Vehicles traveling on a road.

Deadline for applying: Friday, May 24, 2024

About the Program

The Dwight David Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship Program (DDETFP) provides funding for the pursuit of higher education in a wide range of academic fields, including both engineering and non-engineering disciplines. The goal is to attract the nation's brightest minds to the field of transportation. Past Eisenhower fellows have had diverse interests and have studied a broad range of topics. All have been talented students who were selected based on merit.

Eligibility Requirements

The Cecil College competition for this fellowship is open to enrolled Cecil College students. All students who apply must be:

  1. Pursuing a degree in a transportation-related discipline.
  2. Enrolled in a full-time program for the 2024-2025 academic year.
  3. Have a plan of study in one or more transportation-related disciplines.
  4. Agree to participate in the Cecil College DDETFP Research Cohort.
  5. Planning to enter the transportation profession after completing their higher-level education.

Program Requirements

All fellowship recipients must:

  1. Participate in the Cecil College DDETFP Research Cohort. The DDETFP Coordinator will work with the cohort to develop the research topic.
  2. Attend the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board in January 2025 in Washington, D.C. and be prepared to potentially present on their research project.

Fellowship Application

A complete student application consists of the following:

  1. Student File Information Sheet (SFIS)
  2. Application for Federal Assistance (Form: SF 424 - Individual)
  3. Personal Statement
    • This should include relevant information about your background, your educational and professional development plans, and your career goals. It should describe how your education will prepare you for a career in transportation (limit = 8000 characters).
  4. Study Plan & Impact Statement
    • This should summarize your plan of study. It should describe how your studies will impact and enhance the field of transportation, contribute to an understanding of transportation, and provide societal benefits. Your proposed studies must be conducted in one of the approved transportation-related academic disciplines (limit = 8000 characters).
  5. Resume
  6. Letters of Recommendation
    • Must submit exactly two, one of which must be from a Cecil College faculty member or a high school faculty member who advised you.
  7. Official Transcripts

All files should be saved with the conventions provided below. Please note that an email alias is the portion before the @ symbol. Do not include the portion including the @ symbol and beyond. Example: an email alias for jdoe@nullemail.com would be "jdoe".

Instructions for Completing and Submitting Application Materials

Student File Information Sheet (SFIS)

  1. Download the Student File Information Sheet (SFIS). Note that if the form opens in your browser window, you'll need to save it to your device first. Once downloaded, find the file on your device and rename it using the following naming convention:

    2024_LC_Student_Application_Cecil College_<your email alias>

  2. Open the form in Adobe Acrobat and review it carefully. You can download Adobe Acrobat Reader for free if it's not already installed on your device.
  3. In the "Fellowship Category" section at the top of the form, be sure that "CC" is selected.
  4. Fill out the remainder of the form, as appropriate, but please be careful not to change any of the fields that have already been filled out for you. Note that references to "Graduate Level Funding" do not apply to you.
  5. When complete, save the file again using the correct naming convention.

Application for Federal Assistance (Form: SF 424 - Individual)

  1. Download the Application for Federal Assistance Form SF 424. Note that if the form opens in your browser window, you'll need to save it to your device first. Once downloaded, find the file on your device and rename it using the following naming convention:

    DDETFP_CC_SF424_<your email alias>

  2. Open the form in Adobe Acrobat and complete filling it out by navigating to the Tools section, then selecting Fill and Sign. You might be directed to a page stating "Who needs to fill and sign first." Select "Me" and fill in the highlighted fields on the form.

    • For "Funding Opportunity Number" (box 4), make sure it says the following:

      693JJ322NF5202-2024

    • For "Project Information" (box 6), under "a. Project Title", put "See below."; under "b. Project Description", put "This information is reflected in the applicant's Personal Statement and Study Plan & Impact Statement."
  3. When complete, save the file again using the correct naming convention.

Personal Statement

  1. Create your Personal Statement in Word or equivalent software. Please note that the 8000 character limit includes both words and spaces between words.

  2. Save a copy of the file to your device using the following naming convention:

    DDETFP_CC_Personal_Statement_<your email alias>

  3. Now create a PDF version of the file and save with the same naming convention.

Plan of Study

  1. Create your Study Plan in Word or equivalent software. Please note that the 8000 character limit includes both words and spaces between words and should be a description of your Study Plan including Cecil College coursework and beyond, aligning your college studies toward a bachelor’s degree to a career in the Transportation Sector.

  2. Save a copy of the file to your device using the following naming convention:

    DDETFP_CC_Study_Plan_<your email alias>

  3. Now create a PDF version of the file and save with the same naming convention.

Resume

Save your resume as a PDF using the following naming convention:

DDETFP_CC_Resume_<your email alias>

Letters of Recommendation

  1. Ask your references to save your letters of recommendation using the following naming convention:

    • Letter of Recommendation #1: DDETFP_CC_Ltr1_<your email alias>
    • Letter of Recommendation #2: DDETFP_CC_Ltr2_<your email alias>
  2. Have your reference submit the file using this link: DDETFP Document Upload

Transcripts

Please have your high school and college (if applicable) transcripts submitted directly to Cecil College.

Submit the Application

  1. Gather all of your documents and use this link to submit them: DDETFP Document Upload. Please, do not email them to anyone.

  2. When complete, send an email to mkrysiak@nullcecil.edu with the following in the subject line: "DDETFP Application Submitted <your email alias>". Please send only one email.

  3. You will receive a confirmation email once we have verified your uploaded documents.
  4. Be sure to provide the email address and due date to your references and follow up to ensure timely submission.

Deadline for Applying

The deadline for submitting application packages is Friday, May 24, 2024. Application packages must include all required elements in order to be eligible for review by the Cecil College Selection Panel. Incomplete or late applications will not be accepted.

Application Evaluation Criteria

Fellowships will be awarded based on merit. Merit includes:

  1. Academic record (GPA)
  2. Proposed plan of study and impact statement
  3. Potential for outstanding career in transportation
  4. Faculty recommendations (maximum of two)
  5. Academic and personal achievement

See more information on the evaluation criteria.

Fellowship Award Details

Fellowship awards will be based on rankings made by the DDETFP Selection Panel at Cecil College. All fellowship recipients will receive up to $1,500 to be used toward attending the Annual Meeting of the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies in Washington D.C. in January 2025.

Tuition & Stipend

A maximum of $5,000 may be awarded to cover tuition, mandatory fees, or some combination of the two. Each awardee will have the option of distributing their award amounts into each of these categories as they see fit.

Get More Information

Informational Meetings

Two meetings will be held via Zoom to provide more information and answer questions from prospective applicants:

Questions?

For more information or to ask questions, please e-mail the local competition program manager, Mark Krysiak, at mkrysiak@nullcecil.edu, and include "DDETFP Question" in the subject line.

Mark Krysiak
Faculty Lead – Transportation and Logistics Programs
Business Department
Cecil College
mkrysiak@nullcecil.edu

Criteria for Selection Panel Evaluation of Student Applications

Academic achievement (25 Points)

Level of academic accomplishments, recognitions, and demonstrated leadership.

  • Academic Honors, Scholarships, Offices Held in Student/Professional Organizations, etc.
  • Community Activities/Organizations
  • Experience in Transportation Education Programs
Potential for outstanding career in transportation (25 Points)
Demonstration of applicant's potential through personal statements summarizing long-range professional goals in transportation, including transportation work experience.
Proposed plan of study and impact statement (25 Points)

Demonstrates alignment of research/study plan:

  • to impact and enhancement of the field of transportation;
  • to contribution to an understanding of transportation; and/or
  • to provide societal benefits.
Recommendations (20 Points)
Caliber of endorsements of applicant's qualifications and of planned study in chosen research area.
Academic record (5 Points)
Reflecting class standing and grade point average.
Administration’s Priorities (5 Bonus/Incentive Points)
When evaluating research proposals, the FHWA will seek to award grants as allowable by law and consistent with the goals of the DDETFP and proactively address the Administration’s priorities of racial equity and barriers to opportunity and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and the effects of climate change. These objectives reflect Executive Order (EO) 13985: Advancing Racial Equity and Support for Underserved Communities.