Frequently Asked Questions about Fellowships and Scholarships
from the Amazon Conservation Leadership Initiative (ACLI)
1) When is the next application deadline for ACLI scholarships and fellowships?
2) What are ACLI’s selection criteria for scholarships and fellowships?
3) What if I do not speak English?
4) Can’t I learn English once I get there?
5) How much English do I need to know?
6) Do I have to take the TOEFL exam?
7) What can I do now to increase the possibility of receiving a Scholarship / Fellowship?
8) How do I go about finding an academic advisor?
9) Who can I contact with questions about ACLI scholarships and fellowships?
1) When is the next application deadline for ACLI scholarships and fellowships?
Applications are reviewed in February and March each year. The application deadline for the Gordon and Betty Moore Graduate Scholarships is the first Monday in February. For the Gordon and Betty Moore Visiting Fellowships, applications are due the second Monday of March. In exceptional circumstances, we may accept applications for Visiting Fellowships at other times, but the likelihood of approval will be lower.
2) What are ACLI’s selection criteria for scholarships and fellowships?
The ACLI selection committee reviews all eligible proposals and selects those applicants who are believed to have the greatest potential to contribute to Amazon conservation over the long term and who would most benefit from studying at the University of Florida.
For Scholarship applicants, ACLI is looking for individuals who are prepared for the rigors of graduate training at the University of Florida (UF). The selection committee also assesses each applicant’s previous related work experience, career goals, leadership potential, and commitment to tropical forest conservation. Ideally, each applicant will have found an academic adviser prior to application and will have a clear idea of the research topic for the thesis or dissertation. The relevance of the research idea to ACLI’s four themes and the quality of the research idea will also be evaluated.
For the Visiting Fellowship applicants, ACLI is looking for individuals who already have at least three to five years of relevant professional experience that they can build upon when they come to UF. The selection committee also looks at what activities or concrete products the Fellows will carry out at UF in relation to ACLI’s four themes, so statements of purpose should be specific in this regard. Visiting Fellows also need a UF advisor, and while ACLI staff can help in this regard, applicants that have made contact with a potential advisor prior to application will be at an advantage
Please note that both the Graduate Scholarship and Visiting Fellowship competitions are quite competitive and ACLI funds a relatively small number of applications. ACLI awarded four Gordon and Betty Moore Graduate Scholarships and six Gordon and Betty Moore Visiting Fellowships for the 2005-2006 academic year.
3) What if I do not speak English?
ACLI staff is happy to correspond with you in Spanish or Portuguese, and many UF faculty and students do speak these languages, but adequate English is nevertheless fundamental for taking advantage of being at UF. English is necessary for attending lectures and classes, communicating with university staff, and using the resources available at the UF libraries.
4) Can’t I learn English once I get there?
ACLI has limited funding for one semester of English language training at UF for ACLI fellows and scholars. However, due to its short duration, this English program is designed for individuals who already have at least an intermediate level of English. Someone with no knowledge of English or a beginner’s knowledge of English would not be able to improve his/her skills to the required level in just one semester.
5) How much English do I need to know?
You need a 213 on the computer-based Test of English as a Foreign Language Exam (TOEFL) to enroll in classes at the University of Florida. To be eligible for the English-language training sponsored by ACLI, you need a TOEFL score of at least 190 on the computer test or 520 on the paper test. For Visiting Fellows who are not planning on enrolling in courses, there is no strict language requirement, but ACLI considers it important to have enough English to benefit from the UF experience.
6) Do I have to take the TOEFL exam?
The TOEFL exam is required for all Graduate Scholarship applicants and all Visiting Fellow applicants who plan to enroll in courses. The only exception to this requirement is if English is an official language of your home country or if you have previously spent one year or more at a university in an English-speaking country. A TOEFL score is the only way ACLI can be sure that you have sufficient English language skills to enroll in classes at UF.
7) What can I do now to increase the possibility of receiving a Scholarship / Fellowship?
Identify an advisor, improve your English, and develop a statement of purpose that has specific, well justified plans for graduate training and research (Scholars) or activities and products from your time at UF (Visiting Fellows).
8) How do I go about finding an academic advisor?
Through the UF web site, literature citations or personal contacts, identify several professors who have similar interests to yours. All UF departments have web pages that list their faculty. Departmental pages normally link to individual web pages for each faculty member. You can also contact ACLI staff for suggestions.
Once you identify potential advisors, contact them by email with a message about your background, your interest in coming to UF, and the kind of work you would like to do here. It is a good idea to attach a copy of your Curriculum Vitae to the email. Most professors get many such requests and only agree to serve as an advisor for those students with whom they have a significant overlap of interests.
9) Who can I contact with questions about ACLI scholarships and fellowships?
You can contact Robert Buschbacher, ACLI Program Coordinator, at rbusch@ufl.edu. You can also contact Hannah Covert, Associate Director of the UF Tropical Conservation and Development Program, at psampaio@latam.ufl.edu .