Stamps Scholars

No, only students who are in good academic standing and have sophomore or junior status are eligible to apply. You must also have a research mentor who is actively working on a project that you can contribute to. All U-M students, regardless of their academic program or department, are welcome to apply.

Yes, you are encouraged to reapply if you were not accepted the first time.

Yes, students who received a fellowship in the previous year can reapply for a second year of funding.

 No, you must have a mentor who is actively working on a project or has their own research project that they are overseeing. Your mentor must agree to oversee this project. 

• Student Information, 
• Academic Information
• Research Description 
• Personal Statement
• (2) Letters of recommendation. One recommendation must be from the U-M mentor that you will be working with during the Summer Fellowship and academic year.
• Uploads: Budget, budget justification, transcripts

Your statement should aim to answer the following questions: 

• What prior experience or work have you done in this area? Describe your relationship with the sponsor/mentor.
• Why is the timing right for this summer experience?
• What experiences have you had that would make you stand out as a candidate for this project and program?
• As a part of the Stamps Scholars Program, you will be joining a network of research fellows and mentors.
• What type of experiences and skills would you bring to our community?

Describe your proposed research project, aspects could include the methods and goals, facilities and location, timeline. What are the new knowledge or creative elements? Where do the challenges lie and how will you attempt to overcome them? How will this project have an impact on both you and society?

You can find a sample budget justification on the application homepage. Ensure your budget justification includes detailed descriptions for each line item, explaining the total costs involved.

You can find a sample budget and budget template instructions on the application homepage. For your convenience, we have created a budget template that will just require you to fill in the appropriate budget  line item dollar amounts. 

The $400 allotted discretionary funds is here to help support your individual research endeavors. This is a predetermined amount and can NOT be edited. These discretionary funds may be used to support your research project outlined in your budget or you may use these funds to support other research aspirations. For instance, books, travel to conferences non-related this specific research project, supplies and materials to support other research projects, applications to grad school, travel to grad schools for interviews and other professional development opportunities such as grant writing seminars.  During the application phase, you do not need to specify how you will utilize these funds.  At the end of the program, all students will be required to submit an expense report detailing all expenses.

Yes, one recommendation must be from the U-M mentor that you will be working with during the Summer Fellowship and academic year. The second letter of recommendation from an individual that can speak to your academic and professional experiences and why you would be an ideal candidate for this scholarship.

Upon submitting your application or clicking “Send Reference Letter Request” on a saved draft application, your reference letter writers will receive an email containing a unique link to a web page where reference letters may be uploaded.

If you become a finalist, you will need to interview with a representative from the Stamps Scholars Program. Notifications will be sent via email, so please check your email regularly in February to avoid any delays. The interviews will be conducted via Zoom, FaceTime, or Skype. Finalists should be familiar with the Stamps Scholars Program, and additional information can be found on both the OVPR and UROP websites.

Each Stamps Scholar is assigned a financial administrator who will help you track expenses and manage your spending.

During the Stamps Scholars summer fellowship, your hourly rate will be $16/hr.

If you want to continue being paid during the academic year, you will need to have an appointment set up in your mentor’s home department. During the summer fellowship, you will be appointed through UROP. However, at the end of the summer, your mentor’s home department will need to create an appointment for you. 

The expectation is that all funds will be spent within a year.

We encourage Scholars to work 40 hours per week during the summer fellowship. However, if this is not feasible, any remaining funds can be used during the academic year to support your research. This includes funding additional work hours, travel to conferences, or purchasing materials and supplies.

As part of the Summer Fellowship, students will attend a total of 8 seminar series that meet every 2 to 3 weeks. The purpose of the summer seminar is to support the advanced research of Stamps Scholars. During seminars, students will have the opportunity to expand their organization and planning skills, integrate mindfulness practices into their work and attend professional development and community activities to connect with other summer scholars across U-M.

Seminars will be offered both in-person and virtual formats. Participation in the seminars are a requirement and advanced notice to the summer Instructor is required if you are unable to attend a seminar.

The Stamps Scholars Program offers a range of professional development opportunities throughout the academic year. These sessions cover topics such as public engagement, CV and resume writing, an introduction to academia, public speaking, and an overview of graduate and professional school applications.

We understand that scholars have demanding schedules during the academic year and do not wish to overburden them with too many sessions. Consequently, we plan to host 2-3 sessions each during the fall and winter semesters. During the winter semester, we will host a Stamps Scholars symposium, giving scholars an opportunity to showcase their research.