Fellowships
Fellowship
Fellowship packages are available for both GW and non-GW students. The Koobi Fora Field School Fellowship Program covers airfare to Kenya as well as student expenses during the program. The fellowship also supports students’ participation in the required follow-up program in the United States.
We have developed a curriculum focused on student training that provides an opportunity for students to learn about the process of research by being a part of active research in the Koobi Fora region. This means our students are actively engaged in primary data collection. All students must be a part of an active research project and make meaningful contributions to our understanding of the geology, human biology, ecology, anthropology, or archaeology of this region.
Students who want to be considered for the fellowship program must be U.S. citizens. Students must have all of their applications materials completed by the time of the selection dates (see home page for selection dates for each year). In order for a student's application to be considered they must have all applications materials completed (letter of recommendation, statement, transcript, and application materials- as outlined in the Passport application system) completed by the time of the selection dates.
Fellowship Deadlines, 2025 season
- Deadline for first round of fellowships: January 9th, 2025
- Decisions on first round of fellowships: January 30th, 2025
- Deadline for second round of fellowship applications: March 15th, 2025
- Decisions on second round of fellowship applications: April 1, 2025
- Final deadline for all accepted students to commit to the program: April 10, 2025
Fellowship Application Requirements
Students must complete all requirements outlined in the Passport application system, including letter of recommendation, statement and transcript.
Applicants must be U.S. citizens who can commit to the entire Koobi Fora Field School program — online course, fieldwork and follow-up workshop. GW students interested in fellowship opportunities should contact David R. Braun as soon as possible to discuss options.
National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates
In 2019 the Koobi Fora Research and Training Program received support from the National Science Foundation to support undergraduate research with support from the Research Experience for Undergraduate Program. This award allows 8 students per year to attend our training program. We plan to include students from non-R1 institutions and a diversity of backgrounds. We look forward to training students in a wide array of fields including archaeology, geology, biological anthropology, human biology, ethnography and interdisciplinary approaches. The program will support students beginning in 2020.
In 2015 the Koobi Fora Research and Training Program began running a fellowship program sponsored by the National Science Foundation. The intention of this program was to provide training and support for students interested in developing skills that they will be able to use in a career in STEM sciences. The fellowship program is focused on supporting students with excellent academic backgrounds so that they can use their experience on the Koobi Fora Field School to further explore aspects of our lineage's past. This program ended in 2018 however we are still working with various agencies to provide support for high achieving students.