General Funds
The Dean's Initiative Fund supports activities at the School of Public Policy that support innovative faculty- and student-led research, address important issues, and broaden the School's work in advancing public policy.
At SPP, we pride ourselves on providing our students the opportunity to engage in experiential learning to complement the work they are doing in the classroom. Through the Scholarship/Internship Fund, SPP students at all levels- undergraduate, graduate, and PhD- can receive the financial support they need to take part in internships, research, and other opportunities outside the classroom to further their policy education. By doing such, they can focus on developing the skills they need to become the policymakers of tomorrow without stressing over financial constraints.
Nobel Laureate Tom Schelling had a profound impact on the world and the field of public policy, and leaves a legacy that is truly unique. In honor of Tom’s grand contributions as a teacher, a leader and a dear colleague, the School has established the Thomas C. Schelling Fund to continue his legacy. The fund will support students, research and a lectureship, celebrating and growing Tom’s legacy.
Help support the next generation of undergraduate leaders dedicated to cultural pluralism, advocacy, and social change. Your gift supports resources for Rawlings Fellows and prepares them for leadership roles. Established at UMD in 2006, the Rawlings Program is part of undergraduate studies in the School. Students apply in the spring for a yearlong fellowship cohort that enters the following fall. Those who are chosen as fellows engage in a holistic experience comprising two consecutive semesters of specialized activities, educational programming, and skill development to learn about ethical leadership and advocating for important issues. Fellows take nine credits of coursework focusing on leadership, policy, advocacy, and social change.
The university’s success in advancing breakthrough research, creating the next life saving invention and developing the next generation of leaders depends on recruiting, retaining and advancing great faculty. They make a profound impact through teaching, research, scholarship and service. Your support can provide world-class research and teaching facilities; endowed professorships that offer a financial incentive to relocate or remain at Maryland; and create programs that help faculty soar to the forefront of their fields.
Fellowship and Internship Support
At SPP, we pride ourselves on providing our students the opportunity to engage in experiential learning to complement the work they are doing in the classroom. Through the Scholarship/Internship Fund, SPP students at all levels -- undergraduate, graduate and PhD -- can receive the financial support they need to take part in internships, research and other opportunities outside the classroom to further their policy education. By doing such, they can focus on developing the skills they need to become the policymakers of tomorrow without stressing over financial constraints.
Maryland recruits top graduate students from across the nation and the globe. The university’s success—and theirs—depends on providing these students with significant financial support. Fellowships help future scholars, scientists and artists to pursue bold, cutting-edge research. They shorten degree completion time by supporting students as they prepare for qualifying exams or write dissertations. Fellowship awards fund participation in international research projects, presentations at top academic conferences, and fieldwork from world capitals to rural villages.
This fund increases student participation at professional meetings and orients them early in their careers to see themselves as active scholars and researchers by supporting up to half the travel and related expenses of public policy students who present papers (including poster sessions) at scholarly or professional conferences. These experiences strengthen the relationship between students and faculty, enhance job opportunities for students and foster a stronger sense of the school as a community of scholars and practitioners dedicated to public policy.
More and more frequently, the internship opportunities that interest our students are uncompensated. Your gift will ensure that our public policy students can still pay their bills while exploring a meaningful hands-on learning experience. They can work on real projects that allow them to apply the analytical skills they gain in class to challenges faced by nonprofit, government and volunteer organizations.
Alexander & Cleaver Law Firm established this fund to provide financial assistance to outstanding students enrolled in the School who possess strong leadership skills.
Created by the Green Fund, the Green Fellowship supports public policy students with an interest in environmental policy and mitigating climate change. Recipients utilize this award to help offset costs associated with internships, tuition, or study abroad opportunities. By focusing on their studies in and out of the classroom, they are able to make the most of the faculty and experiences SPP has to offer those interested in environmental policy.
The Catherine M. Kelleher Fellowship for International Security Studies will support an exceptional graduate student pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree at the School. The award will be open to any student studying international security policy broadly defined, but will give special consideration to students interested in cooperative approaches to reducing nuclear risks and addressing other security challenges in US-Europrean relations, an approach that Professor Kelleher championed as a scholar, government official and a policy practitioner.
Created in honor or Robert L. Mitchell `59, the Leadership Scholarship Fund supports undergraduate and graduate students in the School on a merit basis.
Help support the next generation of undergraduate leaders dedicated to cultural pluralism, advocacy, and social change. Your gift supports resources for Rawlings Fellows and prepares them for leadership roles. Established at UMD in 2006, the Rawlings Program is part of undergraduate studies in the School. Students apply in the spring for a yearlong fellowship cohort that enters the following fall. Those who are chosen as fellows engage in a holistic experience comprising two consecutive semesters of specialized activities, educational programming, and skill development to learn about ethical leadership and advocating for important issues. Fellows take nine credits of coursework focusing on leadership, policy, advocacy, and social change.
Created in honor of Professor Allen Schick, the Schick Endowed Scholarship fund supports merit-based scholarships for graduate students in the School.
Named after Ambassador Susan Schwab, a former School dean, this fund provides fellowship support for students in internships that provide exposure to international issues.
To say that John Steinbruner always made time for colleagues and students would be an understatement. Steinbruner rarely passed up an opportunity to engage in a spirited conversation about security policy, listening carefully to questions and different points of view, and challenging others to rethink the assumptions that lay beneath their analysis. Steinbruner’s commitment to students and colleagues was emblematic of his intellectual curiosity and the generosity of spirit that he displayed throughout his professional and personal life.
Funds Associated with Centers
CISSM Target of Opportunity Fund
The CISSM Target of Opportunity fund will support exploratory research, education, and outreach efforts on security policy problems for which CISSM does not currently have dedicated grant funding. Current areas of interest include the dynamics of civil violence; the security implications of climate change in countries with weak governance; and revisiting the morality of nuclear deterrence decades after the Cold War has ended. Help expand international cooperation in a world with evolving security concerns. Contribute to the CISSM Target of Opportunity fund today.
John Steinbruner Student Support Fund
To say that John Steinbruner always made time for colleagues and students would be an understatement. Dr. Steinbruner rarely passed up an opportunity to engage in a spirited conversation about security policy, listening carefully to questions and different points of view, and challenging others to rethink the assumptions that lay beneath their analysis. Dr. Steinbruner’s commitment to students and colleagues was emblematic of his intellectual curiosity and the generosity of spirit that he displayed throughout his professional and personal life.
Catherine M. Kelleher Fellowship Fund for International Security Studies
The Catherine M. Kelleher Fellowship for International Security Studies will support an exceptional graduate student pursuing a master’s or doctoral degree at the School. The award will be open to any student studying international security policy broadly defined, but will give special consideration to students interested in cooperative approaches to reducing nuclear risks and addressing other security challenges in US-Europrean relations, an approach that Professor Kelleher championed as a scholar, government official and a policy practitioner.
Center for Global Sustainability Fund
Green Fellowship in Environmental Policy
Created by the Green Fund, the Green Fellowship supports public policy students with an interest in environmental policy and mitigating climate change. Recipients utilize this award to help offset costs associated with internships, tuition, or study abroad opportunities. By focusing on their studies in and out of the classroom, they are able to make the most of the faculty and experiences SPP has to offer those interested in environmental policy.
Do Good Challenge
The University of Maryland is home to the nation's first-ever Do Good Campus, powered by the Do Good Institute. The Do Good Campus engages students from orientation to graduation in "Do Good" events, projects, courses, and academic programs that help grow their knowledge, expertise and experience in nonprofit management, philanthropy, social innovation, and civic engagement. The annual, campus-wide Do Good Challenge inspires students to pursue fearless ideas, spark innovative solutions, and create social impact for today's most pressing problems. Challenge participants have addressed issues ranging from food insecurity in Prince George's County to the provision of emergency services to orphanages in Nepal; from climate change to childhood cancer; from medication recovery and delivery to residents in Ghana to the creation of an emergency fall detection device, and so much more.
Do Good Institute Start-Up Funds
The University of Maryland has ignited a culture of philanthropy across the campus with a new model for the college experience that is unparalleled in higher education. Inspiring a generation of leaders and active citizens equipped to make a difference locally and around the globe, the university immerses students in rich educational experiences including the opportunity to set up and run philanthropic investment funds; develop entrepreneurial skills by competing for support for their big idea in the Do Good Challenge; engage in major international issues; interact with top leaders and philanthropists; and employ their skills to advance the work of nonprofit organizations for significant social impact. Maryland is creating a “do good” campus that produces students and alumni who are committed to developing solutions for improving our world.