The Watson Fellowship
"THE THOMAS J. WATSON FOUNDATION inaugurated the Thomas J. Watson
Fellowship in 1968 to give college graduates of unusual promise the
freedom to engage in a year of independent study and travel abroad
following their graduation.
The program provides Fellows an opportunity for a focused and disciplined
year of their own devising--a period in which they can have some surcease
from the lockstep of prescribed educational and career patterns in order
to explore with thoroughness a particular interest. During their year
abroad, Fellows have an unusual, sustained, and demanding opportunity to
take stock of themselves, to test their aspirations and abilities, to view
their lives and American society in greater perspective, and,
concomitantly, to develop a more informed sense of international concern.
In selecting Watson Fellows, we are most concerned with holistically
identifying individuals who demonstrate integrity, imagination, strong
ethical character, intelligence, the capacity for vision and leadership,
the promise of creative achievement, and excellence within a chosen field,
and the potential for humane and effective participation in the world
community. A candidate's academic record, while not of primary importance,
is also considered, together with those extracurricular activities which
reflect both initiative and serious dedication.
The proposed project should reflect a candidate's genuine interest in, and
long-standing commitment to, a specific pursuit, whether or not this
interest is evident in a formal course of study. The project must be one
that can be conducted with great independence and adaptability, and it
cannot involve formal study at a foreign institution. It must involve
travel to areas where the student has not previously lived or studied for
a significant length of time. Fellows are not allowed to return home at
any time during their Fellowship year except in rare circumstances and
with the prior approval of the program. In short, the project should be
personally significant, imaginative, and feasible.
Administered in cooperation with fifty outstanding private colleges and
universities throughout the United States, the Watson Fellowship provides
a grant of $22,000 to each recipient. (Fellows whose spouse or dependent
child will accompany them may be eligible for a grant of $31,000.) In
addition, the Fellowship Program will supply, as a supplement to the
stipend, an amount equal to twelve-months payment of outstanding federally
guaranteed student loans (based on 120 months of repayment). The purpose
of the loan program is to ease the financial burden of Watson Fellows
during their Fellowship year, and to provide encouragement for all
students, regardless of student loan debt, to apply for Watson
Fellowships.
All Fellows are required to maintain contact with the Fellowship Program
during their year abroad. In addition to quarterly progress reports, they
must submit a final evaluation of their year together with an accounting
of the expenditure of Fellowship funds. The Fellowship is taxable and must
be reported by recipients as income. Taxes are not withheld by the
Fellowship Program. The Thomas J. Watson Fellowship Program welcomes
applicants from a diverse range of backgrounds and academic disciplines.
All graduating seniors at participating institutions are eligible for
nomination by their institution.
Individual colleges and universities participating in the Watson
Fellowship Program establish their own procedures and deadlines for the
application process. A representative of the program will visit each
campus to interview nominees during the fall and winter months. Up to
sixty Watson Fellows will be selected from among the approximately 190
candidates nominated by the participating institutions."
- Quoted from the Watson Fellowship homepage.
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