Spring Term 2024 Awards -- How to apply and selection criteria
Thanks to the support of donors and friends of the department, we have several opportunities for you to secure awards to help pay for your tuition and other university-related expenses!
DEADLINE TO SUBMIT APPLICATIONS: March 7, 2024.
- Easy to apply -- our awards are administered through PittFund$Me, an online portal to search and apply for scholarships and awards. Applications for our DINS Awards are easy to complete and submit.
- Easy to accept -- if selected for one of the awards, the funds will be directly (and quickly) deposited into your student account!
- Easy access to many Opportunities -- by using PittFund$Me, you have access to scholarships and awards beyond just those offered by the Department.
- Diverse opportunities -- There are award opportunties for students at all levels -- undergraduate and graduate!
Here are instructions to locate and apply to our scholarships/awards -- SCI Scholarship Application Instructions.
Selection
A committee of DINS faculty will review applications for each of the awards noted below. The Department has crafted "Selection Criteria" to guide the selection of winners for each award in Spring 2024, as described below. Please note that these selection criteria were designed to meet the intent of the creators of (and donors to) each of the supporting funds, and that such selection criteria are subject to change in future years. It is possible that no awards may be made, if applicants do not meet the required and preferred criteria.
Below, you can see the awards that have open applications and their eligibility criteria.
| Eligible Programs -- Must be currently enrolled in specified program | Award Name | Award Amount | Number of Awards Proposed for Spring 2024 | Committee's Selection Criteria for Spring 2024 (Preference will be given to applicants who match the selection criteria) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BSIS | Ida Flynn Award | $4000 | 1 |
Required: have applied for graduation in Spring Term 2024.
Preference given to students who:
* provide evidence of academic excellence (GPA, Honors, Publications);
* self-identify as being from an underrepresented group;
* have successfully completed a capstone experience or Independent Study course;
* show a committment to bettering the SCI/Pitt/Pittsburgh community through volunteerism.
|
|
BSIS
|
$1250
|
1
|
Preference given to students who:
* self-identify as being from an underrepresented group;
* have successfully completed a corporate internship
* have successfully completed a project with corporate partners (through a capstone project)
|
|
| BSIS | Jennifer & Eric Spiegel Technology and Communications Award | $600 | 1 |
Preference given to students who:
* provide evidence of excellence in the BSIS program including (but not limited to) a paper, poster, project report, etc., discussing how information, technology, and networks impact humans and society. The product, which could have been prepared for a class, should embrace the perspective of the Department's focus on the integration and intersection of technology, data, networks, and people.
|
| MSIS | James G. Williams Award | $1250 | 2 |
Preference given to students who have:
*held leadership positions within Department/School/University student organizations
|
| MSIS | Russell “Rusty” A. Howard II Memorial Scholarship | $10,000 | 1 |
Preference given to students who are:
pursuing a Master's degree in Computer Science or Information Science.
|
| MSIS | Mitchell Family Scholarship | $2000 | 1 |
Preference given to students who:
*graduated from an undergraduate program in SCI;
* currently accepted to (or enrolled in) the MSIS program
* self-identify as being from an underrepresented group
|
|
MSIS
|
Allen Kent Scholarship | $500 | 1 |
Preference given to students who:
* have participated in service to the MSIS program, DINS, SCI, or the professions. For example, served as a peer tutor or as a leader of a school-wide organization, or attended a conference related to the Information Sciences.
|
| MST | K. Leon Montgomery Award | $1400 | 2 |
Preference given to students who:
* provide evidence of academic excellence (GPA, Honors, Publications)
* submit a letter of recommendation from a DINS faculty member (send to DINS)
* participated in professional or school student groups (for example, Pitt's student chapter of IEEE)
|
|
MST
|
$500
|
1
|
Preference will be given to students who have:
served in a leadership position with one of the Department's or School's student organizations. For example, could include being involved with iServes or volunteered for IEEE conferences.
|
|
|
Graduate Students
|
$5000
|
4
|
Preference given to students who:
* are actively enrolled in the IS PhD program
*have successfully completed the Prelim
* have maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.75 or higher as an indication of excellence in the discipline
* have published in a top-tier journal in fields related to Information Science. This must be a research paper, not an opinion piece or book review. Work must have been done while a student in the IS PhD program and published between January 2021 through December 2023.
OR
* have presented at a top-tier conference. Must be a full paper, not a poster or short paper. Work must have been presented at the conference while a student in the IS PhD program and between January 2021 through December 2023.
|