Graduate Student Scholarship

Program Description

The purpose of the program is to encourage exemplary graduate students to continue to pursue a curriculum leading to a Masters or Doctorate degree in Animal, Meat, Food Science, Microbiology, Nutrition or Public Health from an accredited program. The 2024-2025 Scholarship Program is administered by the NAMI Scholarship Foundation Board of Directors, and supported by selection committee of distinguished academics.

Awards

Scholarship Awards are based on scholastic performance, work experience, research interests, career goals and other activities. Applications are reviewed and ranked, and the final awards determined by the Board of Directors. The number of scholarships awarded each year is at the discretion of the Board of Directors.
The NAMI Scholarship Foundation Awards $5,000 to selected recipients.

Eligibility Requirements

Complete applications must be received by May 31, 2024. Applications are submitted online only.
Applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements in order to apply for a NAMI Scholarship Foundation award. Financial need, age, gender or national origin are not conditions of eligibility for any of the award.

Only graduate students pursuing an approved program in Animal, Meat, Food Science, Microbiology, Nutrition, Public Health or related discipline at an accredited educational institution are eligible.
Applicants must have a minimum cumulative 2.75 Grade Point Average (GPA) to apply
Applicants must have the recommendation of a faculty member familiar with their work.
Applications must be enrolled in an approved program at the time the scholarship becomes effective.
Applicants who receive an award must remain enrolled in the approved major and educational institution. Awardees who withdraw from school or transfer to another major during the term of their scholarship must return the award to the NAMI Scholarship Foundation.
Scholarship applications are not annually renewed. Each student must submit a completely new application with all required attachments for each program year.
Scholarship recipients may retain awards upon transfer to another school provided that the transfer is to an approved Animal/Meat/Food or related program and that the department/program head that the new school verifies enrollment by writing to the NAMI Scholarship Foundation.

Notification

Applicants will be notified in writing of scholarship awards by September 1, 2024. The Scholarships are distributed through the educational institute’s Financial Aid Officer of the student’s account.

Application Instructions

Complete the application online. Please be prepared to upload a .pdf of your official transcript and faculty letter of recommendation when you begin application process. All materials must be submitted at one time. Incomplete applications cannot be considered.

Research Interests
Prepare a response outlining your research interests and how they impact the meat and poultry industry. The response should be no more than 500 words. Your response should include brief descriptions of the research that you have or will be conducting as a part of your graduate program. (20%)

Career Goals Essay
Prepare a typed 500 word essay outlining your career goals and future endeavors. The essay should focus on how these goals and career objective might pertain to or benefit post harvest and production/ preparation of meat food products. The essay should also include your reason for applying for the scholarship other than financial need. Financial need, age, gender, race, religion or national origin are not conditions for eligibility. Essays highlighting these as reasons for applying may be marked down by the selection committee. (25%)

Work Experience
Provide a summary of your work experience, especially as it relates to the commercial meat industry, university meat lab employment, and other food processing/preparation related work experience. (10%)

Awards and Honors
Provide a list of educational awards and honors received. (5%)

Publications
Provide a list of your publications including manuscripts, submitted posters, abstracts, final reports and others. (10%)

Extracurricular Activities
Provide a list of extracurricular activities that demonstrate intellectual growth, breadth of interests, talents and leadership qualities. (5%)

Faculty Letter of Recommendation
Include a letter of recommendation signed by a faculty member. (10%)