The Steinbrecher Fellowship Program

An Information Session for students interested in applying for a 2009-2010 Steinbrecher Fellowship will be held on Monday, December 15 @ 1:00 p.m. in Geography Room 104 (Libby Lounge on the ground floor of the Geography Building).

In 2005, the family and friends of Clark alumnus David C. Steinbrecher '81 created the Steinbrecher Fellowship Program with a generous gift that established a permanent endowment in memory of David that provides fellowships for Clark undergraduates to pursue original ideas, creative research, public service or enrichment projects. The Steinbrecher Fellowship awards, given to 8-10 students each year, range from $500 to $2,500.

The Steinbrecher Fellowship also seeks to create and maintain a vibrant community of learners by bringing Fellows together with each other and with a small group of faculty mentors to share ideas, experiences, and intellectual excitement at dinners and other special gatherings several times during each academic year.

Fellows have pursued a wide variety of creative, research, and public service projects. These have included

working with the India Development Foundation (IDF) to help overcome the stigma and discrimination faced by people with HIV/AIDS by distributing Health Smart Cards;
conducting research on how the characteristics of the Native American flute reflect the traditions, mythology, and perspectives on life and nature of the people who made and play it by taking flute lessons from local native players, attending concerts and tribal powwows, and participating in a week-long Native American Flute Workshop in Montana;
touring and photographing the dramatic landscape in Iceland and preparing an exhibition and book with photos of Iceland;
teaching at a school and an orphanage in Lilongwe, Malawi, and researching how HIV/AIDS has affected the lives of children there;
working with the Climate Summer 2007 project, educating New Hampshire residents about global warming through town meetings, educational outreach, community-based discussions and presentations;
examining Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in China by interviewing workers at Microsoft and China Telecom as well as Chinese college students;
examining the environmental impacts of high-tech gold mining underway in northern Finland.

Eligibility

Students who have completed (or will have completed by the end of the current academic year) at least two semesters at Clark and plan to return to Clark for the coming year are eligible for the fellowships. Steinbrecher Fellowships are awarded independently from other Clark scholarships or prizes, i.e., recipients of Clark merit scholarships, Making a Difference Scholarships, etc., are eligible for these Fellowships, which will not replace their other awards.

Application

Applications are available here (PDF) or in the Government Department office, JEF 302. The deadline for applications is Monday, February 23, 2009 at noon, and Fellows will be selected by April 2nd. Applicants should submit a 3-5 page statement that:

describes the proposed project including when and where it will be carried out;
explains where/when/how the idea for the project originated and what makes it intriguing/important for the applicant to pursue it;
provides an estimated budget for the project, including for example, travel costs, lodging, meals, equipment, etc.
lists the name, department, e-mail and phone number of the faculty member who has agreed to serve as the sponsor for the project and of an additional faculty member (or other member of the Clark or external community, if relevant) who has also agreed to provide a letter of recommendation.

Applicants should also submit a copy of their academic transcript (an unofficial academic grade report will suffice).

Two letters of recommendation are also required: one from the Clark faculty member who has agreed to sponsor the project and one from another faculty member (or other appropriate individual) familiar with the applicant and the proposed project. The letters should comment on the applicant's abilities and potential for intellectual growth and evaluate the proposed project. The applications and letters should each be submitted directly to the Selection Committee, c/o Professor Sharon Krefetz, Director of the Fellowship Programs, JEF 304, by the February 23rd deadline.

Criteria for Selection

Criteria for selection will include the originality or distinctiveness of the proposed project; the applicant's potential for carrying out an excellent project; and the likely contribution of the project to enhancing the knowledge, understanding, and perspectives of the applicant and other Steinbrecher Fellows.

Further Information

Students interested in applying for a Fellowship should feel free to contact Professor Sharon Krefetz at x7327, JEF 311 or via email to skrefetz@clarku.edu.

The 2008-09 Steinbrecher Fellows