The Association for International Agriculture and Rural Development (AIARD) administers a competitive scholarship program to nurture and to provide partial financial support for students attending the annual Future Leaders Forum, May 31 – June 2 in Washington, D.C. Scholarships are awarded on a competitive basis to students who have a sincere interest in international agriculture and rural development issues and their solutions. These scholarships are intended to partially fund attendance of students at the Future Leaders Forum in order to enhance understanding and appreciation of issues and opportunities in international agriculture and rural development. Deadline to apply is April 24.

The objectives of the scholarship program are to:

• Facilitate student attendance and participation in the Association’s annual conference in Washington, DC
• Broaden student vision and help build a broad array of social/cultural, economic and scientific skills required to become an effective 21st century professional in international agriculture and rural development
• Facilitate career visioning and networking by providing opportunities for students to meet with influential individuals in universities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), Congress, governmental agencies, international financial institutions and multi-national corporations active in international agriculture and rural development activities

AIARD will provide a select number of scholarships in 2009 to partially fund students’ participation in the Future Leaders Forum which includes participation in the AIARD Annual Conference and a day and a half of visits to agencies, companies and organizations (i.e. USAID, USDA-FAS and CSREES, World Bank, Peace Corps, UN/FAO, Chemonics, Dupont/Pioneer International, Millennium Challenge Corporation) engaged in international agriculture and rural development.

Applications for scholarships to attend the 2009 Future Leaders Forum are evaluated by an AIARD committee. Scholarships are intended to partially cover expenses related to travel, lodging, registration fees and meals, and students receiving the scholarships will be responsible for obtaining additional funding to cover the costs of travel to and participation in the Future Leaders Forum. Undergraduate or graduate students, foreign and American, are encouraged to apply.

Apply on-line at http://aiard.org/meetings/2009annual/student.htm

THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIVING APPLICATIONS IN APRIL 24, 2009

Scholarship recipients will be notified by April 30, 2009