The National Scholars Program

This report has been developed to assist the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) in responding to a Congressional request to evaluate the feasibility of initiating a National Scholars Program. It includes detailed design for a program to increase the number of underparticipating minorities earning Ph. D.s in mathematics, the physical sciences, and engineering. The proposed program will provide (a) a continuum of academic and financial support for participants beginning in high school and continuing through Ph. D. study and (b) coordination with other science education initiatives funded by NASA and/or other agencies, organizations, and institutions.

Guidance for students applying for national scholarships Nationally competitive scholarship programs attract thousands of applicants every year for a relatively small number of awards. Providing informed and dedicated support to applicants is the critical and fundamental goal of the National Association of Fellowships Advisors (NAFA). The thirteen essays in this volume are a direct result of the 2005 NAFA conference held in Louisville. Contributors include both scholarship advisors and representatives of the Truman and Marshall foundations as well as the former executive director of the US-UK Fulbright Commission. These essays provide practical information ranging from helping faculty write persuasive letters of recommendation to serving international students effectively to negotiating the British and Irish high-educational systems. In addition to providing the students with useful tips, these essays also reflect on the broader impact of the application process. They address the successes of students who do not win as well as the public-service involvement of those who do as they give back to their campus, local, and global communities.