These opportunities are described below. Please thoroughly review the descriptions and eligibility criteria for each opportunity before applying.
In addition, CALS recognizes a small number of graduate and undergraduate students who have demonstrated excellence both in and out of the classroom through its college-wide academic merit awards. Awards are selected based on a review of faculty nominations. Faculty are encouraged to nominate students for these annual awards.
Questions may be directed to CALS Student Services at calsstudentservices@uvm.edu.
Student Academic Merit Awards
Alexander Kende Academic Merit Award (Undergraduate)
The Alexander Kende Memorial Fund honors the memory of Alex Kende, a sixth-generation Vermonter who graduated in May 2000 with honors at the top of his class in the CALS Biological Science program. An exemplary student, Alex received the Lawrence K. Forcier Outstanding Senior Award and had been accepted into UVM’s College of Medicine Class of 2004. On December 1, 2000, a serious illness claimed the life of this fine young man who faculty described as a “magnetic personality with intellectual prowess, personal warmth and a stimulating presence in the laboratory.” The Alexander Kende Academic Merit Award is awarded during the Spring semester.
Award Criteria:
• CALS second semester junior standing
• Demonstrated academic excellence
• Proven interest in medicine or bio-medical research
• Exhibits high standards and promise in research and scholarship
• Distinguished service and leadership within UVM and/or local community
• Among equally qualified candidates, an in-state student is preferred
• Provide a letter of support from a UVM faculty member
This scholarship will be applied for the following academic year with merit split between the fall and spring semesters.
The anticipated scholarship award is $9,000. CALS will select two recipients for the 2025-2026 calendar year. This merit will be split between the fall and spring semesters.
DEADLINE: Friday, February 7, 2025
Lawrence K. Forcier Academic Merit Award (Undergraduate)
The Lawrence K. Forcier Outstanding Senior Award is given to a top graduating senior in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences who has distinguished themselves through academic achievement and outstanding service. This award is named in honor of former Dean Lawrence K. Forcier who served the college with distinction from 1991-1998.
Students must meet the following award criteria:
• Must be a CALS graduating senior
• Has maintained an excellent academic record (minimum GPA 3.0)
• Demonstrates a positive presence on campus and in the local community by exhibiting a record of achievement and leadership
• Exhibits the highest standards and promise in their research and scholarship
• Has provided distinguished service within the UVM and local community
• Exhibits high standards of character
• Has shown commitment to CALS and its students
DEADLINE: Friday, February 7, 2025
Outstanding Leadership and Engagement Award for Undergraduate Students of Color
The CALS Outstanding Leadership and Engagement Award for Undergraduate Students of Color recognizes a student enrolled in the UVM College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. This student has distinguished themselves through leadership and engagement in and/or outside of the classroom including participation in research, internships, student clubs, study abroad, or outstanding service to the community.
Nominations can be made by faculty or staff of the University of Vermont, as well as a community partner who has worked closely with the student.
Students must meet the following award criteria:
- Identify as a student of color
- Be a CALS undergraduate student
- Have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
- Must be currently enrolled at least part-time at UVM
- Demonstrate leadership and engagement through research, internship, study abroad, student clubs, and college and community engagement.
- Have provided distinguished service within the UVM and local community.
- Exhibit high standards in character and serve as a mentor for other CALS students.
Awarded annually at the Mosaic Center's Spring Awards Banquet.
DEADLINE: Friday, February 7, 2025
CALS Graduate Research Excellence Award (Graduate)
The CALS Graduate Research Excellence Award recognizes two graduate students - one master's degree candidate and one doctoral degree candidate - who are excelling in research and scholarly accomplishments. These may include laboratory and field research and analysis, journal article publication, paper/poster/abstract presentations at conferences, thesis and dissertation research, and grant funding.
Eligibility:
Full-time CALS graduate students, advised by faculty in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, with research and scholarly accomplishments.
Amount:
One award for a doctoral degree student and one award for a master’s degree student. Each award includes a certificate and $250 to be credited to the student's account.
Guidelines:
1. Faculty advisors must provide a one-page nomination letter detailing the student’s engagement in research and scholarly accomplishments.
2. The nomination may include no more than two additional letters of support from faculty members or research scholars. The letters should evaluate the importance of the research within a broadly defined field and describe the contributions of the student.
DEADLINE: Friday, February 7, 2025
Undergraduate Summer Research Funding
Agroecology Extension (AX) Summer Research Fellowship
The AX Summer Research Fellowship pairs students with unique, 10-week long research experiences at sites near Burlington, Vermont. Awards provide a $4500 stipend, on-campus housing, and all research expenses. The fellowship is open to undergraduates who are US citizens/nationals, from any college/university.
Learn more about the program, participating faculty and their projects by clicking here.
See application deadlines, instructions and testimonials from former fellows on the Office of Fellowships, Opportunities and Undergraduate Research (FOUR) website.
Gilman T. Dedrick Award - Summer Research Internship in Diversified Agriculture
Gilman T. Dedrick is a 1956 graduate of the College of Agriculture who received the 2013 Outstanding Alumni Award for his extensive and accomplished career spanning 55 years in the poultry industry. The Gilman T. Dedrick Award is intended to help support the participation of a qualified undergraduate student from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in a research or experiential learning project that corresponds with a diversified agriculture topic, with a preference for those topics which involve animal-related projects.
Summer Research Internship Description:
The College of Agriculture and Life Sciences will award one $2500 Dedrick scholarship to support an undergraduate student to conduct summer research in diversified agriculture. To be eligible to receive the award the student must meet the following criteria:
• Pursuing an undergraduate degree in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Be enrolled in at least one credit of research during the upcoming summer in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
• Meet the minimum GPA requirement of 3.0
• Provide a statement of interest in the Dedrick Summer Research Award, including a letter of support from a faculty member supervising the summer research.
• Provide proof of registration in at least one credit of research in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
DEADLINE: Friday, March 28, 2025
FOOD Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF)
FOOD SURF provides summer research funding to students conducting research that centers on pressing food systems issues in Vermont and/or the greater Northeast region. The award is sponsored by the Agriculture Research Services of the USDA and hosted by the Food Systems Research Center at UVM. Awards include a $4500 to students and $1500 research allotment direct to the faculty sponsor.
FOOD SURF is one of several Summer Undergraduate Research Funding (SURF) programs available to undergraduate students at UVM, which pulls together several awards under one common application. See a full list of funding opportunities and application details on the Office of the Fellowships, Opportunities and Undergraduate Research (FOUR) website.
Simon Family Public Research Awards
Given out by the Office of Fellowships, Opportunities and Undergraduate Research (FOUR), the Simon Family Public Research awards provide talented and motivated students with an opportunity to do community-based research that enriches their educational experience and contributes to the welfare of their community.
In recognition of the strain felt by community partners during the pandemic, there are two pathways for funding, Simon Fellowships and Simon Public Research Awards.
- Simon Fellowships are awarded to 3-5 students engaging in community-based research projects. Students write the proposals, perform the research, and create the deliverables for their community partners. Each student receives $6000 (to be split between research expenses and a personal stipend).
- A Simon Public Research Award is a faculty-directed experience that seeks to enhance engagement with a community partner. As such, a faculty member submits a short proposal describing the educationally enriching experience ("research internship") they are creating for a student to assist in moving forward a relationship or project with a community partner in mind. Students receive a $4000 stipend.
See additional details and application information on the FOUR website.
Undergraduate Academic Scholarships
Aplin Scholarship
About
In the early 1970's, Cumberland Farms Dairy, Inc. established a scholarship in the name of Richard D. Aplin, Sr. honoring him for contributions to the New England dairy industry. The income from that endowment is available to financially assist eligible students in CALS.
Scholarship Criteria:
Preference will be given to, but not limited to students enrolled in dairy marketing, dairy technology or farm business management. Students must be enrolled in a CALS undergraduate program, in good academic standing, and be eligible for financial assistance as determined by UVM's Financial Aid Office. The scholarship may be awarded to more than one student.
DEADLINE: Friday, March 28, 2025
Bennett Foundation Scholarship
About
In 1974 the Foundation for American Agriculture established a scholarship fund at the University of Vermont's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. The award is given in the name of Edith T. and Charles Dana Bennett.
Scholarship Criteria
To be eligible, students must be in good academic standing and qualify financially according to UVM's Financial Aid Office. Students must exhibit leadership qualities and be active in non-athletic campus activities. The scholarship may be awarded to more than one student and is for undergraduate students currently enrolled in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
Application deadline: Friday, March 28, 2025
Holzer Memorial Scholarship
About
This scholarship was established by the Holzer family in 1968 in memory of Richard H. Holzer who was killed in an automobile accident before the start of his sophomore year in the College of Agriculture & Life Sciences.
Scholarship Criteria
Scholarship awards are available to CALS students who have financial need as defined by UVM's Financial Aid Office and exhibit leadership qualities and good citizenship as members of the UVM campus community.
DEADLINE: Friday, March 28, 2025
New England Farm and Garden Association Scholarship
Scholarship Criteria
To be eligible for the New England Farm and Garden Association Scholarship, a student must be enrolled as an undergraduate student in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at the University of Vermont, have financial need, and meet the following criteria:
- Be enrolled in a degree program with an academic concentration in at least one of the following subjects: environmental sciences, agriculture, arboriculture, conservation, forestry, landscape design, animal science, wildlife biology, oceanography.
- Preference will be given to those students with a proven commitment to the environment and our natural surroundings, and a strong track record of extracurricular activities that demonstrate the student’s commitment to their field of study, as determined by the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences.
- Students will be eligible to receive a renewal of their scholarship award until they graduate from their undergraduate degree program provided they remain enrolled at UVM in one of the aforementioned academic concentrations and maintain the minimum GPA requirement of 2.0. Students must re-apply each year.
DEADLINE: Friday, March 28, 2025
Other UVM Scholarships
UVM has a number of additional scholarships available to university students. See a complete list of scholarships on the UVM Student Financial Services website.
Professional Development Grants
FUSE Grant for Co-Curricular Activities (Undergraduate)
The Fund for Undergraduate Student Excellence (FUSE) is a grant program funded by supporters of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. A limited number of FUSE grants of up to $250.00 (to be matched by the student’s academic department) will be awarded by the Dean’s Office (as funding allows) to selected undergraduate students in CALS to enhance and enrich their undergraduate degree program through participation in a curricular and/or co-curricular activity that is outside of a student’s regular course load. Examples include special research projects, conferences, professional meetings, alternative spring or winter breaks, and leadership development seminars. Funding is for non-credit bearing activities.
Deadline: Applications are considered on a rolling basis.
Eligibility:
- Must be a part-time or full-time undergraduate student within CALS.
- Must be pursuing a major in CALS.
- Must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.5.
- Have at least a 100% match by the department and/or the principle investigator.
Conditions:
- Those students who have not received a FUSE grant will be given priority consideration over those who have already received one.
- A student may receive only one FUSE grant in any one given year while pursuing his/her undergraduate degree.
- The same project will not be funded more than once.
Requirements:
- FUSE grant must be used before completion of the undergraduate degree program;
- Grant recipients must agree to provide a written summary of the learning outcomes upon completion of the FUSE funded activity to the Dean’s Office.
Graduate Student Enhancement Fund (Graduate)
The Graduate Student Enhancement Fund (GSEF) in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences is made possible by the generous donations of alumni and friends of the College. These funds are allocated at the Dean’s discretion to assist in defraying expenses of those graduate students in the College who are invited to present posters, abstracts, and/or papers at a regional, national, or international society meeting. Donations to this fund vary year to year and awards are granted based on availability of money in the fund.
To provide equity in the process, only one award per graduate student is made in the academic calendar year. In addition, no more than three awards per department can be made in an academic calendar year.
Deadline: Applications are considered on a rolling basis.
Criteria
Awarding of GSEF funds are based on the following criteria:
- The fund has a $800 (lifetime) maximum award per person and requires at least a 100% match by the department and/or the principal investigator.
- A request for this fund must be accompanied by the invitation to speak or present at the annual society meeting.
- The application must have a copy of the abstract for the project to be presented.
- The applicant must be a graduate student in CALS.
Please fill out the Department Match Authorization Form and have it ready to attach to your application:
Parsons Fund for Professional Development in Production Agriculture (Undergraduate + Graduate)
The Robert L. Parsons Fund for Professional Development in Production Agriculture in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences supports the education and professional development of agricultural producers and students in CALS.
Activities eligible for funding include, but are not limited to, attending national and international conferences and workshops; internships and partnerships with experienced practitioners; facilitation of guest speakers who represent production agriculture; workshops on farm profitability, viability and transition/transfer; professional development in sustainable agricultural production; and other professional skill building opportunities.
The award was established in honor of Robert Lee Parsons (Bob) who served as a beloved Extension Professor in the Department of Community Development and Applied Economics for nearly 20 years until his passing in 2018.
Applications for the next round of awards will be available in Fall 2024.