PMI Fellows Scholarship

2021 PMI Russell Archibald, James O’Brian & Paul Dinsmore Fellows Scholarship

Summary 

In honor of the distinguished service career of the Fellows of the Project Management Institute, the PMI Board of Directors has established the Memorial Fellows Scholarship named in honor of the previous year’s Fellow(s) who have passed. This year we are honoring Russell D. Archibald, James J. O'Brien, and Paul C. Dinsmore. 

The scholarship is open to any student enrolled in a Master’s or PhD program in project management or a project management related field of study.

The scholarship will be awarded in the amount of US$2,000. This scholarship is awarded once annually.

Application and Notification

To apply for this scholarship, complete the application for the PMI Fellows’ Scholarship. The application opens on 10 August and closes on 10 September. All notifications of application status will be made to the email address provided in the scholarship application.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be enrolled in a Master’s or PhD program in project management or a project management related field of study.
• Student must be enrolled and classified by the university as at least a half-time graduate student.
• PMI membership is not required.    

Not Eligible

• Sitting members of the PMI and PMIEF Board of Directors may not participate in the nomination or evaluation process and are ineligible to receive this award.
• Current PMI staff, consultants and family members are ineligible. 
• Individuals who have failed to comply with PMI policies and procedures, including but not limited to PMI's Code of Ethics and Professional Conduct, will not be considered.

Application Materials

• Transcripts from the applicant’s current or most recently attended college, or university. Transcripts that have been downloaded, screenshot or printed and scanned directly from the applicant’s college or university website are acceptable for the submission of the scholarship application. However, PMI must receive official transcripts directly from the student’s university before scholarship funds can be released to scholarship recipients. 
• Curriculum vitae must accompany the application.
• Two reference letters must accompany the application.
• Short Essay: Please explain the importance of project management in your academic studies and how you plan to incorporate a practical application for use in your future career (750 word limit).

Selection Process for Fellows Scholarships

PMI volunteers will review all applications accompanied by the required supporting materials..

Applicants will be scored using a point system based on the quality of the content of the essay, the student’s academic performance, review of the letters of recommendation and the alignment of a candidate’s coursework to the field of project management.

All decisions by the review committee are final, and any attempts by applicants to lobby or persuade the committee during the process will result in immediate disqualification.

*All scholarship finalists are screened against the Specially Designated Nationals List (SDN) of the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control.

Award Guidelines for Academic Scholarships

To be eligible for scholarship payment, applicants must provide written proof of their enrollment in the program for which a scholarship is sought before the funds are released. Proof of enrollment must be sent directly to PMI from the college or university at which the applicant plans to use the scholarship, and generally takes the form of a letter from the registrar’s office. Instructions for submission of proof of enrollment will be provided to successful applicants.

Proof of enrollment must document the following:

• Enrollment in the current academic semester must be documented.
• Student enrollment must be identified as either a half- or full-time student.
• Program of study must be identified.

The scholarship is for only one (1) academic year. The academic year for which the scholarship is provided will be identified in the award. 

Successful applicants will be awarded only one (1) PMI scholarship, grant or award per academic year. This is inclusive of academic scholarships, professional development scholarships and awards.

Unless specified otherwise, applicants may submit scholarship applications for each academic year during which they will be attending an accredited institution in a degree-granting program.

Notice of Academic Scholarship

• Initial notice to scholarship finalists will be sent via email to the address provided on the application.  
• PMI will require final enrollment verification, educational records and a signature for promotional release. The scholarship is not officially awarded until finalists return the required documents.
• Final notice of awarded scholarships will be sent to each finalist via email and postal mail, where possible, after completion of the verification process.

Applicants who are awarded an academic scholarship will have three weeks from the date of notification to submit proof of enrollment and tax forms. If documentation is not submitted before the deadline, the scholarship offer will be withdrawn. Exceptions to this policy will be considered on a case-by-case basis if extenuating circumstances are demonstrated.

The scholarship payment will be made by check and sent on behalf of students who are studying in the U.S. at the university address provided during the verification process; students studying outside of the U.S. will receive the payment by wire transfer or other accommodations.