Scholarships and Grants

As a scholarship available to the UH System, this scholarship is not on STAR; rather it is available on the UH System Common Scholarship Application. Please see below for instructions.

The J. Watumull Scholarship for the Study of India provides support for University of Hawai`i System undergraduate or graduate students with focused and well-developed proposals to study for a minimum of two months in India. The scholarship will support students in any field, including the professional schools and community college programs.

Graduate students can undertake advanced study or research at a recognized Indian institution. Alternatively, students may conduct pre-approved independent study overseen by a faculty member at UH in cooperation with a scholar in India. Applicants should review and fulfill the eligibility criteria (see below).

Criteria

• Recipients must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
• Recipients will be expected to use the scholarship to support them in a pre-approved program of courses at a reputable Indian institution or collaboration with an Indian scholar.
• Undergraduate and graduate students from any UH campus and in any degree-seeking, professional or community college program may apply.
• Students must earn credit for their program.
• Awards will be made on the basis of academic merit to students in good academic standing. It is expected that students will have a minimum GPA of 2.5. Consideration will also be given to service to the community and other activities and experiences of the applicant.
• The proposed course of study must contribute to a broader understanding and deeper appreciation of Indian culture and contemporary issues. The program does not necessarily have to be directly related to the student’s major area of study, but must be approved by the student’s academic advisor.
• Preference will generally be given to students who 1) are not in their graduating year and 2) have had no prior first-hand experience in India.
• At the time, the program in India takes place, recipients are expected to be continuing University of Hawaiʻi students.
• Funding shall be used to support recipients’ travel to and from India, and their day-to-day living expenses while in India.
• Recipients must submit a written report of their experience and research objectives that were met while in India to the Foundation Scholarship Office within one month upon their return to the United States. A public presentation is also required.

How to apply

NOTE: As of October 2023, The J. Watumull Scholarship is now managed by the UH System Common Scholarship Application. The same information as is listed below is collected through their system. Please use the information below as a guideline for what is needed to apply.

• This legacy application form is included here as a guide for preparing answers to submit through the UH System Common Scholarship Application. Please prepare your answers following this form and have them ready to include when the online application form requests the information.
• This application requires:
• Three confidential letters of recommendation including one from the applicant’s academic advisor.
• If students are participating in a pre-approved independent study program, the recommendation letter from the academic supervisor should include information regarding the specific requirements of the applicant’s research project.
• A 2-3-page double-spaced essay must be submitted describing what the applicant is looking forward to achieving from the study program, the applicant’s plan of study, and preparedness to complete the project.
• Applicants must submit a one-page, detailed budget.
• Official transcripts from UH and any other colleges attended.
• Evidence of in-country support or sponsorship in the form of a letter of affiliation or agreement from the host institution/scholar.
• All the application materials must be submitted through the UH System Common Scholarship Application.

Applicants are encouraged to contact the CSAS Director at csas@hawaii.edu with any questions regarding the application process.

Administered by the Department of History, the Jagdish P. Sharma Memorial Scholarship announces a call for applications to support graduate students with an academic focus on South Asia. The annual scholarship will award each recipient up to $5000 – half delivered at the opening of each semester.

Eligible for the scholarship are graduate students enrolled in a program in the College of Arts, Languages, and Letters, College of Social Sciences, or College of Natural Sciences at UHM and pursuing studies of or about the South Asia region and its people. The criteria to be used to award the scholarship include the following:
1) Statement of commitment to South Asian studies;
2) Letter of recommendation from an academic faculty member; and
3) Academic merit as determined by the selection committee upon review of application materials.

It is also required that recipients send 1) a letter of appreciation to the Sharma family and 2) submit a write-up in the spring semester detailing academic achievements while on the scholarship.

One can find more information and apply electronically for the scholarship – administered by the Department of History – through the UH STAR system.

Many thanks, especially to the Sharma family for their continuing generosity.

This article provides details about Dr. Jagdish Sharma and this scholarship.