Currently there are three scholarships Rolex: North America, Europe and Australasia. Each Rolex Scholarship provides a practical introduction to water-related efforts under water and one for a young person
considering a career in a field under water-related. A specialist is selected from each of the three regions and each student spends about a year working closely with the current leaders in underwater fields. Each student travels mainly in their region, but may have opportunities throughout the world under water. The range of experiences may include active participation in field studies, underwater research, scientific expeditions, laboratory, testing equipment and design, photographic instruction and other specialized tasks.
Scholars pursue activities in their chosen disciplines during the period of one year between annual spring meetings of Our World Underwater Scholarship Society. The experience can last from days to over a month. At the end of each experience, the student moves to another, so that the year of the grant is on long trips. The scholar is literally on the way from spring to spring with very little time in a place of residence. Scholars spend most of the year with his friends in the society, hosts, and coordinators from around the world. Your experiences may vary from year to year depending on student interests and the availability of the expeditions and opportunities of hosts. "These experiences are the true heart of the scholarship. The opportunity to participate in daily activities of a host exposes the student to the realities of special activities of the host.
Each of the three Rolex Scholarships has a coordinator who organizes itineraries for the scholar – emphasizing the breadth of experience, but to adapt the itinerary to the student’s background and interests. These itineraries include time with specialists in areas such as biology, hyperbarics, anthropology and archeology. Scholar hosts include scientists, engineers, filmmakers and marine mammal researchers. Visits to the operations center, dive underwater photography classes, and work with conservation organizations are also typical experiences.
These experiences provide the scholars with a broad overview of careers in the underwater world. Scholars may spend varying lengths of time investigating:
* Science
* Publishing
* Medicine
* Manufacturing
* Photography
* Education
* Management
* Expeditions
* Government
* Tourism
* Commercial and Research Diving
* Ecological Activism
The global underwater community sees the selected North American, European, and Australasian scholars as individuals with the potential to make significant contributions to the underwater world even though they may not have yet chosen a specific career path. During the course of the year, exposure to a wide array of types of work and the chance to actually jump in and experience specific jobs provides scholars with invaluable career-deciding opportunities.
The scholarship emphasizes hands-on experience in activities that will contribute to a well-rounded education and a broad network of contacts.
Eligibility
Scholarship Eligibility Requirements
* Minimum age of 21 and maximum age of 26 at the time of the application deadline (December 31)
* Valid citizenship for the relevant Rolex Scholarship (North America, Europe, and Australasia)
* Applicant has not yet earned a graduate degree by April 1st of the scholarship year and has not yet chosen a clearly defined career path
* High academic standing
* Fluency in English
* Certification as a Rescue Diver or equivalent with a minimum of 25 dives logged in the past two years.
* Evidence of adequate health insurance for duration of scholarship year
* Submission of a completed diving medical examination form, which is found in the application
Finances
The Our World-Underwater convention established the first scholarship in 1974 and until its sale in 1998 was the primary funding source to the Society. Today, the Society offers two Rolex Scholarships as well as a variety of internships and other educational opportunities.
The Rolex Scholarships are entirely funded by donations from Rolex Watch USA and Rolex-Geneva. The Society and its other educational programs are additionally funded by generous corporate sponsors and individuals including E.P.I.C, Mercury Marine, and many others.
The original amount of the scholarship was $5,000, and it has been raised in increments over the years. This amount is reviewed at the Board of Directors’s annual meeting. The maximum cash amount for the North American Rolex Scholarship is $20,000, for the European Rolex Scholarship the amount is £15,000 and for the Australasian Scholarship Aus$30,000
Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society funds are used for transportation and living expenses. The North American and European Rolex Scholars must submit a complete accounting for all expenditures. Logs, journals, financial reports, and other communications are mandatory and must be submitted monthly to the Scholarship Society for review by the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee.
Completed Scholarship applications must be RECEIVED no later than:
December 31, 2010 North American Application
(to be considered for the 2011 scholarship)
December 31, 2010 European Application
(to be considered for the 2011 scholarship)
January 31, 2011 Australasian Application
(to be considered for the 2011 scholarship)
A personal interview will be required of all scholarship finalists.
The application pages should be printed, filled out, and mailed in along with any additional items (such as an offical transcript from your college, recommendations, and other items) as listed in the Application Checklist page of the application.
If you are having trouble viewing or printing this file:
e-mail or write to us at the address below and we will mail you an application.
For North American Information:
info@owuscholarship.org
Mailing Address:
Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society
PO Box 4428, Chicago, IL 60680
phone: (630) 969-6690
fax: (630) 969-6690
*Overnight services (Fed-Ex, UPS) can be mailed to:
Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society
Att: Roberta Flanders
2446 A. Brunswick Circle, Woodridge, IL 60517
*make sure to mark the package "No Signature Required, Leave at Door".
For European Information:
VicePresident-EU@owuscholarship.org
Mailing Address:
Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society,
European Office
P.O. Box 19 Lurgan Craigavon BT66 7US N. Ireland
Phone/Fax (028) 3882 0462
For Australasian Information:
Australasia@owuscholarship.org
Mailing Address:
Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society,
PO Box 8
145, Sydney Rd
Fairlight
Sydney 2094
NSW, Australia
Phone/Fax (02) 99492953
More Details: http://www.owuscholarship.org/scholarships/index.aspx
For Further Reading,
