Opportunity Awards | Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts

Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts strongly encourages students to participate in co-curricular and extracurricular activities as part of their liberal arts education. We also realize that such activities are sometimes not possible for students whose personal financial resources are limited.
Eugene Lang Opportunity Awards make it easier for students with financial need and academic merit to participate in the many co-curricular programs and initiatives available at Lang.
Opportunities are available in the following categories: Capstone and Unpaid Internship Support Grants
Please note funds are prioritized for students with academic merit and financial need. Deadlines may be edited based on the availability of funds.
Capstone Grant
Students enrolled (or planning to enroll in the next semester) in a Capstone course or an independent study to complete their senior work are eligible for up to $1,500 to support their Capstone projects.
Deadlines: October 18, 2024, and February 28, 2025
Requirements/qualifications:
Be matriculated degree students of Eugene Lang College
Be enrolled or planning to enroll in a Capstone course or Independent Senior Work
Complete a final reflection, submit a write-up of work for the Lang Capstone blog, and make a short presentation about their experience to a First Year course
Unpaid Internship Support Grant
Grants of $2,000 to support unpaid internships
Deadlines: September 6 and December 6, 2024 (fall internships); January 31, March 7, April 4, and May 2, 2025 (spring and summer internships)
Requirements/qualifications:
The internship is secured (proof required: email from internship supervisor/coordinator).
The internship is unpaid (proof required: email from internship supervisor/coordinator).
The bulk of the internship is still to be completed (at least six weeks remaining).
Applicants must be current Lang students (graduating students can apply for only the semester after graduation).
First Year students need permission from the Student Success academic advisor.
International students must be eligible for curricular practical training (CPT). Learn more at the ISSS's Employment page.
Internships can be for credit or on a noncredit basis.
Internships must be a minimum of 120 hours.
Internships cannot take place at The New School.
Students can receive this grant only once.
Students cannot receive a Eugene Lang Opportunity Award or a CESJ Summer Fellowship for the same internship.
Students must submit an updated résumé or CV.
Students must share their LinkedIn page.
Students who receive the grant are required to:
Submit a pre-experience reflection
Submit an Experience Learning Agreement (ELA) and register their internship with the Office of Career Services and complete all requirements (note: the zero-credit registration fee will be covered for students who are applying for an internship when not enrolled in courses)
Complete the Unpaid Internship Support Grant final report form
If you would like help thinking through and writing your proposal, sign up with your proposal with the Learning Center. This is the perfect opportunity to learn how to present and highlight your ideas in a compelling manner, especially if you are new to the process of applying for a grant.
Application Form
Application
See Completed Projects Funded by Awards.
View projects that have been funded by Eugene Lang Opportunity Awards.
Completion Requirement
All Eugene Lang Opportunity Award recipients are expected to participate in the Lang Dean’s Honor Symposium (students apply to the symposium in the fall semester and enroll in a special symposium class in the spring semester). Students receiving awards on the fall deadline (and spring deadline, if timing allows) are encouraged to feature their work in the poster session of the Honor Symposium or apply the following fall to be part of a presentation panel.
Eugene Lang Opportunity Awards are made possible by a generous gift from Eugene M. Lang and the support of the following Eugene Lang College offices and committees: the Dean's Office, Academic Advising and Student Support, the Office of Civic Engagement and Social Justice, and the Student Academic Excellent Committee.
Tips for Submitting a Strong Application
Review Eligibility Criteria

Eligible applicants must:
Be matriculated degree students of Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts
Demonstrate financial need
For each grant, be sure to review the specific criteria and requirements for the grant. Review your application materials before submitting to ensure they meet the requirements.

Review with Others

If you would like help thinking through and writing your proposal, sign up for help with your proposal with the Learning Center. This is the perfect opportunity to learn how to present and highlight your experience and ideas in a compelling manner, especially if you are new to the process of applying for a grant.
If a résumé is required for your grant, contact Student Career Services at The New School for help in preparing an effective résumé.

How do I apply?

Complete the application on the Engaged Learning Opportunities Shared Application page.
Requirements are outlined on the template application
An application received after one deadline will be rolled over to the next deadline unless the dates of the proposed activity or project preclude later consideration. In that case, the application will be rejected. Deadlines may be edited based on the availability of funds.

Craft a Strong Application

Write a compelling narrative description and a thoughtful budget of your proposed activity.
For your narrative, consider the following:
Describe your reasons for applying to the ELOA program.
What can you gain from the proposed experience?
Describe your interest in the proposed area of research, project, or program.
Draw upon past experiences in leadership, community service, team efforts, etc. (Note: Do not restate the contents of your résumé.)
Highlight your career goals and how the proposed project or program fits into your plans.
For your budget, consider the following:
Make sure the budget includes only eligible project-related expenses. These may include (but are not limited to):
Travel, lodging, transportation, and meals
Equipment not otherwise available on campus
Materials and supplies not available on campus
Access fees for data or memberships, professional organizations, or registration fees
Costs for showcasing artwork or performance
Necessary payments or incentives for participants in a research study
Expenses in the following categories are not allowable:
New School fees or tuition
Wages or other fixed, regular payments that will continue beyond the scope of the project
Alcohol or other age-restricted items
Expenses in the following categories should be justified as uniquely essential to the project in the application:
Basic living expenses in New York City
Payments to other students or professionals for research or performance-related work (in the form on single payments for services directly related to the project)
For a strong personal statement., consider the following:
What is the topic/focus of your research, project, or program?
Can you concisely explain your research question or the focus of your research, project, or program and goals?
What is the purpose and merit of the proposed research, program, or project? (How will this research, program, or project contribute to your academic and personal development and to the community, and are these contributions significant?)
What methodology will you employ to complete the research, project, or program? (Is the proposed research, project, or program feasible, and do you have adequate resources and abilities to complete it? Is the research, project, or program over-ambitious or under-ambitious?)
Describe your qualifications. (Why should the selection committee feel you can successfully complete this research, project, or program?)
How do you plan to share the results of your project or research or the program experience with the broader community?
What are the benefits of this research, project, or program to you personally?
Make sure that you've discussed your project with faculty you are requesting support from. Contact faculty early to ensure they can support your work and are able to offer you suggestions on your application.
Finally, proofread your application before you submit it.
Your submission is final. You can't make edits or append any documents after submission. Be thorough in your review of your application, but do not wait until the last minute to submit it.
Check your proposal for spelling, correct calculations, adherence to page limitations, and font and file-type requirements.
Use the checklist provided in the application instructions to ensure that all required documents are included in the application.
Review the content and be sure you have addressed all the criteria that will be used to evaluate your application.
Questions can be submitted to [email protected].

Eugene Lang Opportunity Awards

Capstone Grant

Unpaid Internship Support Grant

Application Form

Completion Requirement

Tips for Submitting a Strong Application

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