Summer & Interterm Opportunities

To be eligible for funding, students must meet the following criteria:

• Be a Smith undergraduate in good academic standing.
• The proposed activity must be completed before graduation and may not conflict with the academic year.
• The proposed activity must not be part of a semester or year-long study abroad program and must not take place in your country of residence.
• The proposed activity must not take place in a country that is under a U.S. State Department Travel Advisory of level 3 or above. (Some exceptions may be made on a case-by-case basis). If the student is proposing an activity in a country with a Travel Advisory of level 3 or above, students will be required to consult with the Associate Dean for International Study, and, if approval is given, the student will have to complete an Acknowledgment of Risk & Release Form.)
• The proposed activity must not be politically or religiously related (contact the dean of religious life in the chapel about religious activities).
• If the proposal includes a research component and the proposed research involves human subjects you may additionally be required by federal law to gain approval from a formally convened Institutional Review Board (IRB). This process can take up to four-to-five weeks. Students must still submit their IEG application by the posted deadline even if IRB approval is pending. If the student intends to interview or study people for their research project, please visit the Smith College Institutional Review Board Approval for more information or contact Johanna Ravenhurst at irb@smith.edu.

Note: Some college funds (including Praxis and the Tomlinson Fund) may have restrictions about combining funding sources. Students should familiarize themselves with the criteria of each fund to which they apply.

International students must consult with the International Students and Scholars Office regarding their visa clearance to travel abroad and return to the United States.

A federally mandated withholding tax of 14 percent may be applied to grants awarded directly to international students at the time the funds are disbursed by the Controller's Office. International students may consult with the Controller's Office or the International Students and Scholars Office to determine if this tax will be withheld and to learn how the these funds may be returned to the student when the student files taxes.

Project Categories

Proposals will be accepted in the following categories:

• Intensive language study and proficiency with a preference for language study beyond the novice level
• Practical experiences related to Concentrations, degree requirements, and/or Smith-approved study abroad programs
• Independent research projects linked to your academic area of interest and supported by a faculty mentor
• Smith College faculty-led programs (including Global FLEX, and other similar opportunities)
  • Special note for Tibetan Studies in India Program students: if you are applying for funding to support study on the Tibetan Studies in India Program, any IEG funds awarded will be disbursed directly to the program to cover fees and expenses.

Evaluation of Proposals

Proposals will be evaluated based on adherence to the following criteria:

• Proposal clearly articulates how the proposed activity will enhance your academic course of study.
• Proposed project/activity is of significant length (three weeks during J-Term or six to eight weeks during the summer).
• Strength of your faculty recommendation letter. Letters will only be accepted from Smith faculty serving as your major adviser or a professor linked to your topic of interest.
• Determination of final funding amount will be based in part on the level of your financial need as determined by Student Financial Services.

How to Apply

To apply for an IEG complete the application in Smith International Travel Experiences System (SITES).

Please complete the required IEG Student Reports Google Form within one week of returning to campus. 

The college requires that students document that they spent their grant funds for the purpose for which they were awarded. To do this, upload the expense report form and copies of receipts (for at least the amount of your award) to the IEG Student Reports Google Form. 

Eligibility

• Smith student enrolled in a Smith Program Abroad for a semester or full academic year
• Projects should be of at least four weeks duration and take place in summer or equivalent academic break during or immediately after the student's term abroad.
• All proposals must have the support of a Smith College faculty mentor who agrees to assist in the proposal development and final presentation.

Restrictions

Blumberg funding cannot be used with Praxis funding.

Students who apply for a Blumberg Traveling Fellowship agree to prepare and deliver a brief presentation of their project at the annual Blumberg Award Luncheon held in October. Visual aids are strongly encouraged in the form of PowerPoint, sound recordings, slides, photos, materials and so on.

Applicants also agree to submit a two-page project report, which outlines the activities undertaken, and an expense report to the Lewis Global Studies Center in the first week of classes in the fall semester. Students must upload as PDFs the two-page project report, expense report form and copies of receipts (for at least the amount of your award) to the Google Form within one week of returning to campus.

Students must consult with their JYA program director as they design and propose their projects.

Projects involving human subjects (such as interviews) must receive IRB approval before they will be considered for funding.

Submit the Blumberg Traveling Fellowship application via the Smith International Travel Experiences System (SITES) by the deadline.

Please note that the online application in SITES will include the the following components:

1. Project proposal: outline of the project in terms of goals, procedures, concrete results the student aims to obtain and how they will be presented at the Blumberg Luncheon. Be specific in describing the project's academic validity and its connection to your academic and/or career goals. Include the project title at the top of the document. 1,000 words maximum.
2. Personal statement: describe personal and academic preparation for the proposed project, including related activities and interests. 500 words maximum.
3. Résumé: include all activities since high school and any community, sports or arts involvement.
4. Letters of recommendation: One letter should be from the Smith faculty mentor and the other should be an academic recommendation from a Smith or local study abroad faculty member.

Please direct all questions to global@smith.edu.

Please note: Student academic records will be also be reviewed by the committee.

The college requires that students document that they spent their grant funds for the purpose for which they were awarded. To do this, upload the expense report form and copies of receipts (for at least the amount of your award) to the Google Form within one week of returning to campus.

Failure to do so will result in your student account being charged for the amount of your award. Any unspent funds must be returned to the Office for International Study.