Daniel J. Curtin, Jr. Fellowship

Awarded By:

American Planning Association

Number of Awards & Eligibility: One award offered annually.

Description: This fellowship is open to U.S. student who are in their third or fourth year of an undergraduate planning program, or in their first or second year of a graduate planning program, or their first or second year of a law school program. The recipient will participate in a 10-month fellowship program that requires approximately 100 to 200 hours of work; fellowship work is conducted remotely.

Application requirements for the Daniel J. Curtin, Jr. Fellowship are:

• Application form
• Personal statement
• Recommendation letter
• Official Transcript
• Resume
• Enrollment verif./Accept. letter
• Interview (if requested)

Additional Information: The purpose of the Daniel J. Curtin, Jr. Fellowship Program is to foster increased interest in the study of land use planning and its interrelationship with the law at the advanced undergraduate, graduate, and law school levels. The term of the fellowship is approximately 10 months (the typical length of two semesters or three quarters), from mid-October to mid-August, and will include approximately 100 to 200 total hours of work. The fellow will conduct his/her fellowship duties remotely, i.e., from where they live or attend school. The PLD Fellowship Committee, appointed by the PLD Chair, will review applications and determine the award winner. Applications will be judged using the following criteria, listed in order of importance: commitment to planning and the law as reflected in personal statement and resume; academic achievement and/or improvement during previous two years; letter of recommendation; and professional presentation. As part of the selection process and at the sole option of the PLD Fellowship Committee, the top five applicants may be required to participate in a telephone interview with members of the PLD Fellowship Committee. If required by the PLD Fellowship Committee, the applicant's performance in the telephone interview will serve as an additional criterion for determination of the award. The PLD Fellowship Committee meets in September to review applications and identify and award a fellowship recipient. The PLD Fellowship Program Administrator will announce the name of the award recipient by Oct. 15. The award recipient is required to provide a written acceptance of the award to the PLD Chair within 10 days of receiving an award notification letter.

Award Amount: The monetary award consists of a $1,500 stipend. The first $500 of the award will be paid to the student by PLD upon receipt of award acceptance documents. The next $500 of the award will be paid to the student at the beginning of the spring semester (or at the mid-point of the winter quarter, if the student is on the quarter system), contingent upon the student maintaining a satisfactory level of work in the Fellowship Program, as determined by the PLD Chair. The remaining balance of the award ($500) will be paid in the last month of the fellowship term, contingent upon (a) receipt by the PLD Chair of a written report from the school stating that the student is still enrolled, and (b) the student maintaining a satisfactory level of work in the Fellowship Program, as determined by the PLD Chair. The student will also receive a $1,000 APA membership and a stipend for the Annual Conference.  The total dollars awarded for this scholarship is $1,500.