The Department of Biology is pleased to announce the availability of the following awards and scholarships. The deadline for each scholarship is April 1, if applicable (see details of each individual scholarship). All application materials should be emailed directly to biology@uiowa.edu.

Scholarship opportunities for continuing undergraduates

Avis Cone Undergraduate Research Scholarship ($1,000)

The applicant must be a Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or Neuroscience major undertaking laboratory research in the Department of Biology. The criteria for this award is for a student working in a laboratory focused on the study of plants, animals, and/or conservation, when possible.

Application process

Students must submit:

  1. A project proposal (three single-spaced pages maximum):
    • Introduction
    • Overall research goals
    • Specific experiments to be undertaken during the scholarship period
    • A brief discussion as to how the applicant's project fits into the overall research agenda of the laboratory
  2. A brief paragraph indicating the applicant's academic interests and future plans
  3. A letter of recommendation emailed directly to biology@uiowa.edu

Evelyn Hart Watson Undergraduate Research Scholarship ($1,000)

The applicant must be a Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or Neuroscience major undertaking laboratory research in the Department of Biology and have a grade-point average (GPA) of at least 3.0. A student may apply for either an upcoming academic year or summer scholarship.

Expectations of the workload for an academic year scholarship would be three to five hours per week while a summer scholarship workload would be six to eight hours per week. Please note that students funded by an additional scholarship or fellowship source (e.g. Office of Undergraduate Research) should NOT apply both scholarships/fellowships towards the same number of workload hours. In other words, students on an Office of Undergraduate (OUR) scholarship/fellowship funding source will be expected to work above and beyond OUR workload expectations should they also receive an Evelyn Hart Watson Scholarship.

Application process

Students must submit:

  1. A project proposal (three single-spaced pages maximum):
    • Introduction
    • Overall research goals
    • Specific experiments to be undertaken during the scholarship period
    • A brief discussion as to how the applicant’s project fits into the overall research agenda of the laboratory
  2. A brief paragraph indicating the applicant’s academic interests and future plans
  3. A letter of recommendation emailed directly to biology@uiowa.edu

Clifford W. Hesseltine Award for Academic Excellence ($1,000)

The applicant must be a Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or Neuroscience student of junior or senior standing and have a strong academic record (GPA of at least 3.5) and track record of excellence outside the classroom.

Students must submit:

  1. A brief paragraph indicating their academic interests and future plans
  2. A brief description (maximum of two single-spaced pages) of the student's evidence of excellence outside the classroom (ex: undergraduate research, service, outreach and engagement, volunteer work)
  3. A letter of recommendation emailed directly to biology@uiowa.edu

Arthur J. and Flora D. Levin Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching Award ($500)

This award recognizes a Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or Neuroscience undergraduate major for excellence in teaching. Faculty, course supervisors, teaching staff, and/or graduate teaching assistants may email nominations directly to biology@uiowa.edu. The student must be enrolled in the Teaching Internship in Biology (BIOL: 4897) during the current academic year in order to be considered for this award. The nomination should include a few examples that illustrate why the student should be considered a deserving recipient for this award.

Arthur J. and Flora D. Levin Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Research ($500)

This award recognizes a Biology, Biomedical Sciences, or Neuroscience major undertaking laboratory research in the Department of Biology and who possesses the potential to make an outstanding contribution in research. The applicant should be nominated by a Department of Biology faculty member. Nominations should be emailed directly to biology@uiowa.edu. The nomination should include a few examples that illustrate why the student should be considered for this award. A formal letter on letterhead is not necessary.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences scholarships

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences also awards scholarships to students continuing coursework in a major within the college. Some scholarships are open to all liberal arts and sciences students and others are for select liberal arts and sciences majors.