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Clifford D. Clark Graduate Fellowship Program for Diversity

General Information

The Clifford D. Clark Graduate Fellowship Program for Diversity is named for a former president of the university (1975-1990), and funded by the State University of New York and a small endowment fund. Clark Fellowships are merit-based and designed to recruit and support students who have been admitted to graduate study and contribute to the diversity of the student body in the graduate program in which enrollment is sought. The funding package includes academic year stipends, full tuition scholarships, health insurance, guaranteed award periods, research and travel opportunities, and other benefits.
Support/Nomination Form

Eligibility

To be eligible for a Clark Fellowship, students must be US citizens or permanent residents, enrolled as full-time students in a Binghamton University graduate degree program during the award period, and meet the diversity criteria (below). Usually only newly-admitted applicants are considered; exceptions are made only for extraordinarily strong nominations and when funds are available, in which case students are only eligible for one semester of Clark funding per year.

Fellowship Application Process
  • Apply to a graduate degree program using the regular Graduate School application procedure.
  • Check the appropriate box on the Graduate School application, indicating interest in the Clark Fellowship (and optionally, any other funding).
  • Submit the Clark Fellowship Essay.
  • Submit all required materials (Graduate School application, Clark Fellowship essay, and all required supplemental application materials) by the deadlines posted for the graduate program to which the applicant seeks admittance.

The Clark Fellowship Essay (maximum of 500 words) must address how the applicant has demonstrated commitment to increasing opportunities for under-represented minorities and/or breaking down stereotypes; will commit to participating fully in all aspects of the fellowship program, including as a mentor and teacher for a wide variety of students; and will contribute to the diversity of the student body in their graduate program, including:

  1. member of a group historically underrepresented in higher education (African American, American Indian/Alaskan Native, Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander, or Hispanic-American.
  2. raised in a single-parent household; and/or
  3. first-generation college student;
  4. history of overcoming disadvantage;

Membership in a racial/ethnic group that is underrepresented in the graduate program involved may serve as a plus factor in making the awards, but does not form the sole basis of awards. Although not a requirement, economic disadvantage (as determined by federal income guidelines, or FAFSA) may be the basis for eligibility under this category. Every applicant will be evaluated on his or her own merits. Applicants for doctoral tracks will be given priority over other applications. Funding is limited. Typically there are about 20 new awards per year.

Nomination/Selection

Each academic program is responsible for recommendations to the Graduate School on admission and Clark Fellowship funding. Applicants must be admitted to the program before they can be nominated for Clark Fellowships. Each program is responsible for nominating applicants whom they recommend for the fellowship via memorandum to The Graduate School. The memorandum requires an assessment from the Graduate Director of the nominee's strengths and weaknesses relative to the graduate program and specification of who the faculty advisor would be. If the nominee's application is weak in any area, there should be a statement of how that weakness will be addressed. For applicants directly entering a doctoral program with a bachelor's degree, graduate programs must guarantee one semester of support for each year beyond the first year, for a total of four years beyond the first year; and accordingly doctoral students are only eligible for one Clark-funded semester per year during the 2nd through 5th years. For doctoral applicants entering with a master's degree, graduate programs must guarantee one semester of support for each year beyond the first year, for a total of three years beyond the first year; and accordingly doctoral students are only eligible for one Clark-funded semester per year during the 2nd through 4th years. Some graduate programs have additional limitations on funding, such as limiting all graduate students to four years of funding; in such cases, the graduate program limitations apply. Graduate programs may provide more than one semester of support for each year after the first year, but graduate programs cannot rollover an unused Clark-funded semester to another year. Master's programs must guarantee one semester of support beyond the first year. Nominations should be submitted to the Graduate School by January 31, or February 28. A limited number of awards will be made to top-ranked applicants for the January 31 review; the remaining awards will be made for the February 28 review. Master's nominations will be reviewed after March 15 after all doctoral requests have been considered. No later than March 31, the Graduate School notifies the student awardees and program of the award.

Stipend Levels

Fellowship stipends are competitive against national benchmarks from other doctoral institutions. Stipend levels vary by academic discipline. Please contact your program's Director of Graduate Studies for details.

Tuition Scholarships

Full tuition scholarships are paid for all Clark Fellows, but out-of-state tuition is only paid for the first year. After that, tuition is only paid at the in-state rate. Therefore, Clark Fellows are required to establish New York State residency as soon as they arrive on campus (which should be at least one week before their first semester begins).

Guaranteed Award Periods

Stipends and tuition scholarships for Clark Fellows are guaranteed for specified periods provided that there is satisfactory academic work and progress toward degree. For students entering Ph.D. programs with a Bachelor's degree, support is for up to five years. For students entering Ph.D. programs with a Master's degree, support is for up to four years. For students entering Master's level programs with a Bachelor's degree, support is for up to two years.

Other Benefits

Student insurance coverage is available at no extra charge in the first year. An optional plan is available at subsidized rates in the second and subsequent years. Reduced on-campus parking rates are also available in the second and subsequent years.

Research and Travel Opportunities

Travel funding for research purposes or participation in professional conferences is available on a competitive basis. Summer stipends may also be available. To apply, click here.

Professional Experience

In the student's first year, if it is completely funded by the Clark program, no duties are required, other than full-time and satisfactory progress toward the degree. If the student wishes to assist in teaching or other departmental service, he/she may do so, provided that the Graduate Director and the Graduate School have approved. In subsequent years during the Clark enhancement period, Fellows are appointed as TA (Teaching Assistants), GA (Graduate Assistants) or RPA (Research Project Assistants) at half the normal workload of approximately 15-20 hours/week during the academic year. Usually this is structured as a teaching or research assistantship for one semester and a full fellowship for the other semester, but the structure is at the discretion of the graduate program in consultation with the Associate Dean of the Graduate School. As part of the department's normal funding practices, actual duties to be performed will be determined by the department. Directors of Graduate Studies are responsible for planning specific activities, in consultation with the student, his/her advisor, and other program faculty and staff. This structure of incorporating teaching assistant and other graduate assistant experiences into the Clark Fellow program is recommended by the Council of Graduate Schools. In this way, the development of professional skills leads to a richer experience in graduate school, and students are more marketable when they enter the job market.

For more information please contact your academic program directly.

Clark Advisory Committee

The Clark Advisory Committee advises the Vice Provost and Dean of the Graduate School on all policy matters relating to the Clark Fellowship program and serves as a liaison to all students funded as Clark Fellows. Topics of discussion have recently included configuration of funding levels, assessment of good academic progress, and the roles of teaching and research in a graduate student's career.