Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship Application

About the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship(Required)

Purpose

The Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship was established in 1998, as the first student-run university recognized fellowship at UNC. Its purpose is to annually award qualified UNC students with a summer scholarship of up to $3,500 to develop and implement civic engagement projects ranging from six to eight weeks in the summer months that employ innovative, sustainable approaches to complex social needs in one of the eight countries of the South Asian subcontinent (India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bhutan, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh). The fellowship program is managed by a student-led South Asian awareness organization (Sangam) with the technical support of the Carolina Asia Center.

Mission

To pioneer sustainable approaches to complex social needs in South Asia.

To inspire future UNC student awareness of South Asia and its social concerns.

To promote the value of education through experience.

Eligibility

This fellowship is open to any full-time, returning undergraduate or graduate student from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Selection Criteria

To be chosen as a Mahatma Gandhi Fellow, your application must reflect your creativity, inherent interest in South Asian issues, and strong academic record (with a GPA of 3.0 or higher). Applicants will be judged based on the organization, comprehensibility, and feasibility of their proposals along with their ability to display the following:

Leadership potential in conjunction with social activism

An enthusiasm for self-directed learning

A sense of commitment to creating sustainable change

Students will be judged through their applications, letters of support and a personal interview.

Selection Process

A fellowship selection committee impaneled by the Carolina Asia Center will make the final decision as to which students are to be named the Mahatma Gandhi Fellows. The Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship Co-chairs will be responsible for approving the final budget and awarding the funds after successful completion of the project, while the Associate Director of the Carolina Asia Center will ensure compliance with the regulations for using UNC funds. The scholarship amount is to be used for appropriate expenses such as travel, food, and living expenses as well as funds needed for the project.

Applicants will be notified of their status by email. Selected applicants will be invited to interview with the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship Selection Committee. Interviewed applicants will be notified of the final decision two weeks following interviews.

Obligations of Fellows

At the end of the project, fellows must complete the following:

Submit to the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship co-chairs a written report of their experiences along with photographic documentation of their project and a FERPA release to use the images.

Present their project at two campus events during the course of the following school year.

Write an article about their experiences in UNC Monsoon, the newsletter issued by Sangam, the South Asian Awareness organization that supports the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship.

Inform the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship co-chairs of any change of address so as to facilitate communication between both parties at any given time in the future.

I certify that I have read and accept the aforementioned conditions set by the Mahatma Gandhi Fellowship and agree to abide by them if selected as a fellow.

Contact Information

Name(Required)

First Last

Address at UNC(Required)

Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

Permanent Address

If different than your local address while at UNC

Street Address Address Line 2 City State / Province / Region ZIP / Postal Code Country

Phone

Anticipated Graduation Year(Required)

Major(s) or Program(Required)

Degree Pursued(Required)

Undergraduate

Graduate

Specific Graduate Degree

PID(Required)

Email(Required)

Personal Statement and Project Proposal

Please address all of the following questions in your statement and attach document to application. Describe your project in detail. What do you hope to accomplish? What is the potential significance of the project to the community served? Is there any preliminary work accomplished and/or relevant experience of the applicant? Explain the significance behind your chosen South Asian location and community partner to your project. What do you personally hope to gain from this experience?

Maximum 10,000 characters or spaces(Required)

Short Answers

Your answers will be evaluated on content, not length. Each question can take a maximum of 2000 characters or spaces.

What are the proposed dates of your project? Provide a brief itinerary of your project.(Required)

If you are not proficient in the native language(s) of the area you plan to visit, how will you overcome communication barriers?(Required)

What contact(s) do you have at your proposed project site? What role will they play in your project's execution?(Required)

Community Partner (Organization Name)

Contact Person at Community Partner

Contact Information (email and/or phone number) for Contact Person

What are some of the challenges that you may face in completing this project, and how will you try to overcome them?(Required)

How will you continue to be involved in this project or the issues it addresses upon returning to UNC?(Required)

How will your project create sustainable change in the community served?(Required)

Uploads

Please provide these documents in either Microsoft Word or PDF format.

Budget(Required)

Please upload a document stating the amount requested for this project (up to $3500) and how you will spend the amount requested for the completion of your project. Your budget should include an itemized list of costs required to complete your project’s objectives including but not limited to travel, food, lodging and materials. If the overall cost exceeds the MGF award, you may (but are not obliged to) identify other sources of support.

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 98 MB.

CV / Résumé(Required)

Please upload your current CV/résumé listing work experience, campus and community activities, and any honors/awards received in college.

Accepted file types: pdf, doc, docx, Max. file size: 98 MB.

Transcript(Required)

Please upload a copy (official or unofficial) of your transcript at UNC. Previous college or university transcripts are not required, but may be uploaded if you think they help your application. Please do not upload high school transcripts.

Drop files here or

Accepted file types: pdf, jpg, jpeg, doc, docx, Max. file size: 98 MB.

Additional Steps and Submission

Please have TWO letters of recommendation from individuals who are familiar with your project and in a position to 1) attest for your qualifications and interest in being a Mahatma Gandhi Fellow, and 2) assess the potential significance and feasibility of your project. One letter must be from a UNC Faculty member. Recommenders should email their letters to uncmgf@gmail.com by the deadline.

If you have additional questions or concerns regarding this application, you can email the Carolina Asia Center at cac@unc.edu .