Scholarships and Awards

The NUSC Scholarship Committee reviews awards/scholarship applications and provides its recommendations to the Department Head.

Graduate Awards & Scholarships

    • These awards are for advanced graduate students ($1000 per award). Students are eligible for only 1 award (Hamilton or Czajkowski)
    • Hamilton Eaton Award for Research Excellence: 1 student per year
    • Shirley Gerrior Scholarship for Research Excellence: 1 student per year
    • Janina Czajkowski Award for Research Excellence: 1-2 students per year
      • The Czajkowski award is preferred but not restricted for graduate students whose research impacts the community/society (e.g., human research, epidemiology, translational research)
    • Application deadline: August 31
    • The faculty’s nomination should be submitted to the Graduate Program Director
    • Eligibility Requirements:
      • Academic Progress:
        1. In the Nutritional Sciences PhD program at least 2 years prior to submitting an application
        2. GPA of 3.5 or higher
        3. Earned at least a “B” grade in all NUSC graduate courses
        4. Currently enrolled in a NUSC graduate program
    • Minimum Criteria
      • Research Productivity:
        1. Submitted at least 1 research manuscript as first author to a peer-reviewed journal
        2. Presented at least 1 abstract as first author at a national or international science meeting
    •  Additional Criteria considered:
      1. Publication record
      2. Internal/external research awards or recognition
      3. Research grants/fellowships
      4. Attendance at NUSC departmental seminars
      5. Graduate leadership in NUSC
      6. Participation in other internal/external service activities

Janina Czajkowski Scholarship for 4+1 NUSC MS students

    • This 1-year scholarship serves as a recruitment mechanism that provides 4+1 MS students with financial assistance for tuition
    • $3,000 scholarship for the academic year is available for 1-3 students per year. The money will be disbursed between 2 semesters
    • Application deadlines: October 1 (spring admission) or March 15 (fall admission)
    • The application should be submitted to the Graduate Program Director
    • Selection criteria:
      1. Minimum GPA of 3.5
      2. Letter of support/nomination from the major advisor
      3. Personal statement including financial need

Margaret Ware PhD Student Recruitment Scholarship

    • This scholarship aims to recruit outstanding PhD students to the Department
    • This scholarship provides funds equivalent to a 50% graduate assistant (GA) stipend that supplement the 50% GA stipend provided by an advisor up to 3 years, depending on recipients’ academic progress
    • Application:
      1. Upon identifying a prospective PhD student, a faculty advisor submits a 3-year plan to the Department Head that describes the academic milestones of the prospective student
      2. Recipients are expected to become PhD candidates by the end of Year 2, and submit a grant application to the USDA predoctoral fellowship program in Year 3
      3. Funds for each year will be released only when the previous year’s milestone has been achieved
    • Current MS students in the Department are not eligible for this scholarship.
    • Application deadline: year-round
    • The application should be submitted to the Graduate Program Director and the Department Head
    • Selection criteria and application requirements:
      1. MS degree with a minimum GPA of 3.5
      2. GRE (when available)
      3. Evidence of awards, recognitions, and any prior scholarly or creative achievement by the nominee, such as publications and presentations
      4. U.S. Citizen or permanent residency holder

Undergraduate Awards & Scholarships

Nutritional Sciences Excellence in Undergraduate Research Award

    • $500 per award for 1-2 students per year
    • Eligibility: NUSC undergraduate students who conduct research under the direction of NUSC faculty. Only 1 award is allowed per student
    • Application deadline: March 15
    • The application should be submitted to the Undergraduate Program Director and the Department Head
    • Selection criteria and application requirements:
      1. At least 2 semesters of research in a NUSC lab with at least 3 credits of independent study/honors thesis courses
      2. Letter of recommendation from a faculty research advisor
      3. Co-author of at least one paper or abstract (published or submitted), which may be disseminated via local, national, or international conferences or journal

Dorothy M. Burns Diversity Scholarship 

    • This scholarship supports the Department’s efforts to diversify the workforce for human nutrition
    • Underrepresented undergraduate students in NUSC—racial and ethnic minorities (e.g., Black/African American, Latino, Native American, etc.) and first-generation college students—with financial needs are eligible for this scholarship
    • $2000 per award for 1-2 students per year
    • Application deadline: March 15
    • The application should be submitted to the Undergraduate Program Director
    • Selection criteria:
      1. GPA higher than 2.0
      2. Personal statement including financial need, career goal, and social, economic, educational, or other obstacles, if appropriate (300 words maximum)

Steg Family Scholarship

    • This scholarship recognizes NUSC undergraduate students who demonstrate excellent leadership in extracurricular activities and service to the Department
    • $1,000 per award for 1-2 students per year
    • Application deadline: March 15
    • The application should be submitted to the Undergraduate Program Director
    • Selection criteria:
      1. GPA of 3.5 or higher
      2. Financial need may be considered
      3. Personal statement including leadership experience and service to the Department (300 words maximum)

Margaret Ware Scholarship for Nutritional Sciences Excellence in Undergraduate Research

    • This scholarship is to support NUSC undergraduate students who conduct research under the direction of NUSC faculty
    • $4,000 per award for 3-4 students for summer research
    • Application deadline: March 15
    • The application should be submitted to the Undergraduate Program Director and the Department Head
    • Selection criteria and requirements:
      1. At least 1 semester of research in a NUSC lab with at least 3 credits of independent study/honors thesis courses
      2. Letter of recommendation from faculty research advisor
      3. Description of research project: The description should address project objectives, procedures and methods, and expected outcomes (1,000 words maximum)
      4. Personal statement including financial need, and social, economic, educational, or other obstacles, if appropriate (300 words maximum)

Departmental Contacts

Dr. Ji-Young Lee, Department Head: ji-young.lee@uconn.edu

Dr. Yangchao Luo, Graduate Program Director: yangchao.luo@uconn.edu

Dr. Rhonda Brownbill, Undergraduate Program Director: rhonda.brownbill@uconn.edu

Further Resources

More scholarships are available for undergraduate students through the College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources. Click here for more information.

Students who have questions about an award/scholarship are encouraged to talk to their academic advisor in the department.