OTS Scholarships
OTS is committed to providing opportunities to all eligible students interested in participating in our programs. We make every effort possible to ensure that financial obstacles are not the primary reason a qualified student cannot participate in one of our programs. We make scholarship applications available to students upon acceptance into an OTS program. We have a limited amount of scholarship funds available so, the earlier you apply, the better your chances of receiving an award. If you have questions, please contact the Enrollment Management team at undergraduate@tropicalstudies.org.
External Scholarships and Opportunities
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program: The U.S. Department of State’s Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship is a grant program that enables students of limited financial means to study or intern abroad, thereby gaining skills critical to our national security and economic competitiveness. The Gilman Scholarship is open to U.S. citizens and undergraduate students, who are receiving Federal Pell Grant funding at a two-year or four-year college or university, in order to participate in study and intern abroad programs worldwide. They award grants of up to $5,000 for traditionally underrepresented students in education abroad as well as students in the sciences, and nontraditional study abroad locations.
Fund for Education Abroad: The Fund for Education Abroad (FEA) invests in promising students with financial need who wish to study abroad. Scholarships range from $1,250 – $10,000. The student must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, be currently enrolled as an undergraduate at a college or university in the United States, the study abroad program must be eligible for credit at the student’s home institution, and the program must be at least 4 weeks in country. FEA encourages first generation, minority, and community college students to apply.
Additional Funding Sources:
OTS offers a variety of partial need-based scholarships to enable graduate students to participate in our graduate courses. Interested students should apply to the OTS graduate course of their choosing and include an additional statement indicating resources available and details of financial need. We will provide you information on what funds may be available, with priority given to students from member institutions.
Applicants need not specify a particular fund among the following named funds established through the generosity of our donors.
Fellowships are available to work at OTS research stations.
OTS is pleased to announce a new round of fellowship opportunities for early-career scientists and postdoctoral scholars. Outstanding graduate students or early-career scientists (< 5 yrs post-PhD) are elibible for our early-career research fellowships. These fellowships will promote research based at OTS research stations in climate change, biodiversity, ecological restoration, invasive species, wetland management, tropical dry forest ecology and tropical urban ecology).
The Dr. Pamela Hall Postdoctoral Fellowship, established by friends and family of Dr. Hall, will elevate and advance the careers of ecologists and evolutionary biologists who are women and/or underrepresented minorities. Scientists from tropical regions or who are under-represented will be given priority consideration.
The fellowships will provide 100-180 nights at OTS stations, up to $700 funding for international or national travel, $500 monthly stipend, and $500 for research supplies.
Contact: Education staff for application instructions.
Interested in supporting OTS research fellowships? Please contact Jim Boyle.
An endowment is a donation made for the perpetual benefit of OTS. The principal remains intact and money earned from investing the principal is used for a specific purpose as designated by the donor. The Board of Directors determines an amount of accumulated earnings to be spent each year, with the remaining interest and principal invested for future growth. The OTS fellowship program, education program, and the field stations provide opportunities for supporting an existing endowment or establishing a new named endowment. Please contact Jim Boyle, our Vice President of Philanthropy (james.boyle@tropicalstudies.org) if you are interested in learning more.