Diversity Scholarship Grants

Diversity Scholarship Grants

Diversity Scholarship Grants

Overview

Encouraging diversity and inclusion within the field of ADR

The Diversity Scholarship Fund was established by the AAA-ICDR Foundation through a special gift by the American Arbitration Association. The Fund provides diverse students/professionals with up to $2,000 of financial assistance towards participation in a degree program or fellowship in alternative dispute resolution or attendance at a well-recognized conference. The mission of the Diversity Scholarship Fund is to encourage diversity and inclusion within the field of ADR by supporting the pursuit of knowledge and skill development through training experiences that encourage inclusive leadership growth in the field of ADR.

In addition to these individualized grants, the AAA-ICDR Foundation has established diversity scholarships at Howard University and North Carolina Central University, two historically Black colleges and universities that offer certificates in dispute resolution programs in their law schools.

Both scholarships involve a three-year commitment of $150,000, $50,000 annually, to award scholarships to second- or third-year law school students in certificates in dispute resolution programs. Scholarship recipients will be selected yearly, in September, by each law school.
$501K+
IN GRANTS FUNDED
Since inception the Foundation has funded $501,637 in Diversity Scholarship Grants.
$1,655
IN AVERAGE GRANT 2022
The average Diversity Scholarship grant amount in 2022. The Average HBCU Diversity Scholarship Grant in 2022 was $25,000.
72
SCHOLAR RECIPIENTS
Since inception, the Foundation has awarded 72 Diversity Scholarships.
Meet The Scholar Recipients
Meet The Scholar Recipients
"The exposure to arbitration and commercial law that I will gain through the LL.M., will help me achieve the right balance between the expertise required by arbitration lawyers and the general understanding of business required by commercial lawyers, thereby making me a more informed arbitration practitioner."
Ashita Alag LLM Program at Harvard Law School
See all Scholars
Application Information

Eligibility

  1. Member of group that has been historically underrepresented in the alternative dispute resolution profession
  2. Acceptance in a degree program or fellowship in alternative dispute resolution or confirmation of registration at a well-recognized conference or training program in alternative dispute resolution.
  3. Need for financial assistance

Both individual and group applications are eligible. For group applications, all individuals must complete an application and be submitted at the same time by the organization. Group applications are limited to 10 applicants per group annually.

In order to award as many eligible applicants as possible with scholarships, the total amount of scholarship funds will not exceed $2,000 per individual. Once the maximum total of $2,000 has been reached for an individual (either in varying amounts or as a single award), the AAA-ICDR Foundation Diversity Scholarship Committee will not award additional scholarship funds to that individual. 

Payment of Scholarship

If approved, a check or money transfer will be made payable directly to the institution offering the degree program or, in the case of attendance at a conference or fellowship, to the recipient upon submission of the confirmed conference registration or notice of fellowship acceptance.

Please note: funds for approved conference or program registration, transportation and/or hotel will be reimbursed upon proof of payment. 

Scholarship Application Requirements

Completion of the online application, complete with all required attachments, including:

  • JPEG Photogrph
  • One-page cover letter of interest including details of qualifying ADR degree program, fellowship or well-recognized conference
  • Supporting program materials showing acceptance to an ADR degree program or fellowship or registration to a well-recognized ADR conference
  • Biography to be used for announcement of scholarship awards

Review

The review process will be competitive. Not all applicants will receive award funding. Applicants that do not complete the application as required or do not provide the necessary documentation will be automatically denied. Criteria for review will be:

  1. Content and quality of application materials
  2. Demonstrated interested in ADR
  3. Demonstrated financial need
  4. Any other relevant factors

Deadline

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed quarterly until appropriated funds are expended.

Application Form

If you meet the eligibility criteria above, and are ready to provide the required information (photograph, cover letter, etc.) outlined above, please click on the Online Application Form link below to register and begin the application process.

Online Application Form

Application Form

If you meet the eligibility criteria above, and are ready to provide the required information (photograph, cover letter, etc.) outlined above, please click on the Online Application Form link below to register and begin the application process.

Online Application Form
Meet the Scholarship Recipients.
Meet the Scholars