No money = no study.
April 5, 2010 12:23 PM Subscribe
I've been planning an internship in Malawi for this summer. A problem has recently emerged: I was not awarded either of the university fellowships I applied for. What are some alternatives?
I have a project planned. I have the location, the contact staff, the host organization. I do not have the money.
Also, it should be mentioned that conducting an internship is required for my school, but it does not necessarily have to be abroad. Due to the fact that I want to study infectious tropical disease, it makes it a bit less desirable to stay in the States.
The plan is to study malaria. My host organization, like most of Malawi, would not have the money to fund someone to come in and learn the trade.
What are some - perhaps less orthodox? - methods of raising money to study abroad? (Important details: I'm a grad student. This internship is not a tuition-paid course of study so student aid might not cover it? I don't know.)
I have a project planned. I have the location, the contact staff, the host organization. I do not have the money.
Also, it should be mentioned that conducting an internship is required for my school, but it does not necessarily have to be abroad. Due to the fact that I want to study infectious tropical disease, it makes it a bit less desirable to stay in the States.
The plan is to study malaria. My host organization, like most of Malawi, would not have the money to fund someone to come in and learn the trade.
What are some - perhaps less orthodox? - methods of raising money to study abroad? (Important details: I'm a grad student. This internship is not a tuition-paid course of study so student aid might not cover it? I don't know.)
You need to be more entrepreneurial, because money there is never enough money for those going through established paths. Don't think of this as your study, think of it as your short-term business plan. Outline it, pitch it, network, sell the idea.
Most of the hard work was already done to make applications for the fellowships, but you will need to tailor it to each type of group you talk to. Expect piecemeal funding. Present a total budget, but ask for reasonable support or support-in-kind.
People or groups you might consider pitching your project to include your academic advisor, your university's public service/volunteer deans or student groups, your department, departments related to the work that you will do, departments or professors who may be able to help support you in-country through previous connections or who own technical equipment you will need, your university travel office, any religious groups you are affiliated with, any relevant student groups or honor societies you belong to or can connect to.
And, I am pretty sure from my own work that there are people at UMich who are seriously into development who may have some cash to spare for awesome student projects or be able to help hook you up with those who do.
Before you go making and possibly burning connections, you may also want to try to get feedback on WHY you did not get the fellowships you applied for. If they were just competitive, well, that sucks. If there is a flaw in your plan, you should know about it and address it before going into the field. If the fellowship coordinators can help you polish the rough edges and get a good target audience, you are on the right track.
(I used to help students with this all the time, for projects using SCIENCE! in international development, so I am not talking out of my ass here.)
posted by whatzit at 1:27 PM on April 6, 2010
Most of the hard work was already done to make applications for the fellowships, but you will need to tailor it to each type of group you talk to. Expect piecemeal funding. Present a total budget, but ask for reasonable support or support-in-kind.
People or groups you might consider pitching your project to include your academic advisor, your university's public service/volunteer deans or student groups, your department, departments related to the work that you will do, departments or professors who may be able to help support you in-country through previous connections or who own technical equipment you will need, your university travel office, any religious groups you are affiliated with, any relevant student groups or honor societies you belong to or can connect to.
And, I am pretty sure from my own work that there are people at UMich who are seriously into development who may have some cash to spare for awesome student projects or be able to help hook you up with those who do.
Before you go making and possibly burning connections, you may also want to try to get feedback on WHY you did not get the fellowships you applied for. If they were just competitive, well, that sucks. If there is a flaw in your plan, you should know about it and address it before going into the field. If the fellowship coordinators can help you polish the rough edges and get a good target audience, you are on the right track.
(I used to help students with this all the time, for projects using SCIENCE! in international development, so I am not talking out of my ass here.)
posted by whatzit at 1:27 PM on April 6, 2010
You need to go and research grant-making trusts. Hit your university's library, or a good local library. In the reference section, if you're lucky, there should be a directory of grant-making trusts. Then you can start narrowing it down by location, subject and your eligibility. Otherwise, you'll be spending a lot of time Googling.
In all likelihood, you won't get all you need from this (unless you happen across a trust that will dole out a massive grant) but you may well get a few hundred dollars here and there from multiple trusts. I realise that it's not ideal, but every little helps.
posted by djgh at 4:19 PM on April 6, 2010
In all likelihood, you won't get all you need from this (unless you happen across a trust that will dole out a massive grant) but you may well get a few hundred dollars here and there from multiple trusts. I realise that it's not ideal, but every little helps.
posted by djgh at 4:19 PM on April 6, 2010
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My friend funded the time he needed to produce his next album entirely from donations. Of course, he guilted his friends into helping, but it worked. Really well.
posted by whimsicalnymph at 12:25 PM on April 5, 2010