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2023 New Professional Scholarship

Sponsored by Washington Evaluators and The EnCompass Learning Center

This page includes information about the two ways to engage in this opportunity:

  • Information for prospective applications to the New Professional Scholarship and,
  • Information for individuals interested in volunteering as a Scholarship Application Reviewer                                                                            (scroll to the Volunteers Needed section below).

Purpose

The Washington Evaluators is devoted to strengthening and sustaining the evaluation community in the Washington DC area by recruiting and helping to educate the next generation of evaluators. The “New Professional Scholarship" is intended to support new professionals in integrating state-of-the-art knowledge and information sharing into their evaluation practices and approaches within their respective organizations and/or future practice.  The Scholarship provides emerging evaluators with increased access to high-quality professional training, meaningful mentorship, and a supportive community of fellow evaluators. In this way, the Scholarship helps facilitate continued diversity and inclusion in the profession. 

The Scholarship is open to new professionals, current students, postdocs and new graduates. In 2023, WE and EnCompass Learning Center (ELC) will offer scholarships to two recipients from applicant submissions of the New Professional Scholarship program.


Recipients will have access to a four-day ELC training ($1100 value) on Facilitating Evaluation taught by Michael Quinn Patton, along with WE's mentoring program, Career Connections, and a complementary year of WE membership. Read below for more details. 

Eligible applicants include new & emerging evaluators who are:

1) current WE members regardless of location (i.e., WE members who work/study and/or reside outside of DMV area, including internationally as well as local to the DMV).

2) non-WE members but who work/study and/or reside in the DMV metropolitan area (i.e., applicant has clear ties to the locality based on their resume/CV), OR Read below for more details on eligibility requirements. 

Deadline for Submission

 August 27th, 2023

Criteria for Award Selection

    1. Is a new professional, current student, postdoc, or recent graduate with less than five years of experience in evaluation.  Students can be pursuing evaluation related graduate degrees/certificates or be pursuing their studies in a related field;/ 1

    2. Financial need to support professional development

    3. Exhibited interest in the field of evaluation or willingness to learn more about evaluation:

    • Shows interest in evaluation through related student or professional activities listed in resume/CV. Interest in evaluation can also be demonstrated through expressed interest in and/or experience with analyses of disparities for critical subgroups of the population, including when stratified by age, race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, or other characteristics. 
    • Expresses interest in integrating WE’s antiracism principles into future academic projects, work, or evaluation practice.

          1 / Related fields include social science (e.g. psychology, sociology, anthropology, social work, geography), education communications, economics, public health, nursing, medicine, data science, statistics, mathematical modeling

          Application Materials

          The following are required for a complete application.  Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

          1. Updated Resume/CV (limit to two pages and be sure to include current email address and phone number);
          2. Statement of Interest that includes the following: (expected length: 600-800 words) 
          • Description of how attending ELC’s professional training, Facilitating Evaluation, could enhance any of the following: your evaluation interests, knowledge, experience, skills, career building, or support your organization's goals (if applicable);
          • Description of how you think other components of this scholarship program (i.e., participation in Career Connections and a complimentary year of WE membership) could benefit your professional development or networking as an evaluator;
          • Description of how WE’s antiracism principles could help inform your perspective as a future evaluator or how you seek to apply such principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion to your studies, work, or other professional or volunteer activities. 
                  3.  Statement of Financial Need (expected length: 250-500 words) describing how this scholarship could provide financial access to you to support your professional development as a new and emerging evaluator.
                  4.  Confirm your availability in your statement of interest to attend Facilitating Evaluation in September 2023. This is a four-module course that will take place on September 19, 21, 26, 28 9am-12pm EDT.  Scholarship recipients are expected to attend all four sessions.

            *Please note that incomplete applications will not be considered.

            Benefits to the Scholarship Recipient

            Individuals who receive the scholarship award will have the opportunity to become increasingly active in the local and national evaluation communities, including WE professional development events and networking opportunities. Specifically, funds will be awarded to support the recipients' participation in the September 2023 training opportunity offered by EnCompass Learning Center (ELC), in Washington, DC (currently offered remotely). In addition, Washington Evaluators will provide a one-year complimentary membership, with participation in the Career Connections program. 

            Selection Criteria

            Applications will be reviewed by the Scholarship Task Force on a 100-point scale, allocated as follows:

            • Statement of Interest - 55 points
            • Statement of Financial Need - 20 points
            • Resume/CV - 25 points

            Commitment of the selected New Professional Scholars

              • Attend a four-day online training at EnCompass Learning Center (ELC) on September 19, 21, 26, 28 9am-12pm EDT. 
              • Participate in the Washington Evaluators Career Connections program.
              • Share your scholarship experience with the WE community in the form of: a) a 5-7 minute presentation at a Washington Evaluators Board meeting (held virtually on the 3rd Wednesday of each month) and b) a brief reflective blog piece for WE's Member Spotlight series so we can celebrate and share your accomplishments and journey with WE members and the broader evaluation community through our website and social media platforms. 

              How to Apply

              Please submit completed application materials in one email containing separate attached documents in PDF format (see Application Materials) by 11:59 p.m. EDT by deadline: August 27th, via email: scholarship@washingtonevaluators.org with the subject line: “Application for 2023 New Professional Scholarship.” You may address the email to the Scholarship Committee. 

              We encourage emerging evaluators from groups underrepresented in the evaluation profession to apply. 


              Should you have any questions about the 2023 New Professional scholarship, please do not hesitate to email us at scholarship@washingtonevaluators.org.

              Scholarship Recipients will be notified via email by September 4th. Confirmation to Washington Evaluators will be required from the Scholarship Recipient by September, 10th. Two scholarship recipients will be selected from applicant submissions. 

              Volunteers Needed: Scholarship Application Reviewers

              Overview

              Washington Evaluators is seeking volunteers to serve as Scholarship Application Reviewers. Volunteers may be any evaluation professionals with five or more years of work experience./1  This volunteer opportunity is virtual and open to Washington Evaluators members only. 

              The purpose of this role is to help ensure the fair selection of 2023 New Professional Scholarship recipients through the objective review of scholarship applications. Scholarship Application Reviewers will serve as part of a 2023 Application Review Committee that will select two awardees in September 2023. Please read below for more information on what this volunteer opportunity entails. 

              1 / Evaluation professionals of diverse backgrounds and specialties are encouraged to volunteer as Scholarship Application Reviewers including independent consultants, evaluation educators, managers, or sponsors, and professionals who work with evaluators in non-profits, foundations, educational, government, or other organizations. 

              What am I expected to do in my role?

              You are expected to thoughtfully read and score scholarship applications using a pre-established rubric. After scoring the applications, you are expected to work with your fellow reviewers (i.e, the Application Review Committee) to decide who is the scholarship winner. We ask that reviewers keep their reviews confidential and only share it with the Scholarship Committee. In 2023, there will be two winners selected for the scholarship offering. Additionally, for the 2023 offering we are asking reviewers to participate in a survey regarding the application review process itself.

              What is the scholarship review timeline?

              2nd round of review: The first round of scholarship applications will be expected to be reviewed August 28th-Semptember 3rd, 2023. Prior to the week-long review period, volunteers will receive an orientation from the scholarship coordinators. 

              How much time will it take to review applications for each scholarship offering?

              This will depend on how many applications we receive for the scholarship opportunity. Given that the scholarship program is relatively new and varies in its offerings from year-to-year, the number of applicants vary as well so it is difficult to know how many applicants we will receive. Last year, we received 8 applications per offering (2022 had three different scholarship offerings) and reviewers spent about 15-20 minutes scoring each application. Should we receive an unusually high volume of applications this year, the Scholarship Committee will explore ways of dividing up the labor so that no volunteer is overburdened by their tasks.

              Any other questions?

              Please email scholarship@washingtonevaluators.org.

              Interested in Serving?

              Please send a digital copy of your CV/resume and include in the body of the email a brief statement (1 paragraph) explaining your interest in this position and confirm the number of scholarship application rounds you would be able to judge. Emails should be directed to scholarship@washingtonevaluators.org with the subject line "2022 Scholarship Application Reviewer."









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