UC Irvine Graduate Division

Overview

The National ARCS (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) Foundation, Inc., is a unique, nonprofit, national volunteer organization of women dedicated to providing scholarships to academically outstanding U.S. citizens studying to complete their degrees in science, medicine and engineering, thereby contributing to the worldwide advancement of science and technology.

ARCS Scholar Awards are intended to recognize and reward UC Irvine's most academically superior doctoral students exhibiting outstanding promise as scientists, researchers and public leaders.  Each recipient will receive a $10,000 stipend during the current academic year and, contingent upon continued satisfactory academic progress, will receive an additional $10,000 the following academic year. ARCS funding is in addition to existing support and may not be used as a substitute for other university support. 

Each school holds their own competition and selects which of their graduate students will receive ARCS Scholar Awards. UCI is required to abide by ARCS' criteria in making their selections without regard to race, color, creed or gender and in their administering of allocated funds.

All donations are an investment in assuring America's continued progress and preeminence by providing for the education of capable, highly motivated, carefully screened young men and women who will be the skilled, dedicated scientists, technologists, researchers, doctors, engineers and professors to fill this need. Because dues from the members cover all operating costs and fund development work, 100 percent of all donations go directly to scholarships each year.

Award Info

$10,000 stipend per year.

Eligibility

Each school holds their own competition and makes the final selection of their scholars who meet the following minimum criteria:

• Must have achieved a graduate level UC GPA of 3.7 or better through Spring 2013 quarter.
• Must have completed at least 2 years (3-4 years preferred) of full-time graduate study at UCI, with 2 years remaining.
• Must be making satisfactory progress toward their degree goal.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must have identified their individual area of research interest and be willing to prepare a poster board of their research for display at the awards dinner.
• Must have exhibited excellent interpersonal and leadership abilities during their academic program.

Application Process

The scholar packets must be given to the school Dean's office and include the following:

• A completed UCI ARCS Foundation Scholar Award Nomination
• A completed Student Biographical Profile with a 100-word student bio
• A current CV
• A statement by the awardee of no more than 2-3 pages in length, describing their research project, progress to date, and plan for completion
• A confidential evaluation of the student by their faculty advisor (multiple letters are acceptable)
• Letters from the program advisor, department chair, and associate dean

The selection process will include a personal interview; each student must be able and willing to speak articulately about their career goals and research.

Contact Information:

Sharon Metzger
UCI-ARCS Program Coordinator
Graduate Division
120 Aldrich Hall, UC Irvine
Irvine CA, 92697-3180
(949) 824-8120
fax (949) 824-9096

About the ARCS Foundation

Russia's launch of Sputnik in 1957 awakened America to the realization that the country was woefully lacking enough educated scientists, engineers, doctors and teachers to address this challenge. Through the foresight of four prominent Los Angeles women — Mrs. Thomas M. Malouf, Mrs. Franklin G. Slagel, Mrs. John C. Tyler and Mrs. Dean Wooldridge — a national board of 53 ladies and the Los Angeles Founder Chapter of 69 members were concurrently established in 1958.

With the knowledgeable help of Dr. Lee Dubridge, then President of California Institute of Technology, a program was set up to donate scholarship monies to carefully chosen colleges and universities with outstanding scientific curricula. They in turn would pick motivated students in the fields of engineering, medicine and the natural sciences to receive undergraduate and graduate degrees. An approved student may receive a scholarship for the following year if ARCS' criteria is met.

The National ARCS Foundation presently consists of 17 chapters located in Atlanta, Chicago, Colorado, Denver, Honolulu, Los Angeles, Lubbock, Metropolitan Washington, Northern California, Orange County, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, Minnesota, Portland, Tampa Bay and Utah. Over its 53-year history, the ARCS Foundation, has provided more than 13,650 scholar awards totaling nearly $79 million at 52 leading universities. 

ARCS 2012-2014 Fellows

Previous ARCS Recipients

ARCS Fellows