Mali Study Abroad Scholarships
Study Among Nomads and the Sahara Desert
Mali is one of the poorest countries in West Africa. It’s one of the largest, but is covered by the Sahara desert. The lifestyles of Malians are various and spread out over many ethnic and nomadic groups. This demographic lends itself to a number of significant areas of study that regularly attract quite a few U.S. students. There are those who go to Mali to engage in health-related work or studies, economics and sustainable development, art and religion, and service-related projects. Solid knowledge of French is helpful.
Government Scholarships
The Fogarty/Ellison Clinical Research Training Fellowships are funded by the National Institutes of Health and designed to put med students and other health science students into disparate international labs where innovative clinical research projects are currently underway. Applicants may apply for the program in Mali at the Malaria Research and Training Center. All areas of Africa are hotbeds for clinical research. Fellowships are good for a year of research.
The West African Research Association (WARA) is largely funded by the U.S. Department of State, which also funds similar organizations in other critical areas of the world. WARA is designed to provide support for American and West African scholars and programs through funding and other types of resources. Scholarships available through WARA for study in Mali and other West African countries include:
- WARA Pre-Doctoral Fellowships cover a summer term for graduate students with a dissertation proposal. Research must be well organized and demonstrate a need to be in Mali. Funds include travel and a $3,000 expense stipend.
- WARA Post-Doctoral Fellowships are awarded to scholars pursuing additional research beyond their dissertation. Award amounts are similar to the pre-doctoral.
Fully funded Fulbright Scholarships are available in Mali. Each year two or three Fulbright applicants are awarded one of these prestigious and highly competitive scholarships. Mali is wide open for fields of study; which means you may propose any focus. The program suggests applicants associate themselves with one of the many universities or research centers in Mali. French language skills are required.
The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarships do indeed send undergraduates all over the globe. Now one of the most fiercely contested scholarships, the Gilmans are an unprecedented opportunity for students with little financial backing to trek off to far flung destinations including Mali. The world grows smaller as students break more foreign ground and the Gilmans have been instrumental in this way. Applicants must be Pell Grant recipients and have above average academic records. Up to $7,000 per scholarship is awarded.
Uncle Sam is looking for the next generation of elite national security professionals and is handing out whopping scholarships for their service. The David L. Boren Scholarships and Fellowships are the brainchild of the National Security Education Program. Undergraduate and graduate level students are recruited for this hotly contested program. This is a scholarship for service. Applicants not interested in a long-term career in a national security agency will be required to repay their scholarship with a year of service. Not bad, though for a potential $25,000 scholarship to study in Mali. Boren Scholars are encouraged to immerse themselves in culture and language or else in programs focused on politics, international affairs, law or the sciences.
Study Abroad Organizations
Consider human health issues from the perspective of a poor and developing nation like Mali through the School for International Training’s (SIT) program, "Mali: Gender, Health and Development." SIT is a world leader in innovative and enlightening study abroad programs for today’s college student. Scholarships available to program participants include:
- SIT Fund provides many scholarships to perhaps the widest array of SIT participants. Applicants are reviewed on the basis of academic merit and especially financial need that might otherwise compromise a study abroad program.
- Compton Fund rewards those participants whose programs center on peace or sustainable development, such as the program in Mali. Once again awards are made on the basis of financial need.
- Diversity Fund scholarships go to those students whose populations are traditionally overlooked in study abroad programs, either due to social or economic situation.
- Students from a Historically Black College may apply for a HBCU Scholarship. Applicants must demonstrate financial need.
- Sally Bragg Baker Scholarships are reserved for select female participants who demonstrate an outstanding devotion to peaceful international collaboration.
College Scholarships
Underclassmen at Yale University who would like to pursue studies in Mali or another underdeveloped country, may apply for the Barry Travel Fellowship. This Yale scholarship allows outstanding students funding for a self-directed summer abroad.
