Leaders Award, New Achievers Award, National Teacher of the Year Award, and Wiley-Berger Award for Volunteer Service postmarked on or before January 16, 2009.

21st Century Community Champion Award and Friend of the Family Award e-mailed no later than January 16, 2009.

National Undergraduate Scholarship, Graduate Fellowships, and Excellence in Extension Grant submitted online no later than January 16, 2009.

The Association is developing its online submission system, and should have more options in place next year.  Thank you for your patience as the transition occurs.

In the fall of each year, links to award, grant, fellowship, and scholarship guidelines and forms can be found in the Award Programs section of the AAFCS website.

You may have missed it when looking at the current year’s full list. Otherwise, it is not offered in the current year—check the following year’s schedule and continue to check the website for updates.

You do if you took an AAFCS competency exam, passed the exam, paid a fee, and continue to pay a maintenance fee and report the required number of Professional Development Units (PDUs).   AAFCS offers one broad field certification and two concentration certifications in family and consumer sciences:

• CFCS - Certified in Family and Consumer Sciences
• CFCS-HDFS - Certified in Human Development and Family Studies
• CFCS-HNFS - Certified in Hospitality, Nutrition, and Food Science.

Effective September 1, 2005, there was a new certification category called CFCS, Retired, available to those who are already certified and meet the Association's eligibility requirements for retired professionals (an active member for at least 10 years, 60 or more years of age, meeting retirement guidelines at place of employment, and no longer gainfully employed) and have requested the change to "retired" certification status. For more information on how you can obtain and maintain AAFCS certifications, how you can attain CFCS, Retired status, or whether you are "CFCS," contact the FCS Credentialing Center at 703-706-4600, 800-424-8080, or certification@aafcs.org.

Yes, there is a current year list of awards, grants, fellowships, and scholarships offered in 2009. There is also a list of awards, grants, fellowships, and scholarships offered in the following year.

Old guidelines and forms should not be used because deadlines and requirements may have changed. Additionally, grant, fellowship, and scholarship applications are to be submitted online. Current guidelines and forms can be found in the Award Programs section of the website.

You can use any working e-mail address and can assign it any password that is between 6 and 16 characters.  You do NOT need to use your AAFCS member number as your password.  If you have ever submitted a conference proposal online, you can use the same e-mail address and password you used to submit that proposal, provided the e-mail address works.

To obtain the appropriate URL, read the relevant guidelines (National Undergraduate Scholarship, Graduate Fellowships, and Excellence in Extension Grant).

In general, you should be prepared to answer questions about two areas—the participants involved and the proposal itself.  Before you begin submitting your application(s) online, be sure you have the following information:

• Project Participant(s) – order of participants (if multiple participants), name, contact information, AAFCS membership status, AAFCS membership number (if applicable), AAFCS credential(s) in family and consumer sciences
• Project Title (max. 250 characters)
• Project Narrative (max. 2,000 words/20,000 characters) – 1.  Purpose:Provide justification or rationale for the project; include the relationship of the proposed project to the current and relevant issues in AAFCS or Extension; indicate the project’s contribution to increased public knowledge of family and consumer sciences and its value to society; indicate how the project expands the body of knowledge related to Family and Consumer Sciences; indicate how the project expands the program efforts of Cooperative Extension. A brief literature review may be used to support the statement of purpose.  2.  Objectives:  Include clearly stated project objectives and anticipated outcomes achievable within one (1) year.  3.  Plan of Action:  Include clearly stated project activities with a month-by-month timeline which shows the activities required to accomplish the objectives of the project, along with the target completion date.  4.  Dissemination:  Indicate how the project will be disseminated or marketed; identify target audiences. 5.  Evaluation:  Indicate how this project will be monitored and evaluated to determine whether the objectives have been met and goals achieved.6.  References:   Include citations of references in the narrative and list any references used in a bibliography.   
• Budget (max. 500 words/5,000 characters) – 1.  Budget Summary  2.  Budget Narrative: Provide a brief narrative explaining the proposed use of AAFCS Excellence in Extension Grant funds by each line item.
• Personnel and Sponsoring Organization Background (max. 500 words/5,000 characters) – Provide description of the expertise of the principal project personnel and a brief background information on the Extension organization, including a statement of its mission and the support of the Extension organization for this project.

In general, you should be prepared to answer questions about these areas:  your contact information, the specific fellowship(s) for which you feel you qualify, your graduate and undergraduate information, and your professional plans.  Before you begin submitting your application(s) online, be sure you have the following information:

• Contact, Membership, and Credential Information – name, contact information, AAFCS membership status, AAFCS membership number (if applicable), AAFCS credential(s) in family and consumer sciences
• Graduate Program – name of school to which applicant has applied/been admitted, graduate degree that will be/is being sought, field of study/major, anticipated date of graduation, date of admission, if applicable
• Undergraduate Program (if applicable) – undergraduate degree that is being sought, field of study/major, anticipated date of graduation
• Research Problem (max. 500 words/5,000 characters) – If a research problem has been selected and planned, discuss the following:  Topic, design, and methodology; potential significance of study and anticipated value of its findings; How this area of research relates to the field of family and consumer sciences; date the study began and the progress made; or date the study is expected to begin OR If a research problem has not been selected, discuss the following: Research area of problem that applicant views as a strong possibility for graduate study; possible significance and potential value of such a study; how this area of research relates to the field of family and consumer sciences
• Professional Goals/Biographical Sketch (max. 600 words/6,000 characters)
• Narrative for International Students Only (max. 1000 words/10,000 characters) – Applicant’s professional goals, including specific plans for advanced study.  Brief biographical sketch.  Describe the family and consumer sciences preparation available at colleges or universities in your home country.  What is the highest degree in family and consumer sciences that can be obtained in your country?  Give a brief description of the preparation you have had in family and consumer sciences.  What are your career plans when you complete your degree?  Please explain any commitments you have when you return to your home country. How will the field you plan to study better prepare you to carry out the work of family and consumer sciences in your home country or the country where you expect to be employed?

In general, you should be prepared to answer questions about these areas:  your contact information, your undergraduate information, and your professional plans.  Before you begin submitting your application(s) online, be sure you have the following information:

• Contact and Membership Information – name, contact information, AAFCS membership status, AAFCS membership number (if applicable)
• Undergraduate Program – name of school to which applicant has applied/been admitted, undergraduate degree that will be/is being sought, field of study/major, date of admission to FCS program, if applicable
• Professional Goals (max. 500 words/5,000 characters)
• Biographical Sketch (max. 250 words/2,500 characters)

Yes.

You may upload up to three completed 2009 AAFCS Graduate Fellowship Recommendation Forms (scan first, if necessary). You should also upload undergraduate transcripts (scan first, if necessary), graduate transcripts, if applicable (scan first, if necessary), and a resume that includes the following: educational background (include GPA on a 4-point scale), professional experiences and responsibilities (include graduate assistantships if relevant), special recognition and/or awards received and include dates (e.g., honors, awards, scholarships, grant proposals funded, and stipends), participation in volunteer and community service activities, and professional and leadership development activities, such as student organizations.

What supporting documentation should I submit with my National Undergraduate Scholarship Application?

You may upload up to three completed 2009 AAFCS National Undergraduate Scholarship Recommendation Forms(scan first, if necessary).  You should also upload undergraduate transcripts (scan first, if necessary), and a resume that includes the following:  educational background (include GPA on a 4-point scale), professional experiences (include responsibilities), special recognition and/or awards received and include dates (e.g., honors, awards, scholarships), participation in volunteer and community service activities, professional and leadership development activities, such as student organizations, and certifications, licenses or other background information (optional).

Why do you ask about “project participants” in the online system?” I just want to win a fellowship scholarship for myself.

No award nominee or fellowship and scholarship applicant need be concerned with project participants.  Award nominees and fellowship and scholarship applicants should provide their own contact information and move to the body of their nominations and applications.  But, those who are submitting applications for a grant may be working in groups on their projects and should provide contact information for everyone involved because the names of all participants will be listed in the program book if the project wins. 

No award nominee or fellowship and scholarship applicant need be concerned with project participants.  Award nominees and fellowship and scholarship applicants should provide their own contact information and move to the body of their nominations and applications.  But, those who are submitting applications for a grant may be working in groups on their projects and should provide contact information for everyone involved because the names of all participants will be listed in the program book if the project wins.  Typically, the submitter will list the names of project participants in an order that reflects each person’s contribution to the project; i.e., the first name listed is the name of the person who has contributed or will contribute the most to the project—the team leader.  The order of project participants will not affect the outcome of the jury process.

Spelling and grammatical errors will result in a lower score, but there are no spell or grammar check functions available in the online system.  Submitters may prefer to develop the application in a word processing program, where grammar and spelling can be checked more easily before the application is copied and pasted into the online system.

The online system allows you to begin an application, save it, and come back to it as often as needed. When you are finished with your application, submit it by clicking on the “Save and Complete” button. Otherwise, your application will be listed as incomplete when the deadline for submission has passed.  Although you do not need to complete your application when you first create it, please keep in mind that even incomplete applications are an unnecessary expense for the Association.

How do I save and submit my application?

Applications can be saved in the online system and edited until January 16, 2009 11:59:59pm Eastern Time. To save, click on “Save and Continue.” To submit, click on “Save and Complete.” Please note that even submitted applications can be edited until January 16, 2009 11:59:59pm Eastern Time.  Applications that have not been submitted by January 16, 2009 11:59:59pm Eastern Time with “Save and Complete” are considered incomplete.

It is not too late. You can make changes even to your submitted applications by logging onto the online system. You can do this as often as needed until 11:59:59pm Eastern Time on January 16, 2009.

If you are having a technical problem and wish to contact technical support while working on your application, click on a link (in the upper, right-hand corner of your application) called “Problems, Questions, Comments?” A pop-up window will appear. Complete the form that is in the pop-up window and click on the submit button. Technical support is open from 9am to 5pm Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

The Application ID number is found near the top right-hand corner of your Excellence in Extension Grant, Graduate Fellowship, or National Undergraduate Scholarship application.  It is a unique number assigned only to your application, and helps us locate your application if you have questions about it.  Be careful not to confuse the Application ID number with other identifying numbers, such as your AAFCS member ID.

Share your e-mail address and password. If others log in as you, they will have access to your application.

The online application system will be closed at 11:59:59pm Eastern Time on January 16, 2009.  But if you submit your application before the deadline, you will be given an opportunity to print your application.  Please do so and keep a copy of it.

A message will be sent to nomination and application submitters in spring 2009.  The submitter is considered the main contact person and is responsible for notifying all other participants, if any, of information provided by AAFCS.

Use 10 to 12-point Times New Roman or Arial fonts. 

Some are offered every other year for these reasons:

1. To increase the award amount.
2. To allow time for available award funds to earn interest.
3. To even out the administrative support time needed to manage this program.

Monetary awards are given from the accumulated interest on the funds, leaving the principal of the fund intact. By using the rotation cycle, AAFCS is not likely to need to dip into the principal, both because the award is paid out less often and because less time is spent on administration.  Even with this policy in place, numerous grants and fellowships are available in a given year.

An award is defined as a merit honor based on performance and on contributions to the field of family and consumer sciences.

A grant is defined as financial support given for research studies in family and consumer sciences.

A fellowship is financial support from an endowment given to a student for graduate study in family and consumer sciences.

What is a scholarship?

A scholarship is financial support from an endowment given to a student for undergraduate study in family and consumer sciences.

The award, grant, fellowship, and scholarship process requires a full year of preparation. Immediately after completed nomination and application packages are received at headquarters, the names of the nominees and applicants have to be recorded, and the packages have to be sorted and forwarded to jurors. The jurors need time to review the packages and rate them on score sheets, which are returned to headquarters. After the scores and comments are recorded and reviewed, the winners are chosen after the results are discussed.

Once the fiscal year has ended, the amount of money in each award, grant, fellowship, and scholarship fund can be calculated. At this point, it is possible to determine which awards, grants, fellowships, and scholarships will be offered, and the work of updating the guidelines and forms can begin.