Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards
The Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships & Awards supports UW undergraduate students in developing the skills and personal insights necessary to pursue scholarships appropriate to their goals. We encourage students to take advantage of the large variety of informational and developmental workshops they offer. Students can also schedule one on one scholarship advising appointments. Sophomore and junior students that are interested in a career in research are strongly encouraged to apply for the Barry Goldwater scholarship (currently open with a Nov. 22 deadline).
Department of Chemistry Scholarship Opportunities
Rising Chem Star Undergraduate Research Scholarship - Application for Summer 2023
This year, the Department of Chemistry’s Endowed Undergraduate Research Scholarships will support an estimated 8-15 undergraduate students to pursue research in the Department of Chemistry at UW during the summer quarter of 2023.
The scholarship amounts will be between $2000 and $5000, and are open to both currently research active students and those with little or no research experience. Applicants are encouraged to find a potential research host among research active faculty in the Department of Chemistry, but this is not a requirement.
Priority will be given to current and aspiring chemistry majors, people who aspire to pursue a career in chemical sciences, and applicants who are at earlier stages of their career. Priority will also be given to students with demonstrated financial need.
The deadline for the application is Sunday, April 16, 2023 at 11:59 pm. Please submit your application here. Contact the Chemistry Advisers with questions.
Tuition Scholarships and Book Prizes
Thanks to the generosity of several alumni and others interested in helping chemistry and biochemistry students, the Department of Chemistry has some resident tuition scholarships and book prizes available to UW students who are currently declared biochemistry or chemistry majors.
Academic merit, financial need, career goals, employment history, extracurricular activities, and undergraduate research record are among the criteria used for the various awards to determine the recipients. Personal background, including being a transfer student or the first in your family to go to college, having experienced personal or educational obstacles to go to college, and/or experience with diversity or diverse cultures will also be considered in the selection. Generally, the scholarships are awarded to students who have been in the Department for a year or more.
Scholarships and book prizes awarded by the Department of Chemistry are available only to students who are declared biochemistry or chemistry majors.
Application Process
- Write an essay discussing your career goals, your academic and personal background, why you should be selected as a scholarship/book award recipient, and anything else you feel might be relevant to the Scholarship Selection Committee. Please pay attention to spelling and grammar. There is no specific length requirement for this essay. In the past, scholarship winning essays have ranged anywhere between 500-2,000 words, with the average essay around 1,000 words in length.
- Complete the scholarship application form found here.
- You will need one letter of recommendation, preferably from faculty. Letters of recommendation may be submitted here.
- If your recommender does not have a UW NetID, they may email their letter of recommendation directly to advisers@chem.washington.edu.
- A copy of your transcript(s) will be provided to the Scholarship/Award Selection Committee, which will thoughtfully consider all applications. Thank you for your interest.
- The application deadline is December 1, 2022.
The scholarship committee will meet in December to choose recipients. Monetary awards will be disbursed for winter quarter.
Below is the list of scholarships and book awards available. Students need only submit one application to be considered for all the scholarships and book awards listed below:
H. K. Benson Undergraduate Tuition Scholarship
Boeing Scholarship
Chemistry Scholarship
Leland and Eleanor Burger Endowed Scholarship
James B. and Elzelina J. Callis Endowed Scholarship
Earl W. Davie Endowed Scholarship in Chemistry or Biochemistry
Ed F. and Clara M. Degering Tuition Scholarship
Dorothy Shimasaki Gilmer Endowed Scholarship
Donald J. Hanahan Endowed Scholarship in Chemistry or Biochemistry
Christopher and Karen Pohl Endowed Fund in Chemistry
Rex J. And Ruth C. Robinson Scholarship Fund in Chemistry
Zalia Jencks Rowe Undergraduate Tuition Scholarship
Timberlake Endowed Scholarship for Undergraduate Students in Chemistry
Usha and S. Rao Varanasi Endowed Diversity Scholarship in Chemistry
Gerald and Sheila Berkelhammer Book Award
Do you know an outstanding TA?
Nominate them for an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award sponsored by the Department of Chemistry. Visit Ph.D. Student Financial Support for the nomination instructions.