Deadline: 15 November 2019

The American Association of University Women (AAUW) is seeking applications for its Career Development Grants to provide assistance to women who, through additional higher education, technical training, or participation in professional development institutes, are making career changes, seeking to advance in current careers, or reentering the workforce.

Primary consideration is given to women of color and women pursuing credentials in nontraditional fields. Grants provide support for coursework toward degree programs other than a doctorate or for specialized training in technical or professional fields.

Funding Information

The funding will range from $2,000–12,000.

Eligibility Criteria

• Career Development Grants are open to women who
  • are U.S. citizens or permanent residents;
  • hold an earned (not honorary) bachelor’s degree;
  • received their bachelor’s degree on or before June 30, 2015;
  • do not hold an earned (not honorary) graduate or professional degree;
  • plan to enroll or are enrolled in courses/activities that are required for professional employment or advancement; and
  • plan to enroll or are enrolled in one of the following:
    • Bachelor’s or associate degree program that is different from the field of study of the previously earned bachelor’s degree
    • Master’s degree program
    • Certification program
    • Technical school
    • Professional degree (e.g., law or medicine)
• All courses of study must occur at a regionally accredited two- or four-year college or university in the United States or at a technical school that is fully licensed and/or accredited by the U.S. Department of Education. Applicants must reside within the United States during the grant period.
• Distance or online learning programs will be funded only if they are conducted through an accredited institution appearing on the U.S. Department of Education’s list of approved online/distance learning programs. Final decisions about what constitutes distance learning under these grants will be made by AAUW.
• Applicants are required to indicate their matriculation status within the application. While applicants are not required to already be enrolled or accepted into their preferred institution of study in order to apply, preference is given to those who are able to demonstrate strong commitment or intent in following the proposed plan of study. Awardees must be able to show proof of admission when submitting their acceptance materials.
• Career Development Grant funding is not available for
  • Prerequisite coursework
  • Doctoral coursework or dissertations
• Career Development Grants are not open to previous recipients of any AAUW national fellowship or grant (not including branch or local awards or Community Action Grants). Members and officers of the AAUW Board of Directors are not eligible to apply for fellowships and grant awards. AAUW staff or volunteers with decision-making authority who wish to apply for an award must recuse themselves from the decision-making process.

Selection Criteria

The following criteria apply to the selection of Career Development Grants:

• Demonstrated commitment to education and equity for women and girls
• Reason for seeking higher education or technical training
• Degree to which study plan is consistent with career objectives
• Potential for success in chosen field
• Documentation of opportunities in chosen field
• Feasibility of study plans and proposed time schedule
• Validity of proposed budget and budget narrative, including sufficient outside support
• Quality of written proposal
• Applicant is from an underrepresented racial/ethnic background
• Applicant is from an underrepresented area of the country and/or type of university other than a top-level research institution
• Applicant is seeking credentials in a nontraditional field
• Financial Need

How to Apply

Interested applicants can apply online via the given website.

For more information, please visit https://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/career-development-grants/cdg-application/