Scholarships for Current Students

Scholarships of up to $1,500/year are available to current students who are majoring in one of the majors in the biology, chemistry, physics, or mathematics departments and who wish to complete the CiSM certificate. These scholarships will be awarded on the basis of financial need and academic potential. The exact amount of the award depends on the student's financial need, as determined by the FAFSA. Scholarships will be awarded in addition to other need-based or merit awards. In many cases, receiving a CiSM award will reduce the loan and work-study part of a student's financial aid package. Scholarships will be renewed for up to two years for recipients who continue to demonstrate financial need, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0, and enroll in full-time course work toward completing a science or math major and earning the CiSM certificate.

Scholarship eligibility

To be eligible for the CiSM scholarship, you must:

  • be a US citizen or permanent resident
  • File a FAFSA and demonstrate financial need, as defined by the US Department of Education rules for need-based federal financial aid
  • Have a UE GPA of at least 3.0

CiSM scholarship application

To apply for the CiSM scholarship, submit the following essay (about 250 words) and an unofficial UE transcript as a single pdf file to cism@evansville.edu. The application deadline is August 1, 2023. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for an interview with CiSM faculty.

The CiSM certificate program is designed to help students develop the coding (computer programming) and data analysis skills that are invaluable for addressing many scientific (and non-scientific) problems. Pick an issue that you are interested in that could be addressed by coding and data analysis. Why does this issue interest you, and how do you think coding and data analysis could be used to address this issue?

You may pick your issue from the following list, or come up with your own issue. This list is intentionally broad and vague; you should narrow down your topic to discuss a specific question related to the issue and specific data that will address the question.

  • Climate change and its effects. Examples:
    • What is the evidence for climate change?
    • Are changes in average temperatures/lengths of seasons/rainfall affecting species diversity?
  • Health outcomes for different care strategies. Examples:
    • Is a particular drug effective in a particular population?
    • Does a particular behavior (by a healthcare provider or a patient) affect health outcomes?
  • COVID-19. Examples:
    • Do particular COVID public policies or personal behaviors affect disease transmission rates?
    • What factors contribute to disease severity?