Global Health Scholarships

The Global Health Program is able to offer several scholarships, designed to support graduate students in the School of Public Health in their internationally engaged work, whether virtual or in-person, or research as a part of various School of Public Health degree programs.  Examples include MPH applied practice experiences and MS thesis research.  Students are encouraged to review all scholarships thoroughly before applying, as each scholarship has separate eligibility criteria and requirements.

The Global Health Scholarship Application period for the 2024-2025 is now open! Please view the steps to apply below.

The deadline for applications will be Monday, March 31, 2025.

*Travel guidance for the destination may be quickly impacted by U.S. State Department and CDC travel restrictions. As such, students are highly encouraged to identify a virtual, remote, or local alternative for their field experience. Scholarship applications for virtual, remote, or local field-based placements will be considered, but strong preference will be given to students that travel abroad.

Steps to Apply for Global Health Scholarships Heading link

  1. Review available scholarships below to determine for which you may be a good fit.  The descriptions below also include post-acceptance requirements.
  2. Complete the SPH – Global Health Scholarships application, found here: Global Health Scholarship Application
    Components include:

    • A personal statement (which should be written for whichever scholarship(s) the student feels they are best suited).
    • A budget estimating total travel expenses, if applicable.  Please include any other sources of financial support that would be used to help offset the total cost of the experience.
    • A letter from the Host Organization outlining the parameters and expectations for the experience.
    • A letter from the applicant’s UIC supervisor (i.e. applied practice experience advisor) for the experience vouching for the applicant’s capacity for taking full advantage of this experience and stating her/his willingness to serve as a contact at UIC for the student throughout their experience.
    • A statement about the language spoken at the proposed destination regarding the applicant’s foreign language proficiency (speaking, reading, writing), if applicable.
    • A copy of the applicant’s unofficial UIC academic transcript (available from www.my.uic.edu).  An official transcript is not necessary.

This scholarship will assist graduate students in the School of Public Health who demonstrate financial need with travel expenses associated with conducting an international Applied Practice Experience. Funds are available to support one to two students at up to $1000 during the academic year, including the summer semester.

The Donna Farley Global Health Scholarship provides funding for graduate students who demonstrate a commitment to addressing global health issues and challenges. It is designed to help defray the travel costs associated with conducting an international Applied Practice Experience, MS thesis research or doctoral research for those who demonstrate financial need. The scholarship will be awarded through a competitive process that is open to all students formally enrolled in the MPH, MS or PhD degree programs in the School of Public Health.

The Douglas Passaro Global Horizons Scholarship assists graduate students in the School of Public Health with travel expenses associated with an international field experience (applied practice experience, thesis research, etc.,).  Four awards of up to $3000 (per award) will be given during the academic year (includes summer).

This award honors the memory of Dr. Douglas James Passaro, Associate Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Illinois at Chicago and Attending Physician in Infectious Diseases at the UIC Hospital from 2001 to 2005. The award reflects his devotion to international health, from his work in Africa during his service in the Peace Corps to his continued work in Latin America while at UIC. The fund is intended to provide support to graduate students for health-related, hands-on applied practice experiences to carry on Dr. Passaro’s work promoting global health, a passion that was interrupted by his untimely death at age 43.

Funds are available to support MPH or MS students with academic merit in pursuing overseas travel for the applied practice experience, integrative learning experience, or thesis research. Preference is for student projects related to India or Zambia and for students in the Certificate for Global Public Health.

The Global Health Scholarship defrays expenses associated with the MPH/MS Applied Practice Experience or field research in global public health.  These scholarships are competitive, and open to all domestic and international students in the School of Public Health enrolled in the MPH or MS Global Health Program. Up to three awards of up to $1500 (per award) will be made in the fall and spring terms. Only available to MPH or MS students formally enrolled in the Certificate for Global Public Health.

The Paul Brandt-Rauf Scholarship in Global Health is named in honor of the 5th dean of the UIC School of Public Health. Dr. Brandt-Rauf’s life passion is to prevent disease and promote health through addressing the root causes of illness, as well as to ensure students are leaving institutions with the proper knowledge to continue this important work. He once said that his goal is to leave the world a better place than he found it. This was evident in the way he worked to make scholarships available to students who wanted to pursue a degree in public health.

This global health scholarship will assist graduate students in the School of Public Health who demonstrate financial need with expenses associated with pursuing a global public health field experience. Funds are available to support one to two students at up to $1,000 during the academic year, including the summer semester. The scholarship will be awarded through a competitive process that is open to all students formally enrolled in the MPH, MS, PhD, or DrPH degree program in the School of Public Health.

External funding opportunities

Scholarship Contact Heading link

Note: You must be in good financial standing to receive these scholarships.  Receiving any scholarship may affect your financial aid package. We encourage you to contact Student Financial Aid Services to determine your financial standing.

Note: International students applying for projects in their home country must consult with the Global Health Program before applying.