Rotary Foundation Global Grants Scholarships

The Global Grants program supports international activities within Rotary’s areas of focus, activities that have sustainable and measurable outcomes. As a result, the Rotary clubs and districts respond to real community needs and strengthen global partnerships.

Scholarship Overview

Through the Global Grants program, Rotarians support future leaders in their studies related to Rotary’s areas of focus.
The Rotary Foundation funds scholarships through global and district grants.
The critical feature of these grants is the partnership between the club/district in the study location (host sponsor) and the district/club in the scholar’s home country (international sponsor). Both sponsors must be qualified before they submit applications.

Host School(s)

Fields of study

Any field of study related to Rotary’s areas of focus, as listed below.

What does the scholarship cover?

These scholarships/grants fund graduate-level research or coursework for 1-4 academic years
The minimum budget for each scholarship is $30,000.

The eligible expenses include:

Passport/visa
Inoculations
Travel expenses (as per grant terms and conditions)
School supplies
Tuition
School fees, including any health insurance required by the institution
Room and board
Household supplies
Language training courses (not applicable if university admission is dependent on the improvement of language skills)
Local transportation expenses

How many scholarships are given?

Which countries are targeted?

Am I Eligible to Apply?

Rotarians are encouraged to nominate candidates who:

Have a long-term commitment to sustainable and measurable change
Have previous work or volunteer experience, academic background, and career plans that are aligned to at least one of the areas of focus listed above.
Have proof of university admission at the time of application

An interview will then be conducted to determine the candidate’s:

Proven record of success in academics
Well-defined and realistic goals
Leadership skills and potential
Concrete ideas for advancing in his/her chosen field
Commitment to community service
Commitment to maintaining a lifelong relationship with Rotary after completion of studies

NOTE:

Working with universities to identify potential candidates for this scholarship is a viable option for Rotarians. Universities can also connect international students pursuing graduate studies related to the area of focus with local Rotary clubs.

How do I Apply – Next Steps

To apply for this scholarship, you must be selected by a Rotary club or district.
Districts and clubs may create their own application form, or use a sample application form from the Rotary Foundation.
Each candidate must receive a copy of the terms and conditions of the grant and the policy standards for the areas of focus.
After a candidate is chosen, he or she must receive clear information on the global grant application process, as well as the timelines involved.
Rotarians must manage each candidate’s expectations well, as the scholarship is only awarded after the Foundation approves the grant.

The application process is as follows:

Step 1: Rotary clubs and districts must be approved before they can apply for global grants
Step 2: The international and host sponsor must each appoint a grant committee consisting of a minimum of five Rotarians
Step 3: Global grant applications are submitted to the grants section of the Rotary website
Step 4: The sponsoring clubs or districts create the initial application, then the scholar completes his or her profile online
Step 5: The candidate’s name and email address are added to the application by the host or international sponsor, after which he or she creates a ‘My Rotary’ account.
Step 6: The application is submitted at least three months before the scholar’s planned date of departure. During this period, the Foundation reviews the application, and processing takes place.
Step 7: Both the Rotarians and the candidate should be ready to respond promptly to any requests for additional information
Step 8: Once the Foundation approves the grant, the scholarship is awarded

NOTE:

The candidate should be limited to one area of focus and should provide detailed answers to the questions in the scholar profile.
The grant application should be submitted at least three months before the scholar’s departure date to allow sufficient time for application processing, grant payment, and scholar orientation.

Closing Date

The deadline for scholars who plan to begin studies in August, September, or October is 30 June 20.
Applications for those scholars who plan to begin studies at other times of the year are accepted on a rolling basis.

How do I get more information?