (in any country) by the start of the Fellowship (i.e., Fall 2021)”
  • Deadlines:
    • Early October: Applications close
    • Early October: Reference letters due
  • January: Winners announced
  • Link: https://research.fb.com/fellowship/ 

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

• • Eligibility: “Having a master’s degree makes you ineligible to apply to GRFP unless it was followed by a continuous interruption in graduate study of at least two consecutive years immediately prior to the application deadline; in this case, you would not be eligible because you are already enrolled again in graduate school.”
  • Deadlines:
    • Late July / Early August: GRFP Application opens
    • Late October: GRFP application deadline
    • Late October: Deadline for reference letters
    • Early April: GRFP Application results announced
  • Link: https://www.nsfgrfp.org/applicants/applicant-eligibility/

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Students Must Be Nominated

Google PhD Fellowship Program

• • Eligibility:  In Australia and New Zealand, East Asia, Europe, the United States and Canada, students cannot apply directly to the program; they must be nominated by an eligible university. Must pertain to completed graduate coursework by the Fall of the award year, when the Fellowship begins. Universities in the United States and Canada may nominate up to four eligible students from Computer Science or related fields. If more than two are nominated, then in order to increase opportunities for students who are underrepresented in the field of computing, additional nominees must self-identify as a woman, Black / African descent, Hispanic / Latino / Latinx, Indigenous, and/or person with a disability. In other words, if a university chooses to nominate more than 2 students, then the 3rd and 4th student nomination should self-identify with the underrepresented group mentioned above. Materials must be submitted by a university official such as a graduate school official or department chair.
  • Deadlines:
    • Late September: Fellowship nominations are received
    • January: Awardees are notified
  • Link: https://research.google/outreach/phd-fellowship/

IBM PhD Fellowship Award

• • Eligibility: Students must be nominated by a doctoral faculty member and must be a full-time student in a PhD program over the two consecutive academic years of the award or forfeit their fellowship. Students must be nominated by a faculty member. The nomination form must be prepared and submitted by a faculty member. We suggest faculty coordinate their nomination(s) with their department chair because there is a limit of three nominations per department. Students should have three years remaining in their graduate program at the time of nomination. For example, nominees that are enrolled in a four year graduate program should have completed two years of their graduate program as of summer 2020 in order to benefit the most.”
  • Deadlines:  Nominations for the annual IBM PhD Fellowship program begin the 3rd week of September and are accepted for 5 weeks. Notification of nominee status takes place in March of the following year.
    • Late September: Nominations for the annual IBM PhD Fellowship program begin (3rd week of September)
    • Late October: Nominations accepted
    • March: Notification of nominee status
  • Link: https://www.research.ibm.com/university/awards/fellowships.html

iSchools.org Doctoral Dissertation Award

• • Eligibility: Each member INFO College (such as the UMD College of Information) can nominate only one applicant for the award. The applicant should have successfully completed the final paperwork for their Ph.D. between July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020 (inclusive). The dissertation research can be on any topic in the information field, broadly defined, and use any methodology.
  • Deadlines:
    • Mid-October: Nomination deadline
    • Mid-December: Decisions announced
  • Link: https://www.ischools.org/doctoral-dissertation-award

Microsoft Ada Lovelace Fellowship

• • Eligibility: PhD students must be nominated by their university. Their nomination must be submitted by someone designated by the department chair’s office in order to ensure the number of nominations per department is not exceeded. Students must be in their second year of a PhD program in the fall semester or quarter of 2020. The department chair’s office at the nominating university will need to attest that the student is considered a second-year PhD student having taken into account transfers, approved leaves of absence, etc. A maximum of three nominations per department will be accepted; each nominee should help us increase the opportunities for students who are underrepresented in the field of computing. This includes those who self-identify as a woman, African American, Black, Hispanic, Latinx, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, person with a disability, and/or LGBTQI+.
  • Deadlines:
    • Mid-August: Nominations from the university closed
    • Late-August: PhD student nominees received an invitation email to submit a proposal
    • Late-September: Proposals & letters of recommendation accepted
    • Early November: Finalists notified and interviewed virtually
    • Late January: Recipients announced (January 31, 2020)
  • Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/academic-program/ada-lovelace-fellowship/

Microsoft PhD Fellowship

• • Eligibility: PhD students must be nominated by their university. Their nomination must be submitted by someone designated by the department chair’s office in order to ensure the number of nominations per department is not exceeded. Students must be in their third year of a PhD program in the fall semester or quarter of 2020. The department chair’s office at the nominating university will need to attest that the student is considered a third year PhD student having taken into account transfers, approved leaves of absence, etc. A maximum of three nominations per department will be accepted; if more than two are nominated, then at least one nominee should help us increase the opportunities for students who are underrepresented in the field of computing. This includes those who self-identify as a woman, African American, Black, Hispanic, Latinx, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, Pacific Islander, and/or person with a disability.
  • Deadlines:
    • Mid-August: Nominations from the university closed
    • Late August: PhD student nominees received an invitation email to submit a proposal
    • Late September: Proposals & letters of recommendation accepted
    • Early November: Finalists notified and interviewed virtually
    • Late January: Recipients announced
  • Link: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/academic-program/phd-fellowship/

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Travel Award

Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Grant & International Conference Student Support Award (ICSSA)
The Jacob K. Goldhaber Travel Grant and the International Conference Student Support Award (ICSSA) help defray the expenses incurred by UMD graduate students who are traveling to scholarly, scientific, or professional conferences to present papers, posters, or other scholarly material. Students may receive each award twice during their graduate education at UMD, once before the achievement of candidacy (including master’s students) and a second time after the achievement of candidacy.  To be eligible, students must be presenting a paper, poster, or other types of presentation and must be enrolled at UMD at the time of travel. Please note, these travel awards are reimbursement awards.  Awarded students need to keep receipts and submit them to their department’s business office.

• • Goldhaber Eligibility:  The Goldhaber Award is a matching grant and requires that student secure funding from an internal or external source prior to submitting an application.  Please see complete guidelines for additional information.
  • ICSSA Eligibility:  The ICSSA pays the registration fee for conferences located outside of the United States. Award maximum is $500.
  • Application Process:  Applications and all supporting materials must be received in the Graduate School before the travel dates. Students, please inform your department’s business office about your travel grant application. Submit application to http://apps.gradschool.umd.edu/GSAwardsSystem.
  • Link: https://gradschool.umd.edu/funding/student-fellowships-awards/graduate-school-travel-grants

• American Association of Law Libraries (AALL)
• American Association of School Libraries (AASL)
• American Indian Library Association Scholarship
• American Library Association
• Art Libraries Society of North America
• Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA)
• Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS)
• Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL)
• Association of Library Service to Children
• Association of Research Libraries – Diversity Recruitment
• Black Caucus of the American Library Association
• Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA)
• Coalition for Networked Information – Paul Evan Peters Fellowship
• Council on Library and Information Resources – Rovelstad Scholarship in International Librarianship
• DCLA Ruth Fine Interest Free Loans for Library/Information Science Education
• Government Documents Round Table (ALA)
• Gumdrop Books Librarian Scholarship Fund
• Library and Information Technology Association
• Library of Congress Internship and Fellowship Programs
• Medical Library Association
• Mid-Atlantic Regional Archives Conference
• Music Library Association
• The National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA)
• Progressive Librarians Guild-Braverman Award
• Public Library Association (PLA)
• Society of American Archivists Scholarships
• Special Libraries Association