Department of Biological Sciences

Biological Sciences Scholarships

WIU Scholarship Resources

Award Terms and Selection

  • Terms: Award amounts will be determined by the department unless otherwise specified.
  • Selection: Applicants are selected by the Department Scholarship Committee unless otherwise specified.

How To Apply

App lications should be submitted through the Scholarship Portal.

Click on the Portal link and enter award name as the search keyword. 
 

Go to: https://www.wiu.edu/student_success/scholarship/  

 

Office: Waggoner Hall 372
Phone: (309) 298-1546
Email: biology@wiu.edu

Graduate Student Scholarships

Visit the Biology Graduate Program page for scholarship opportunities.

Biological Science Fund

CRITERIA: Students with expressed interest in, or majoring in any biological science related discipline, demonstrated desire to graduate and contribute to said career field.

Biological Science Fund Scholarship

CRITERIA: Graduate in the biological sciences conducting research in any biological discipline, one-page essay.

H. D. Waggoner Memorial Scholarship

CRITERIA: Sophomore standing with at least one semester remaining, major in Biological Sciences, full-time enrollment, minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA, demonstrated financial need. Preference will be given to a student who demonstrates outstanding contributions to the field of Biological Sciences. Student cannot receive any other Biology scholarship. Nominations will be submitted by faculty from the Department of Biological Sciences. Not renewable.

Jean S. & Roger M. Morrow Biology Award

CRITERIA: Entering junior year during semester of scholarship, biology major, minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA, demonstrate positive contribution to the overall advancement of the science of biology. Preference given to a student wishing to teach biology, though this is not mandatory. Renewable: One year as long as the student maintains a cumulative 3.0 GPA and remains a Biology major.

Dr. Mary A. Bennett Scholarship

CRITERIA: Junior class level at time of application, biology major with at least 12 semester hours of Biology coursework, minimum cumulative 3.3 GPA. Preference will be given to a student who demonstrates outstanding contributions to the field of Biological Sciences. Deadline: September 1. Not renewable.

Microbiology Fund

CRITERIA: Students with expressed interest in, or majoring in a microbiology related discipline and demonstrated desire to graduate and contribute to said career field. Not renewable.

RISE@WIU P. James Nielsen RISE Summer REU

CRITERIA: Biology major, sophomore, junior, or senior with at least a 2.8 GPA. Enrolled in the RISE (Research Inspiring Student Excellence) Program. Completion of at least one semester experience conducting research with a faculty mentor in the Department of Biological Sciences. Career aspirations to pursue graduate or professional school . Must present research results at the RISE meetings. Award amount is determined by the RISE@WIU committee. The inaugural award amount is $3,000, awarded in the summer to support living expenses. The stipend will be for an eight-week-long research experience (minimum 20 hours/week) with a start date of June 1. Not renewable.

Paul Nollen Biology Honors Scholarships

CRITERIA:

    • Be a member of the University Honors Program
    • Be enrolled in good standing in the Department of Biological Sciences Honors Program with a departmental major
    • Have a minimum 3.5 GPA
    • Have completed or will complete the introductory Biological Sciences core courses of BOT200, MICR200, and ZOOL200 by the end of the semester in which this application is submitted
    • Participate in University Honors Program Student Activities
    • Participate in Department of Biological Sciences Student Activities such as Tri Beta, Wildlife Society, Microbiology Club, and Pre-Professional Club
    • Submit a statement on the value of the honors program and a WIU Biological Sciences education to their future
    • Financial need will NOT be a consideration in awarding this scholarship
    • A sophomore applicant must have completed 30 hours of study
    • A junior applicant must have completed 60 hours of study
    • A senior applicant must have completed 90 hours of study

The total scholarship will be $2500, to be paid in two installments during the fall and spring semesters. Awardees must remain in good standing in the Department of Biological Sciences Honors Program and maintain a minimum 3.5 GPA to receive payments. The award will be lost if the student drops out of the Department of Biological Sciences Honors Program. A new recipient will be selected to fill the remaining term of that individual scholarship. The combined members of the Biology Department Honors and Scholarship Committees with the chair of the Honors Committee serving as chair will select the recipients after reviewing the applications. Deadline: March 1st. Renewable: Sophomore Awardees will be renewed for junior year with satisfactory progress in the Department of Biological Sciences Honors Program and a 3.5 cumulative GPA. Junior Awardees will be renewed for their senior year with satisfactory progress in the Department of Biological Sciences Honors Program and a 3.5 cumulative GPA.

R. M. Myers Award

CRITERIA: Junior class level, biology major, outstanding GPA, preference will be given to a student who demonstrates outstanding contributions to the field of Biological Sciences. Nominations will be submitted by faculty from the Department of Biological Sciences. Not renewable.

Dr. Robert Henry Biological Sciences Award

CRITERIA: Undergraduate student majoring in Biology, full-time enrollment. Preference given to undergraduate Biology major from Illinois who is interested in plant biology. Not renewable.

Roy M. Sallee Award

CRITERIA: Freshman class level, biology major, outstanding GPA. Preference will be given to a student who demonstrates outstanding contributions to the field of Biological Sciences. Not renewable.

Samuel L. Singer Award

CRITERIA: Senior class level, microbiology major, outstanding GPA. Preference will be given to a student who demonstrates outstanding contributions to the field of Biological Sciences. Not renewable.

Shane Van Vleet Memorial Scholarship for Biological Sciences

CRITERIA:

  • Applicants must either be a junior or senior at WIU majoring in Biological Sciences, with preference given to a pre-dentistry student
  • A minimum GPA of 3.5 or better
  • Resident of McDonough or Hancock County
  • Planning to attend medical school or entering a healthcare or medical profession
  • Financial need using the FAFSA or other information
  • Activity/involvement within the Department of Biological Sciences and/or the community

One award annually in the amount of $500; the award will be applied to the student's university account in the fall; the award is intended for tuition and books only. Renewable: The award may be automatically renewable for a second year as long as the student maintains a 3.5 GPA or better and continues to major in Biological Sciences.

Vernon Pederson Scholarship

CRITERIA: Major in Clinical Lab Science, full-time student, minimum cumulative 3.0 GPA. Preference will be given to a student who demonstrates outstanding contributions to the field of Clinical Lab Sciences. Not renewable.

Max Runkle Endowed Scholarship for Biology

CRITERIA: New Freshman, biology major, minimum 3.0 GPA, ACT 24+ or SAT 1160+, full-time enrollment. First preference to zoology major option.

Thomas Edwin Nielsen, MD & Kathryn Sue Bohn, MD Scholarship

CRITERIA: Full-time enrollment (minimum 12 credit hours per semester) on the WIU Macomb Campus. Undergraduate student in the Medical Sciences program of the Biological Sciences Department. Preference will be given to students from a small town (less than 3,000) in Western or Northern Illinois (Counties shall include Adams, Brown, Bureau, Calhoun, DeKalb, Fulton, Grundy, Hancock, Henderson, Henry, Kendall, Knox, Lee, LaSalle, Livingston, Marshall, McDonough, McLean, Mercer, Peoria, Pike, Putnam, Rock Island, Schuyler, Stark, Warren, and Woodford).