1. Scholarships
  2. Borlaug Scholarships
  3. NAPB Borlaug Graduate Student Scholars Application

NAPB Borlaug Graduate Student Scholars Application

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The Borlaug Scholars program for graduate students was established by the National Association of Plant Breeders (NAPB) and funded through the Agronomic Science Foundation (ASF).

Our aim is to develop the next generation of plant breeding leaders. Students attending U.S. universities looking to enter the workforce in less than two years are encouraged to apply. Self-nominations are encouraged. Borlaug Scholars will be paired with volunteer mentors who are professional NAPB members committeed to the professional development of the recipients. Each recipient will receive financial support for travel, lodging, and meals to participate in the NAPB Annual Meeting (or similar, if virtual meetings). Gratis meeting registration and student membership in NAPB, for non-members, is included.

 

Eligibility

  • Former recipients of this Scholarship (either grad or undergrad awards) are not eligible.

  • Nominee will be an graduate student during the dates of the conference, June 14-18, 2026.

  • Students may apply for both the NAPB Borlaug Scholarship and the George Washington Carver Scholarship, but may not receive both awards during the same year.

References

  • One reference letter is required (max characters 6000).
  • Members of this NAPB Borlaug Scholar Committee and the NAPB Board of Directors are not eligible to be a reference on nominations.
  • The application must include the name and a valid email address for the reference submitting your reference letter.
  • An email will be sent from awards@sciencesocieties.org containing instructions to submit the letter of support.

Applications open December 1st, 2026. Apply for this award and others on the Awards Hub

The deadline for submissions is February 4th, 2027.

NAPB Membership is not required to apply. 

Application Questions

  1. Current school where you are pursuing a graduate program.
    Must be a U.S.-based institution.
  2. What degree are you currently pursuing?
    Master's, Ph.D., or Other
  3. Your mailing address.
  4. Your email address.
    Character limit (including spaces): 500
  5. Highest degree completed.
  6. What field was your degree in?
  7. Current advisor and their email address.
  8. Degree program and major fields of specialization.
    Examples: Plant Breeding, Phenomics, Analytics, etc.
  9. Expected graduation date.
    (mm/dd/yyyy)
  10. Credit hours completed in current degree.
    Please include credit hours currently in progress.
  11. Graduate GPA.
    Indicate scale if not based on 4.0.
  12. Honors, awards, and scholarships received.
    Use bullet points. Character limit (including spaces): 1,000.
  13. Research, internships, and employment experience.
    Use bullet points.
  14. Leadership roles
    Include community, campus, and professional society activities. Use bullet points. Character limit (including spaces): 1,000.
  15. Refereed Publications
    Bullet points 1. Include citation and the DOI, if possible 2. Bold your name in the citation (Character Limit, including spaces: 1000)
  16. Non-refereed Publications
    Bullet points 1. Include citation and the DOI, if possible 2. Bold your name in the citation (Character Limit, including spaces: 1000)
  17. Oral and poster presentations.
    Use bullet points. Include: (1) event/conference name, (2) presentation title, (3) whether it was an oral presentation or poster, and (4) whether it was invited. Character limit (including spaces): 1,000.
  18. Additional information we should know about you.
    This is a space to highlight any information about you that is not specifically inquired but relevant to why you are an outstanding student. Did you write a book chapter or develop your own software or app? Design a new technical protocol? Are you listed as a co-PI on a grant? What are we missing about you that you’d really like to shine about?
  19. Career goals.
    Outline the careers you wish to pursue and the types of careers that interest you. Character limit (including spaces): 1,000.
  20. Professional development.
    List previous professional development activities in which you have participated or held a leadership role. Character limit (including spaces): 1,000.
  21. How do you think your unique perspective or background can contribute to a more inclusive and equitable environment within our scholarship program?
    Character limit (including spaces): 500.
  22. Why do you want to be a Borlaug Scholar?
    Character limit (including spaces): 500.