Apply to the Interdisciplinary Student Fellowships

2023-24 Interdisciplinary Student Fellowships

Application Deadline: Friday, March 17, 2023.

Click here to learn more and apply to the Interdisciplinary Student Fellowships.

Interdisciplinary Student Fellowship Tracks

Art+Science
Art+Engineering
Film+Science
Humanities+Science

Click here to see the current 2022-23 Art-Sci fellows.

Applications for 2023-24 Interdisciplinary Student Fellowships are due March 17, 2023. Fellows will be announced near the beginning of the spring term.

“To develop a complete mind: Study the science of art; study the art of science. Learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else.”
Leonardo da Vinci

About the Interdisciplinary Student Fellowships

This one-year fellowship offers undergraduate and graduate students at Oregon State University the opportunity to explore the intersection of two disciplines or ways of looking at the world. Fellows will develop a creative, journalistic, or scholarly project informed by active engagement with research at OSU at the intersection of one of four fellowship tracks: Art+Science, Art+Engineering, Humanities+Science, or Film+Science.

Each fellow will be awarded $1,000, ongoing networking opportunities and mentorship, and will be eligible to apply for a residency at the Cabin at Shotpouch Creek to work on their project. Please explore the four fellowship tracks below to decide which opportunity is the best fit for your interests and experience.

General Eligibility Criteria

Both graduate students and upper-division undergraduate students with a minimum GPA of 3.0 are welcome to apply.
This is a year-long program, and students must be enrolled at OSU throughout the fellowship (spring 2023 through spring 2024). We recognize that some students may not be available during the summer term—this will not affect eligibility.
Please read the descriptions of the four fellowship tracks below for additional eligibility requirements.

Expectations

Before you apply for a fellowship, please make sure you’d be able to meet these requirements for the year:

Attend a fellowship orientation on the afternoon of Friday, April 28, 2023.
Attend monthly meetings in April, May, and June 2023 and September 2023 through June 2024. Meetings will be held in person on the first Thursday of each month from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Each student will co-facilitate a monthly meeting during their fellowship.
Be actively engaged with science or engineering research on campus. For example, if you are awarded an Arts-Science Student Fellowship, you might attend lab meetings, participate in field or lab work, visit relevant sites, and take part in discussions.
Collaborate with other fellows to
- develop and participate in a public event/exhibition in spring 2024.
- create an online book featuring fellowship outcomes.
- create a “tips sheet” for future fellows.
Meet regularly with two mentors in your fields of interest. At least one of your mentors must be from OSU. Please read the fellowship descriptions below for additional information about mentors.

How to Apply

Interdisciplinary Student Fellowships Applications are due by 11:59 pm on Friday, March 17, 2023. Applications will only be accepted online here, through a platform called Submittable. If you have not used Submittable before, you will be prompted to register for a free account.

Steps:

Answer application questions in the Submittable form. Click here to download a pdf of the questions as a reference guide.
In the spaces provided, upload into the form a nomination letter from a faculty member who can speak to your qualifications for this fellowship and ability to work independently and collaboratively. Nomination letters may also be emailed directly by the faculty member to Joy Jensen (joy.jensen@oregonstate.edu).
Upload or link to any additional materials requested in questions specific to your chosen fellowship track (Part 2 in the application).
Submit your application form and additional materials.

Explore the Interdisciplinary Student Fellowship Tracks

Art+Science Student Fellowship

The Art+Science Student Fellowship offers students the opportunity to explore how working at the intersection of science and art can create novel ways of understanding the world. Through creative and scientific inquiry, students will develop a project that deepens their understanding of a research topic or question. Final projects will be presented at an event/exhibition in spring 2024.

Who should apply? These fellowships are open to undergraduate and graduate students from all colleges, departments, and programs. This program is ideal for science students who are interested in the arts and for arts students who are interested in science. We broadly define the arts to include visual arts, creative writing, performing arts, and mixed media. In the sciences, our focus is on physical and biological sciences including, but not limited to, biology/microbiology, botany, earth science, forestry, chemistry/biochemistry, oceanography, and physics. Please make sure you meet the general eligibility criteria before applying.

About mentors: Each student will have one mentor in science and one in the arts. Applicants should identify both a science mentor and an arts mentor in their application. Engaging with mentors prior to applying will help demonstrate the feasibility of your project and strengthen your application, but it is not a requirement.

Science mentor: This may be either an OSU researcher or someone from a research agency (e.g. USDA, USFS).
Art mentors: Your art mentor can be from OSU or the community.

Co-sponsors: This fellowship is co-sponsored by the College of Science; the College of Agricultural Sciences; the College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences; the College of Forestry; the College of Liberal Arts; the Cyniped Fund; The Roundhouse Foundation; Art About Agriculture; and the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts.

Art+Engineering Student Fellowship

The Art+Engineering Student Fellowship connects student engineers with artists and writers to create projects at the intersection of art and engineering. Final projects will be presented at an event in spring 2024.

Who should apply? These fellowships are only open to undergraduate and graduate students from the College of Engineering. Students should be interested in developing a project at the intersection of engineering and the arts, broadly understood to include visual arts, performing arts, music, creative writing, and digital or multimedia art. Please make sure you meet the general eligibility criteria before applying.

About mentors: Each student will have one mentor in engineering at OSU and one in the arts. Applicants should identify both an engineering mentor and an arts mentor in their application. Engaging with mentors prior to applying will help demonstrate the feasibility of your project and strengthen your application, but it is not a requirement.

Engineering mentors: This mentor must be affiliated with OSU’s College of Engineering.
Art mentors: Your art mentor can be from OSU or the community.

Co-sponsors: This fellowship is co-sponsored by the College of Engineering and the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts.

Film+Science Student Fellowship

The Film+Science Student Fellowship connects student storytellers with researchers, labs, and programs across campus to create short documentaries about important research, science, and natural resource topics. Fellows have access to filmmaking equipment and mentoring as they craft science into stories. The final films will be screened at an event in spring 2024.

Who should apply? These fellowships are open to undergraduate and graduate students from all colleges, departments, and programs. The Film+Science Fellowship is ideal for students in the sciences interested in developing communication skills or writers and filmmakers seeking science-related topics and hands-on projects with video storytelling, or anyone with a knack for narrative and a strong interest in documentary film. Prior documentary filmmaking experience is helpful but not required. We will choose both experienced and first-time filmmakers to form a diverse cohort. Please make sure you meet the general eligibility criteria before applying.

About mentors: Applicants should identify a science mentor in their application. Engaging with mentors prior to applying will help demonstrate the feasibility of your project and make a strong application, but it is not a requirement.

Science mentors: This may be either an OSU researcher or someone from a research agency (e.g. USDA, USFS).
Media mentors: You do not need to identify a media mentor in your application. Oregon State Productions will work with each student awarded a Film+Science Fellowship to identify a mentor on the Oregon State Productions team.

Co-sponsors: This fellowship is co-sponsored by Oregon State Productions and the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts.

Humanities+Science Student Fellowship

The Humanities+Science Student Fellowship connects humanities students with science researchers, labs, and programs across campus to create humanities-based projects engaging with ideas that matter. Students will present their final project at an event in spring 2024.

Who should apply? These fellowships are open to undergraduate and graduate students from all colleges, but students must have a focus area in the humanities (e.g., communication, literature, journalism, history, philosophy, language, ethnic studies, etc.) and/or aspects of the social sciences that employ humanistic methods. This program is ideal for students who want to explore enduring human questions and timely critical issues about science and the health of our planet. Applicants should be interested in making their research accessible to a wider audience. Please make sure you meet the general eligibility criteria before applying.

About mentors: Each student will have a mentor in the humanities at OSU and a mentor in the sciences from OSU or an outside agency. Applicants should identify both a humanities mentor and a science mentor in their application. Engaging with mentors prior to applying will help demonstrate the feasibility of your project and strengthen your application, but it is not a requirement.

Humanities mentors: This mentor must be affiliated with a humanities discipline at OSU.
Science mentors: This may be either an OSU researcher or someone from a research agency (e.g. USDA, USFS).

Co-sponsors: This fellowship is co-sponsored by the OSU Center for the Humanities and the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts.

Sponsorship

In addition to the sponsors listed above for fellowship categories, program support is provided by the Spring Creek Project, Art-Sci, and the Pernot Distinguished Professorship.

About the Interdisciplinary Student Fellowships Program

This program was initiated by the Arts-Sci Faculty Group at OSU to provide students with the opportunity to explore the intersections of two ways of looking at the world. Fellowships are coordinated by the Patricia Valian Reser Center for the Creative Arts and the OSU Arts-Sci Faculty Group, and they are sponsored by a number of colleges, units, and programs on campus as well as external support foundations.