National and International Fellowships and Scholarships
Find Your Future Opportunity Today
National and International Fellowships and Scholarships (NIFS) are competitive awards that provide financial support for undergraduate and graduate students to engage in high impact practices including research, teaching, or internships. They can be highly prestigious and life-changing opportunities for students to pursue their goals domestically and abroad.
The NIFS Office consists of an inaugural team of staff, faculty and students tasked with supporting Cal Poly students and recent graduates in applying for these nationally competitive opportunities. NIFS will coordinate with campus partners to provide applicants comprehensive advising and support during the application process.
What We Offer
The NIFS team recruits and prepares students to compete for national and international opportunities. In practice, this often means advising students on application narrative essays/personal statements, helping identify recommenders, and collaborating with students to translate their personal aspirations into actionable achievements.
Comprehensive Application Guidance: Personalized advising to help you identify opportunities that align with your goals.
Application Support: Expert advice on crafting compelling personal statements, resumes, and essays.
Workshops and Resources: Interactive sessions and tools to demystify the fellowship and scholarship process and help you prepare for interviews, personal statements and networking, which are critical components of the application process.
Mentorship: Connections to faculty and alumni mentors who have successfully navigated these opportunities.
Search Our Opportunity Database
To learn more about upcoming national and international scholarships and fellowships login to our NIFS Sharepoint for access our opportunity database.
Make a NIFS Advising Appointment for Application Guidance
We’re here for you to provide customized advising and application support for our portfolio of scholarships and fellowships. The first step is meeting with our NIFS Coordinator.
To make an appointment with our NIFS Coordinator, please email Dr. Nishi Rajakaruna.
- Refer to our list of scholarships and fellowships and login to our Sharepoint. While we may direct you to fellowships not in our portfolio, advising appointments are reserved specifically for the scholarships and fellowships we offer support for.
- Seek appointments well in advance of scholarship deadlines to ensure your needs are met.
- If you’re open to exploring different kinds of opportunities, book an appointment to learn more about what fellowships and scholarships might match your current or emerging interests.
Upcoming NIFS Events
Please stay in touch and learn more! Fill out our NIFS Interest Form
To learn more about upcoming NIFS events and workshops email us at findingnifs@calpoly.edu or find us on social media:
Refer a Student to NIFS
Do you know an outstanding Cal Poly student who would be a great candidate for one of our programs? Send them our way.
We're looking for students who excel not only in academics and research, but have also demonstrated strong potential for leadership, service, and a commitment to improving the lives of others. We consider these qualities to be indicative of an exceptional candidate:
- Leadership potential
- Academic excellence
- Hands-On Problem Solvers (true to our learn by doing way!)
- Community-Driven Changemakers Locally, Nationally, Globally
NIFS welcomes recommendations from all majors, departments, and schools. Cal Poly faculty, staff and administrators are highly encouraged to recommend and refer students our way who should be applying for these opportunities.
Please note that recommended candidates do NOT have to be Honors students.
We encourage you to connect your students with NIFS as early as possible in their undergraduate careers. Please complete the form below to connect your student today!
Nominate a student: Fellowships & Scholarships Student Referral
Contact Us
Office of National & International Fellowships and Scholarships
1 Grand Avenue, San Luis Obispo, CA, 93407
The Team
Dr. Nishi Rajakaruna
Coordinator of National and International Fellowships and Scholarships.
Professor, Biological Sciences
Dr. Nishi Rajakaruna is a professor in the Biological Sciences Department at Cal Poly. He has taught botany for 22 years and received two Fulbright Scholar Awards, to Sri Lanka and South Africa, two Fulbright Regional Travel Program Grants, to India and Madagascar, and two Fulbright Specialist Program Awards to South Africa and Spain.
He served as a Fulbright US Scholar Alumni Ambassador (2024-2026) helping promote Fulbright opportunities among faculty and other professionals across the United States.
Dr. Rajakaruna is committed to student mentoring and promoting cultural and educational exchange. He takes great pleasure in advising students, faculty and administrators on applying for prestigious awards and scholarships.
Dr. David Askay
Professor, Communication Studies
Dr. David Askay is a Professor in the Communication Studies Department at Cal Poly. He previously served on the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program on the island of Tsushima, where he taught English and developed a lasting commitment to international exchange. He earned a Ph.D. in Organizational Science from UNC Charlotte, where he developed expertise in interviewing, personnel selection, and evaluation. This background directly informs his approach to mentoring fellowship and scholarship applicants.
At Cal Poly, Dr. Askay teaches courses in teamwork, organizational communication, public speaking, and creativity and innovation. He has been part of teams awarded competitive grants and fellowships, including NSF funding, a federal STTR grant, and selection for the CSU International Faculty Seminar in Japan. He is currently a Fulbright U.S. Scholar semi-finalist to Japan.
With this academic training and international experience, Dr. Askay works closely with students to develop compelling personal narratives, articulate project goals, align awards with long-term trajectories, and prepare for video submissions and interviews.
Dr. Leslie Hamachi
Associate Professor, Chemistry and Biochemistry
Dr. Leslie Hamachi is an Associate Professor in the Chemistry and Biochemistry Department at Cal Poly. She earned her Ph.D. in Chemistry from Columbia University and completed postdoctoral research at Northwestern University.
At Cal Poly, Dr. Hamachi teaches general chemistry and polymer chemistry courses. She also mentors research students through hands-on laboratory experiences and supports their growth as emerging scientists. She was named a 2024 Cottrell Scholar and has an active externally funded research group.
As Cal Poly’s Goldwater Scholarship campus representative, Dr. Hamachi works closely with students applying to the Goldwater Scholarship and other nationally competitive STEM opportunities such as the NSF GRFP. She works with applicants to describe their research experiences, connect their scientific interests to long-term goals, and develop clear, compelling application materials.
NIFS Assistants
Isabella Rose Juarez
Student Success Graduate Assistant
Isabella Ros Juarez is a first-year student in the Master of Science in Higher Education Counseling and Student Affairs (HECSA) program at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Sociology from California State University, Northridge and brings a background in student support, behavioral services, and healthcare administration. As a Graduate Assistant with Cal Poly’s National & International Fellowships and Scholarships (NIFS) office, Isabella supports student outreach, programming, and access to fellowship and scholarship opportunities. With a passion for student success, she is committed to supporting first-generation and historically underserved students as they navigate their educational journeys.