Siebel Scholars

Each year, outstanding graduate students from each institution are honored as Siebel Scholars based on academic excellence and leadership. Each Siebel Scholar receives a merit-based award of $35,000 in the final year of his or her graduate studies. The award is granted in addition to any other financial aid, assistantships, fellowships, loans, or other awards he or she may receive.
The Siebel Scholars award is based solely upon academic achievement and excellence and is not need-based financial aid. A committee comprised of the Dean and three (3) faculty members or senior staff shall nominate five outstanding students as nominees for this merit-based award. Each of the five nominees must meet all the following criteria at the time of selection:

 Nominee ranks within the top 10% of their Department of Computer Science class based on academic results.
 Nominee has a track record of distinguished academic merit.
 Nominee demonstrates excellent leadership qualities.
 Nominee has completed at least one year at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is reasonably expected to have only one year remaining in the Master’s program, or be in the last year of the undergraduate program in a co-terminus undergraduate and Master’s program (in which case the student should expect to graduate with both degrees within one academic year), or Nominee is a Master’s student in a 16 or 18 month program (either those who have been in the Master’s program for one year and have six months left, or those who have been in the program for six months and have one year left)

All awardees must be registered and attend classes at an affiliate Siebel Scholars campus in a degree-seeking program. If a student is not currently enrolled in classes, or transfers to a non-affiliated Siebel Scholars campus, the Foundation must be notified, and the award may be rescinded.

Please note: as this is a research based opportunity, on campus and online MCS students, and BS/MCS students are NOT eligible. PhD students who earn an MS as part of their graduate studies are also not eligible.

Award
$35,000
Deadline
Supplemental Questions
  1. Will you be registered for classes at UIUC in in both Fall 2023 and Spring 2024?
  2. Do you anticipate graduating in spring or summer 2024?
  3. Please upload your CV/Resume. Make sure this includes your GPA, expected graduation date, citizenship status, employment, and lists of any research publications, leadership positions, and/or entrepreneurial activities.
  4. Please upload a pdf of your unofficial academic transcripts
  5. Please upload a high-resolution, digital, color photograph of yourself
  6. Please provide a short biography statement, 100-150 words in length, written in the third person, and at minimum, describing your research and employment history. (It may be best to think of the biography like a short abstract or executive summary of your case – it will duplicate information from the CV, research statement, and excellence/leadership statement.)
  7. Please provide a Research Statement (2 page limit, 12 point font) - Discuss past, current, and planned (likely your thesis) research. In addition, describe your motivation to do research. Where appropriate, please discuss the intellectual merit and the broader impacts of your research (that is, discuss the actual/likely/possible scientific and broader societal contributions/repercussions of your research).
  8. Please provide a Excellence/Leadership Statement (2 page limit, 12 point font) - Discuss any notable achievements and/or activities that demonstrate your excellence, but especially those that show your qualities and contributions as a leader. For example, volunteer/community service contributions, student leadership contributions, artistic contributions, and/or involvement in business-related or entrepreneurial activities. (This discussion should include all such activities, not just activities at Illinois – i.e. undergraduate activities should be discussed.)
  9. Please request a letter of recommendation from your thesis advisor (If you do not have an adviser, then this letter should be from a faculty member who knows you well.) - they will be sent a link in which to upload the letter. PLEASE LET THEM KNOW YOU WILL BE REQUESTING A LETTER NOW! They will not be requested until your application is submitted, and we want to give them as much time as possible to submit.
  10. Diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) and broadening participation in computing (BPC) are an important part of the UIUC CS mission. Please write a brief paragraph telling us how DEI figures into your past and present teaching, research, community engagement, and your lived experience? How do you imagine incorporating attention to DEI into your future work?
  11. To the best of my knowledge, I have not committed any action that violates the UIUC Student Code or the CS Department Values and Code of Conduct.
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