Eligibility

In order to be eligible for SIG fellowships, an applicant must be an enrolled Stanford student for the 2009-2010 academic year and cannot have conferred his/her undergraduate degree before the completion of the fellowship. In other words, graduating seniors are ineligible for SIG fellowships.

An applicant may apply for a maximum of three fellowships, with a maximum of two applications in each program (State/Local, DC/National, or International). The applicant must rank the fellowships in the order of preference, as well as write separate personal statements for each position sought. Applicants must submit complete application packets for each different fellowship application.

Applicants may also only apply to 3 fellowship placements within the entire Haas Center Fellowships Programs, which includes SIG fellowships.

Process

SIG requires each applicant to submit a personal data sheet, statement of academic commitment, unofficial transcript, resume, personal statement of no more than 750 words, and a letter of recommendation from a someone who is familiar with your academic work.

Along with uploading and submitting the requiste forms onto the online application, all applicants should also email their resumes to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it . Faculty letters of recommendation should must also be sent to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Students applying from overseas should e-mail the appropriate director for the fellowships to which they are applying (please see our website for contact information) so that we can anticipate your application in the mail. The same deadline applies to overseas candidates.

Selection committees composed of Stanford faculty, past SIG Fellows, and SIG representatives evaluate applications to determine up to five finalists to be interviewed for each position. From these finalists, a prospective fellow is selected, and his/her application is forwarded to the host office for final approval.

IMPORTANT NOTE:
The Statement of Academic Commitment requires identification of a professor mentor. Stanford in Government has approached professors about this program with relevant experience and knowledge for each fellowship. This information will be posted on the website as soon as possible. Please check the website for this information before submission of your application.

Fellowships Requirements

Assignments usually include some form of data research and analysis, drafting position papers, and extensive interaction with high-level staff. Therefore, analytical skills, writing ability, and personal qualities are the critical factors evaluated by the selection committees. SIG provides stipends that assist Fellows with travel and summer living expenses. In addition, limited financial aid is available to those Fellows who demonstrate need. The Fellow commits to working full-time (a minimum of 35 hours per week) for at least nine weeks. Receipt of the stipend is contingent upon the fulfillment of such an arrangement. The exact timing of the fellowship period will be negotiated between the Fellow and the host offices. SIG traditionally does assist Fellows in searches for summer housing, though as a student-run organization we are not required to do so.

To the Recommender:  Fellows are generally given greater responsibilities than those within the scope of a normal internship.  Assignments usually include some form of data research and analysis, drafting of position papers, and extensive interaction with high-level staff.  Therefore, analytical skills, writing ability, communication skills, and personal qualities are the critical factors evaluated by the selection committees.  With these criteria in mind, we would greatly appreciate your candid comments regarding this student's abilities.

Please direct any questions to Allie Welch ( This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ), SIG's Vice-Chair of Fellowships.

Application Timeline

• Start of Winter Quarter: Application Released
• February 4: Application Deadline
• Mid-February: Interviews
• Mid-March: Decisions Announced