FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS

Native Peoples’ Wildlife Management Working Group Professional Development Program
This Program is for Native American and Indigenous Students Interested in the Wildlife Profession. The Program provides funds to attend the Society’s Annual Conference. Selected individuals will receive funds for registration fees, lodging, meals, transportation, and a one-year membership in The Wildlife Society and become members of the Native Peoples’ Wildlife Management Working Group.

Native American Research Assistantship (NARA)
The U.S. Forest Service (USFS), Premier Partner of The Wildlife Society, sponsors a research assistantship program for Native American students.

Assistantships are available for Native American students interested in wildlife and forest resource research and management. Students will learn and work with an interdisciplinary team of researchers with the USFS. Applicants must be a member of an American Indian or Alaska Native tribe, First Nations or a Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or have another indigenous identification, and be currently enrolled in an undergraduate or graduate program from an accredited academic institution.

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Graduate Scholarship Program
The Minority Ph.D. Program, established by the Sloan Foundation in 1995, offers eligible doctoral candidates the opportunity to pursue their Ph.D. degrees with financial, mentoring, and guidance support through recognized participating faculty and departments approved by the Sloan Foundation. The Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership (SIGP), initiated in 2003 through a partnership between the University of Arizona and the Sloan Foundation, was expanded in Fall 2005 to include the participation of select faculties and departments at The University of Montana, Missoula and Montana Tech of The University of Montana, Butte. In 2007 and 2008, Purdue University and the University of Alaska at Fairbanks and Anchorage were also added to the program.

Native American Fish and Wildlife Society Scholarships (NAFWS)
The NAFWS provides various scholarships to full-time undergraduate and graduate Native students that are attending an accredited college/university and are majoring in the fields of natural resources and environmental sciences. Check their website for current available opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.

American Indian Science and Engineering Society
The American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) helps students move forward in their educational journeys by providing a wide range of programs and scholarship opportunities. AISES scholarships help students acquire skills and training that will help them meet the unique STEM needs of our communities. We highly encourage you to apply for all the scholarships you are eligible for! To apply, you must be an AISES member. Check their website for current opportunities such as the ones below.

A.T. Anderson Memorial Scholarship
AISES’ own scholarship program was established in 1983 in memory of A.T. Anderson (Mohawk), a chemical engineer who founded AISES with six other American Indian scientists. Scholarships are awarded to members of AISES who are American Indian/Alaskan Native college students pursuing academic programs in the sciences, engineering, medicine, natural resources, and math.

Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF) Foundation Scholarship
Administered for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Foundation, this scholarship is made available to American Indian high school seniors every year, who reside in states serviced by the Burlington Northern and Santa Fe Pacific Corporation and its affiliated companies: Arizona, California, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Montana, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota, and Washington. The award is for 4 academic years (8 semesters) or until baccalaureate degree is obtained, whichever occurs first. Applicants who are not selected as recipients will be given consideration in the A.T. Anderson Memorial Scholarship program, if all criteria is met. Eligible majors include business, engineering, math, medicine/health administration, natural/physical sciences, technology and education.

Native Forward Scholars Fund
Native Forward Scholars Fund, formerly the American Indian Graduate Center, is the largest scholarship provider to Native students in the U.S. We award approximately $15 million in scholarships annually and have awarded over $350 million since our inception. Check their website for current available opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students.

The Gates Millennium Scholar Program
The Gates Millennium Scholar Program initiative, funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, is aimed at expanding access and opportunity to higher education to those citizens who will help reflect the diverse society in which we live. The Foundation seeks to increase the number of African Americans, American Indians/Alaska Natives, Asian & Pacific Islander Americans, and Hispanic Americans enrolling in and completing undergraduate and graduate degree programs. The goal is to promote academic excellence and to provide an opportunity for thousands of outstanding students to reach their fullest potential. The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has established this initiative to encourage and support students in completing college and in continuing on to earn masters and doctoral degrees in disciplines where ethnic and racial groups are currently underrepresented. The Gates Millennium Scholar Program awards will enable thousands of young Americans to attend undergraduate and graduate institutions of their choice and be prepared to assume important roles as leaders in their professions and in their communities.