Areas of Focus - Elements of Successful Scholarships

• The goals of the Foundation are to increase efficiency in scholarship processing and ensure the quality of funded scholarships
• The content of each policy statement describes eligible and ineligible areas of study
• Eligible areas of study reflect those that are aligned with one of Rotary’s six Areas of Focus
• All scholarship requests must comply with the policy statements related to the chosen Area of Focus

Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution

Elements of Successful Scholarships

1. The applicant’s previous work experience in the field of peace and conflict prevention/resolution.
2. Academic program alignment with peace and conflict prevention/resolution.
   1. Examples of preferred academic programs include conflict prevention/resolution, peace and justice studies, and international relations or law with a specialization in peace and conflict.
   2. Programs that will be considered favorably include those that focus directly on peace and conflict issues.
   3. Programs that will not be considered favorably include those that relate to general international relations or law.
3. The applicant’s career plans as they relate to peace and conflict

Elements of Successful Scholarships

1. The applicant’s previous work experience in the field of disease prevention and treatment.
2. Academic program alignment with disease prevention and treatment. Examples of academic programs include public health, advanced degrees in nursing or medicine.
3. The applicant’s career plans as they relate to disease prevention and treatment

Water and Sanitation

Elements of Successful Scholarships

1. The applicant’s previous work experience in the field of water and sanitation.
2. Academic program alignment with water and sanitation. Examples of academic programs include water science/engineering, water management, environmental science, epidemiology, and parasitology.
3. The applicant’s career plans as they relate to water and sanitation.

Maternal and Child Health

Elements of Successful Scholarships

1. The applicant’s previous work experience in the field of maternal and child health.
2. Academic program alignment with maternal and child health. Examples of academic programs include epidemiology, nutrition, global health, public health, and health promotion and degrees in nursing and medicine.
3. The applicant’s career plans as they relate to maternal and child health.

Basic Education and Literacy

Elements of Successful Scholarships

1. The applicant’s previous work experience in the field of basic education and literacy.
2. Academic program alignment with basic education and literacy. Examples of academic programs include education, literacy, curriculum development, special education, and school administration.
3. The applicant’s future career plans as they relate to basic education and literacy.

Economic and Community Development

Elements of Successful Scholarships

1. The applicant’s previous work experience in the field of economic and community development. Applicants are expected to demonstrate how their work contributed to the economic well-being of poor or underserved communities.  
2. Academic program alignment with economic and community development
3. Examples of preferred academic programs include social science degrees with a specific focus on economic and community development, and business degrees tailored for social business or microcredit.
   1. Programs that will be favorably considered include those that
      1. Focus on grass-roots economic development strategies;
      2. Focus on addressing economic issues of poor and underserved communities; 
      3. Support social business development, such as a tailored track within a Masters of Business Administration program; 
      4. Include “community development” in the name of the program or tailored track
   2. Programs that will not be favorably considered include those that
      1. Focus on purely theoretical or macro-level economics; 
      2. Support general private business development, such as a masters of business administration; 
      3. Connect in a general way to the field of community development but do not include “community development” in the name of the program or tailored track. 
4. The applicant’s career plans as they relate to economic and community development.
   1. Careers that will be considered favorably include those that 
      1. Focus on improving the economic well-being of poor and underserved communities; 
      2. Are in a non-profit or social enterprise environment.
   2. Careers that will not be considered favorably include those that focus on general business activities in a private or corporate environment.