Whitaker International Award For Bioengineers - Application now open

The Institute of International Education (IIE) is pleased to announce the opening of the 2011-2012 Whitaker International Fellows and Scholars Program competition, with a January 24, 2011 deadline. The Whitaker International Program provides funding for biomedical engineers/bioengineers to conduct a field-relevant activity abroad.

Program Overview

The Whitaker International Program is a competitive grant that sends emerging leaders in biomedical engineering (or bioengineering) overseas to increase international collaboration in the field. The Whitaker Program was funded by The Whitaker Foundation (now closed), and is administered by the Institute of International Education.

Whitaker International Program grants are awarded based on an activity/project proposal that is relevant to biomedical engineering. We hope to offer about 50 grants annually, but only the highest-quality applicants are awarded. In the last three competitions, 15, 20 and 35 grants have been awarded.

We are looking for at least 150 qualified applications this year, so all students who are even thinking of this type of option are encouraged to apply.

Awards have included research in heart blood flow, improved prosthetic leg design, and development of affordable oral cancer screening tools. Projects occur worldwide, including the UK, Chile, Denmark, India, South Africa, and many more.

Types of Grants

The Whitaker International Program has two categories

瀀 Fellows - Graduate-level applicants, from graduating seniors through current PhD students. Fellows receive a stipend for one year, and are eligible for tuition reimbursement.

瀀 Scholars - Post-doctoral applicants, who recently received their PhD. Scholar awards can be for as little as one academic semester or as long as two years of funding, depending on their needs. Second year funding is contingent upon demonstration of progress made during the first year.

Website & Online Application

http://www.whitaker.org/
http://whitaker.usapplications.org/

The online application is now open with a January 24, 2011 deadline. The website listed above has all the information pertaining to the program, including eligibility requirements, potential host institutions, and former grantee profiles.

Whitaker Program On-line Forum

http://www.whitaker.org/forum/

A new Whitaker on-line forum has been created for applicants to interact with former grantees and ask them questions about grant projects, tips on the application, securing host affiliations, and the general grant experience. Additionally, the forum has answers to many Frequently Asked Questions on the Whitaker Program.