The Whitaker International Program, administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE), recently launched the Whitaker International Undergraduate Program for students enrolled in an undergraduate biomedical engineering or bioengineering degree program.  The application is now open for the first round of grants which will be for Fall/Academic Year 2012-13. There will be two competitions each year, one for the Fall/Academic Year term, and one for the Spring term. Award amounts range from $7,500 for a semester program to $10,000 for an academic year program.

With support from the former Whitaker Foundation, IIE will provide undergraduate biomedical engineers and bioengineers funding for a semester or one academic year to pursue coursework, research, or an internship, in an international setting that is approved by their home university, which is relevant to biomedical engineering (BME).  Previously the Whitaker Fellows and Whitaker Scholars Programs supported only graduate and post-doctoral work in biomedical engineering.

By providing BME students the opportunity to go abroad, the Whitaker International Undergraduate Program will achieve the following objectives:

•Broadening the Whitaker International Program to include opportunities for undergraduates in BME

•Increasing the number of undergraduates in BME who go abroad

•Provision, early in their education, of the opportunity to see BME with an international perspective

To be eligible for the award, an applicant must:

•have U.S. citizenship or be permanent residents of the U.S., and

•be enrolled as a Sophomore (2nd year), Junior (3rd year), or Senior (4th or 5th year), with at least one semester remaining, in an undergraduate BME degree program with good academic standing

Priority will be given to students going to non-traditional destinations.

Students who already have the cost of the program fully covered may not apply for the scholarship and receive duplicative funding.  However, if the program is only partially funded by another source, the applicant may apply.

A student may apply to attend any overseas academic institution that is endorsed by the student’s study abroad advisor. The advisor must certify that the program is approved and the student will receive academic credit at the home institution. The advisor must also certify the student’s financial aid need.

The Fall/Academic Year competition deadline is March 15th, 2012.  For more details and application guidelines, please visit the Whitaker International Program website, www.whitaker.org.