Dwight D. Eisenhower MIHE Transportation Fellowship Program  

 

Program Overview

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) provides funding for NAU American Native students and Hispanic students in the pursuit of a Degree (Bachelor, Master, or Doctorate) in transportation related fields at NAU. The objectives of the DDETFP are: to attract the nation's brightest minds to the field of transportation; to enhance the careers of transportation professionals by encouraging them to seek advanced degrees; and to retain top talent in the transportation industry of the United States.

PROGRAM PURPOSE

The purpose of the Dwight D. Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program is to stimulate interest among Minority Institutions of Higher Education (MIHE) students in conducting transportation-related research, pursue transportation-related degrees, to enter the transportation workforce.

STUDENT ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS

1. Applicants for MIHE fellowships must be a Native American or Hispanic student and must be pursuing a degree in a transportation related discipline in a full-time program.Native American students will be given the priority.
2. Applicants must have at least one full academic year remaining in a program of study and must be enrolled for the entire academic year.  A list of transportation-related disciplines can be found in appendix A or on the U&GP website (http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/tpp/ddetfp.htm#FellowshipsDiscip).  Foreign students who are not U.S. citizens must provide a certified copy of their student I-20 ID or I-551 Permanent Resident Card that is issued by the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (CIS)

Fellowships are intended for:

• Undergraduate students (juniors and seniors) pursuing transportation-related undergraduate degrees at an MIHE who plan to enter the transportation profession upon completing their higher education.
• Graduate students (Masters or Doctorate) pursuing transportation-related graduate degrees at an MIHE who plan to enter a transportation profession upon completing their higher education.

TENURE OF FELLOWSHIP

• The duration of the fellowship will be 9 to 12 months for each academic year.
• Fellowship recipients are eligible for funding only during the months of full-time enrollment in undergraduate or graduate degree programs, or during on-site research projects or internships with approved transportation agencies.
• Recipients are only allowed to receive the MIHE fellowship for a maximum of two consecutive years.
• During the tenure of the award, the recipient must maintain satisfactory academic performance as established by Northern Arizona University’s Student Handbook.

FUNDING

If selected for the Academic year of 2013-14, students will be provided with tuition, fees, stipend and/or program-related expenses and travel to the TRB Annual Meeting.  The amount of the funding received is variable, depending on the submitted program of study (See Application Packet – Part 2 of Application) and is subject to review and approval by the Federal Highway Administration.   

Attendance at the TRB Annual Meeting is mandatory for all fellowship recipients. The TRB meeting is held in January 2014 in Washington DC.  All recipients are required to submit a 300 word presentation abstract pertaining to their research for this conference.  Those selected will be required to present at the conference.  Additional information will be provided to students selected for the program for planning purposes. 

• Please note stipends are taxable income and must be reported to the IRS. 
• Recipient awards are based on the ranking given, and the availability of funding.
• All program-related expenses must be supported by receipts and invoices.
• Any unused funds must be returned to FHWA.

SELECTION PROCESS & TIMELINE

All NAU student fellowship applications will be evaluated by an Evaluation Panel, consisting of local, state, and private transportation professionals. Following the completion of their review, recommendations for fellowship awards are sent to the Federal Highway Administration for review.  The final decision on fellowship recipients is the sole responsibility of the Federal Highway Administration and is subject to funding availability.

CRITERIA FOR APPLICATION EVALUATION

MIHE Fellowships will be awarded on the basis of merit.  Evidence of merit will include:

• Academic records, including class standing, grade point average (GPA), and official transcripts.
• Letter of Recommendations regarding the applicant’s qualifications (minimum of 4 letters required).
• Work experience, if any, including employers’ endorsements.
• Proposed plan of study (The recipient should identify how their plan of study will enhance and impact the field of transportation.)

TRANSPORTATION RESEARCH BOARD ANNUAL MEETING (TRB)

Recipients will be provided a one-time expenditure (up to $1,500) for travel to Washington, D.C. to attend the TRB Annual meeting held January, 2014.

The recipients are responsible for logging on to www.trb.org and registering themselves. Students will make travel and hotel accommodations through the university to obtain the most cost-efficient rates.  Discounted registration is provided for all Eisenhower recipients. Since funding is provided, attendance at TRB is mandatory.  In addition to attendance at TRB, it is also required that students attend ALL Eisenhower Events.  All Students should plan to arrive by Sunday, and leave after the Networking Reception on Tuesday.  If students have other commitments (i.e., presentations or poster sessions) during TRB they must notify the U&GP Program Manager in advance and get approval.  

Recipients are also required, regardless of funding level, to submit an abstract of their research (or proposed research) for review and consideration for presentation at TRB.  The abstract will contain 300 words maximum.  Selected recipients will be required to deliver a 10 – 15 minute presentation describing their research project at the meeting. 

The following contact information shall be provided with each abstract:

1. Name of Recipient;
2. Name of Eisenhower Campus Manager;
3. Name of Faculty Advisor;
4. University / College;
5. Research Title;
6. Major of Recipient; and
7. Name as it is to appear on the TRB Badge.

The abstract should be submitted electronically through the Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Campus Manager no later than September 16th to gerald.hill@dot.gov.

Presentations should be submitted electronically through the Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Campus Manager no later than January 5th to camron.ranje@dot.gov.  (For selected abstracts only)

Internships

Recipients may study or participate in research at transportation organizations during their tenure if, in the judgment of the faculty advisor and the Eisenhower Campus Program Manager, such study will enhance their knowledge in transportation.  The Program Manager, U&GP must approve all internships.  The stipend rate will remain the same.

PROJECT REQUIREMENTS

• Undergraduate and graduate recipients shall prepare a thesis/dissertation, or research paper on a topic directly related to a relevant transportation problem or issue.  The Faculty Advisor should approve topics.
• Recipients are required to attend TRB held in January in Washington, D.C. and be prepared to present on their research project.
• The results of all research will be the property of FHWA and a copy must be made available to FHWA on an unlimited, royalty-free basis.
• Upon completion of the fellowship, a copy of each student’s thesis/dissertation, or research paper and any other related research must be submitted to the Program Manager, U&GP, along with the university’s year and DDETFP report. In addition, fellowship recipients also should notify the Campus Manager, Dr. Jun Ho, with the completion of their research project and a copy of their thesis/dissertation or report should be sent to Dr. Jun Ho to keep a record.

DEADLINE FOR STUDENT APPLICATIONS 

Applications to the Fellowship Program must be submitted no later than April 1, 2013 by 4:00 p.m. for consideration.  Late responses will not be considered.  Electronic or fax submissions will not be accepted. Please put all application materials in a storage envelope.  Completed applications must be submitted in hard copy format and delivered to Denise Walters, Suite 322,  in the Dean’s Office (located on the 3^rd floor of the Engineering Building) (Building #69).

NAU STUDENT & FACULTY INFORMATION SESSIONS

Information sessions for students interested in learning more about this program will be held on the following date and time:

Tuesday, March 5th from  11am-12pm in RM 321 (located in Engineering Building #69)

For more information about the Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program, please contact the Campus Manager, Dr. Jun Ho, at chun-hsing.ho@nau.edu or 928-523-5307.