PinS: DU’s Most Awesome Secret
Posted on 27. Jan, 2010 by Lauren Golder in Around Campus, Featured
Are you jonesing to see new places? Want DU to pay for it? Enjoy feeling snooty and academic? We’ve got just the thing. If you are a student at DU and have never participated in the Partners in Scholarship (PinS) program, you are probably missing out. PinS is a fantastic resource that many undergrads haven’t heard of, and is the perfect way to finance that special project you’ve been dreaming about (don’t deny it; we know you have). The program, part of the Undergraduate Research Center, provides up to $1,500 ($3,000 during the Summer) to fund student research, travel, and a number of other school-related things that require money.
During Winter break, I received a PinS grant to visit the International Institute for Social History (IISH) in Amsterdam to do research for my Senior Thesis in History. Since my thesis topic is rather obscure (news reports of anarchist terrorism in the 1890s), PinS was the best option for finding primary sources, most of which exist outside of North America. With a considerable amount of help from DU, I was able to spend a week in Holland looking through 100-year-old documents and newspapers by day and wandering around town (frequently gawking) at night.
After initially panicking about being alone in a foreign city, I grew to like Amsterdam very quickly. It was freezing, yes, but gorgeous and thrilling all over. Everyone at the IISH was extremely helpful and made arduous archival research a relative breeze. Although the trip was primarily research-oriented, I nevertheless had time to wander next to the canals, see the Red Light District, and eat Surinamese food for dinner (Surinam is a former Dutch colony, which is why you can get their food in Amsterdam). The whole time I was there, I kept thinking, “DU is paying for this! How is everything so awesome?!”
If you have a special project tucked away in the back of your mind (or someplace you want to visit on the pretext of research), I would highly recommend going for a PinS or Student Travel grant. Just find a faculty partner, write up a budget and research proposal, then start packing. The program is arguably underutilized given how awesome it is, so apply before people catch on and use up all the monies!
The deadline for Spring PinS applications is February 17, 2010. Check the website for more info.
*This is not some sort of DU-advertisement. I just think PinS is really cool and want to share.
I concur! I did the Student Travel Fund and researched in Nicaragua. All expenses paid for by DU… about time we got some of our tuition dollars back!
Kids should jump on this opportunity before it is too late.