Imagine working side-by-side with a college professor to create a new product, develop a marketing campaign, or research a vital community issue. Sound exciting? The opportunity can be yours through the Blugold Fellowship offered by UW-Eau Claire, a university nationally known for undergraduate research and student/faculty collaboration.
What is the Blugold Fellowship?
Each year UW-Eau Claire offers twenty incoming first-year students a unique opportunity to work roughly three to five hours per week as assistants to university faculty on special projects or collaborative research. Students selected for the Blugold Fellowship receive a $1,500 scholarship and, a $1,200 work stipend for their research assistant positions. The funding is renewable in the sophomore year for a total value of $5,400. The full description can be found on the Gold for Blugolds scholarship application website.
What are the benefits?
In-depth knowledge and firsthand experience for your career or graduate school.
Strong connections to faculty and community members.
Presentations at research conferences.
Research that may lead to published findings.
Income for a fascinating experience.
Apply today at the Admissions website scholarships page and be sure to indicate specific interest in this program in your application.
Students are selected from among those who are accepted to the University by mid-November, rank in the top 25 percent of their high school graduating class, and have an ACT of 25 / SAT of 1700 or greater. All submitted materials are used to select scholarship recipients.
How do I apply?
Admitted, eligible candidates are encouraged to apply. Application steps for all UW-Eau Claire Foundation scholarships, including the Blugold Fellowship, are available on the Scholarships page.
The initial deadline for Scholarship applications to be fully considered for the Blugold Fellowship Award is December 1. The final deadline for all University Foundation Scholarships is February 1. Late applications may be considered if scholarships are still available.
Important facts for interested students
The Blugold Fellowship requires a little research for an incoming student to undertake in learning more about this unique opportunity. We have the most important facts for you here, clearly answering some of the most frequent questions for young students.
Blugold Fellows work an average of 3-5 hours a week on their research projects for a total of 60 hours per semester. The project schedule and pacing of the research is determined by the Blugold Fellow and their mentor.
You are not expected to, and you will learn! Blugold Fellows participate in a seminar at the start of their freshman year. The seminar introduces the research process, expectations and the many research opportunities.
Not at all. While the Blugold Fellowship offers a unique opportunity to 20 incoming freshmen, many UW-Eau Claire students participate in collaborative research during their college careers. In fact, UW-Eau Claire is rated among the top 2 percent nationally for participation in the annual National Conference on Undergraduate Research.
No, there is no additional academic credit. However, students are given a $1,200 research stipend for their work. Furthermore, the valuable knowledge and experience Blugold Fellows gain through their research often translate to added success in the classroom.
Yes. Students must be admitted to UW-Eau Claire, and have their scholarship application submitted by December 1 to meet the initial Blugold Fellowship application deadline. The UWEC scholarship application process will ask you if you are interested in this opportunity and ask you to give an indication of your interests.
No. The Blugold Fellowship is intended for 20 incoming freshmen who want to participate in a unique research opportunity early on in their college career. If you do not want to be considered for this award, indicate so on your scholarship application.
You will still keep your fellowship, but you will not receive the scholarship or work stipend during your study-abroad. You will be able to resume the fellowship for one semester starting your junior year. (In a few cases when the research can be done during a study abroad experience the fellowship could be continued with the approval of the research mentor and Blugold Fellowship director).
