Overview

  • Highest award given by faculty to undergraduates (approximately three to five awarded each year).
  • Nomination of candidates only through Departments and Programs.

Criteria for Selection

A student who will graduate in December 2025 or May 2026

Student record shows:
1) impressively high overall grade point average
2) evidence of independent work (e.g. independent studies, research, special projects, field study, creative writing, etc.)
3) potential for innovative scholarship
4) intention to pursue a scholarly career

Selection Procedures

1) Department or Program polls faculty, reviews student’s record, or obtains student declarations of interest, etc. to select nominees.
2) One nominee if number of majors is less than thirty; otherwise, maximum number of nominees is two.
3) Department/Program notifies nominee and solicits student essay (see below)
4) Deadline for submission of complete dossiers is March 19, 2025, to: acouncil@duke.edu

Each dossier must contain:

1) Application Cover Sheet (click here to download)
2) Official Transcript certified by the Registrar’s Office (electronic version; please no unofficial transcripts)
3) Two supporting recommendation letters
4) Student essay (maximum of three pages, single-spaced). The essay should provide an overview of the student’s intellectual interests, focusing in particular on major research projects that they have either competed, are currently in progress, or plan to undertake in the immediate future, and should include their future plans.

Student Procedures

  • Contacts DUS to indicate interest in the award (optional)
  • If selected as a candidate, writes essay (maximum three pages, single-spaced) describing:
    1. Educational and professional goals
    2.  How academic program has been designed to achieve these goals (through independent scholarship as well as coursework)
  •  Submits essay to DUS 

Faculty Scholars Committee

1) Evaluates the nominees submitted by Departments/Programs
2) Selects and interviews semi-finalists and selects winners
4) Submits the selection of the winners to the Academic Council

Amount of Award

* If student is on financial aid, the amount awarded will reduce the loan and work-study parts of the regular financial aid package, with any excess given as a stipend to the extent permitted by Federal Law