Looking to make the most of your time as an Integrative Biology student? The School of Integrative Biology at Illinois offers a variety of awards and scholarships to help you shine in both the classroom and in the lab. From the Robert H. Davis Awards recognizing curiosity and research excellence, to the Joann Kavouras Memorial Scholarship supporting ambitious students, to funding for fisheries and medical-school–bound research, these opportunities give you the recognition, resources, and support to chase big ideas. Whether you’re diving into research, preparing for med school, or exploring hands-on experiences, SIB awards make it easier to turn your passion for biology into real achievements—and stand out while doing it!
Alumni & Friends Awards and Scholarships
Description: These awards have been made possible thanks to several donations from our alumni and friends. Their support has allowed SIB to offer unparalleled educational and research opportunities for our students. These scholarships have given our students access to additional resources, trainings, meetings, and more as they build their research skills and grow their careers.
Eligibility:
- Current undergraduate student majoring in Integrative Biology or Integrative Biology Honors.
Dr. Stewart D. Fordham Undergraduate Award in Integrative Biology Fund
Description: This award, made possible by a generous donation by Dr. Fordham, supports an undergraduate scholarship.
Eligibility:
- Students who complete their undergraduate degree program during the next academic year.
- Must be planning on attending medical school immediately after graduation.
Fisheries Conservation Foundation Research Award for Undergraduates
The Fisheries Conservation Foundation has created an award to support an undergraduate student whose area of interest is fisheries and/or aquatic resource conservation. Preference will be given to students with demonstrated expertise or interest in pursuing a research project that integrates science, conservation, and outreach in fisheries and/or aquatic resource conservation. The award provides $700 in research support for the winning student’s project.
To be eligible, applicants must:
- Be majoring in either Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences in the College of ACES or Integrative Biology in the College of LAS at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
- Have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
- Preference will be given to current juniors.
To apply, send to nres-ssc@illinois.edu:
- A proposal outlining the proposed project, demonstrating how it will conserve fisheries or aquatic resources, and specifying how the award would be used, and
- Two (2) letters of support from faculty members and/or someone related to the project but outside of the University.
Previous winners include:
- Hannah Marti worked on a project looking at the impact of turbulence training on the swimming performance of hatchery-reared rainbow trout with the goal of improving hatchery conditions or fish passageways, using the award to fund the cost of a high-quality digital camera.
- Rebecca Latham studied cortisol released from fish in water samples as a starting point to understanding how to noninvasively measure welfare in care settings, using the award to fund the cost of water sample collection bottles.
- Hanna Winter researched how cold water temperatures affect the metabolic rate and recovery post-capture of bluegill, using the award to fund the cost of a respirometry probe needed for data collection.
- Peter Whitney used the funds to support his travel to Amman, Jordan and Gaziantep, Turkey to investigate the effects of localized Syrian refugee populations on water resources.
Joann Kavouras Memorial Scholarship in IB
Description: Thanks to a generous gift from Dr. Jerry Kavouras, this award will support scholarship to undergraduate IB students.
Eligibility:
- Current Sophomores or Juniors
- Donor wishes to give preference to students who are female, sophomore, and graduate of a high school in the state of Illinois.
- Additional preference may be given to students who have a minimum of 3.0 out of 4.0 grade point average and are first generation college students.
Robert H. Davis Excellence Award
Description: Sue and Kent Davis established this award to honor and remember their son Robert. This award supports a student excellence scholarship. The recipient is selected based on academic or research excellence.
Eligibility:
- Current Freshmen, Sophomores or Juniors
- Minimum 3.0 GPA
Robert H. Davis Memorial Award
Description: Rob Davis had completed all his coursework for a major in Integrative Biology when he died tragically at age 21 in February 2008 from a bacterial infection. This prize has been funded by a generous gift from Rob's family and is intended to recognize "a student who exhibits significant academic curiosity, is hardworking and motivated...(with) interests outside of academia, such as the arts, sports, politics or literature and who is generally inquisitive about life."
Eligibility:
- Current Sophomores or Juniors working in an SIB/organismal biology relevant field of study on the UIUC campus, but not necessarily within a SIB faculty member's laboratory or research program.
- Applicants must provide evidence for outstanding academic achievement in the biological sciences; however, GPA will not be the sole determinative factor.
- Applicant should be one who is currently prevented from engaging in undergraduate research to the extent s/he desires, because s/he must be gainfully employed to pay college expenses. The award is intended to supplement the applicant's finances to allow a semester or summer of research.
- Interests outside of academia, such as the arts, sports, politics or literature and who is generally inquisitive about life.
- Letter of reference from research advisor