Scholarships
The Department of Nutritional Sciences at the University of Michigan School of Public Health offers several funding opportunities. Unless otherwise indicated, there is not a separate application process for these scholarships. Applicants are encouraged to review the opportunities and ensure that your program application reflects how you may be eligible for one or more opportunities.
Transformative Food Systems Fellowship
The Transformative Food Systems (TFS) Fellowship Program, funded by the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture, aims to prepare the next generation of leaders with the scientific and organizing aptitude needed to construct more equitable, health-promoting and ecologically resilient food systems.
The TFS Fellowship Program involves the University of Michigan’s School for Environment and Sustainability (SEAS), Taubman College’s Urban and Regional Planning Program (URP), and the School of Public Health’s Department of Nutritional Sciences. Faculty from these units will support students as TFS Advisors, and students will also work with a TFS internship coordinator.
Students who identify as underrepresented or low-income and who aim to study food systems are eligible to apply for the Fellowship Program. TFS Fellows will receive an $18,500 stipend for each year of their two-year master’s program. Students who conduct summer field research or an internship internationally will also be eligible for an additional $2,750 to cover travel and cost of living.
Nutritional Sciences Award
Nutritional Sciences Awards are allocated to students based on a combination of academic and professional merit and potential of the student to advance the school’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals. Applicants should ensure that their application clearly addresses whether they have experienced any of the following:
- Come from an educational, cultural or geographic background that is underrepresented in graduate study in their discipline in the United States or at the University of Michigan.
- Have demonstrated a sustained commitment to diversity in the academic, professional, or civic realm through their work experience,
volunteer engagement, or leadership of student or community organizations.
In Nutritional Sciences, this is often demonstrated by engagement in year-long programs including Peace Corps, AmericaCorps, Teach for America. This could also be demonstrated by paid employment with nonprofit or governmental organizations committed to diversity or that serve diverse populations. - Have experienced financial hardship as a result of family economic circumstances. In Nutritional Sciences this is often demonstrated by receipt of a Pell grant and or student loan debt of more than $30,000.
- Are a first-generation US citizen or are the first generation in your family to graduate from a four-year college.
NSF International
Provides support for international MS and MPH students with high academic merit.
NSF Grad Award
Provides support for graduate students conducting research in food safety, water, and/or air quality.
Wainstock Award
Provides support for graduate students with financial need, with a preference for students studying women's health.
Klare Award
Provides support for deserving students at the School of Public Health.
Tresnowski Award
Provides need-based support for students at the School of Public Health.
Coverdell Fellowship
Awarded to an MS or MPH student who is a Returned Peace Corp Volunteer and also meets criteria for a Nutritional Sciences scholarship. There can be one Coverdell Fellow each year and fellows will receive a 50 percent tuition award per year, which would apply to in-state or out-of-state tuition. All fellows are required to complete an internship in an underserved community in the US, allowing them to bring home and expand on the skills they learned as Peace Corps volunteers.
Rackham Fellowships
PhD and MS students in the Department of Nutritional Sciences may also be eligible for fellowships provided by Rackham Graduate School. The admissions committee will identify applicants who meet the criteria for these awards and will contact applicants directly with information on next steps.
Contact Us
If you have questions about scholarships for Nutritional Sciences students, please contact KC Pepera, Student Services Coordinator at kpepera@umich.edu or Carole Durgy, Student Services Coordinator, at beckca@umich.edu.