Award nominations open September 24, 2025, deadline: April 13, 2026
The Office of Graduate Education invites nominations for the P.F. Yerex & Nellie Buck Yerex Graduate Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to domestic and international graduate students who are pursuing study in a scientific or technological field at Oregon State University. The scholarship will be awarded on the basis of academic achievement and promise for the future.
The award also aligns with and supports development in the OSU Grad Advantage core competencies for graduate students. Nominees should complete the OSU Grad Advantage Self-Assessment Tool at the time of their nomination, or in the case of prospective students after they have been formally admitted, to gauge their ongoing professional development progress and needs.
Award Details
Two scholarships, valued at $12,000 each, are anticipated for the 2026-2027 academic year. The scholarships will be disbursed in three installments throughout the academic year to each awardee. Awards for less than an academic year will be pro-rated. This award may be offered in addition to a graduate assistantship or fellowship.
Eligibility
- Nominee must be a current master’s or doctoral student pursuing study in a scientific or technological field
- Nominee must be enrolled for at least 9 graduate credits each term (fall, winter, spring) during the 2026-2027 academic year to receive the award
Evaluation Criteria
Quality of the nomination materials in addressing:
- The nominee’s previous academic success and commitment to graduate studies
- The nominee’s scholarly potential and the quality and impact of their scholarship in their scientific or technological field of study
- The nominee’s leadership and service, especially as it relates to their scientific or technological field of study
Nomination Period
The nomination period begins on September 24, 2025. All nominations must be submitted by 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026. Awards will be determined in early May 2026.
Please note that this posted deadline refers to the date/time by which the Office of Graduate Education must receive the final and complete nomination packet and any accompanying materials. Academic units may have earlier deadlines to accommodate their internal selection and nomination processes, so students are encouraged to verify the timeline with faculty and/or their graduate program leadership.
Nomination Procedure
Nominations may be submitted by the nominee's graduate program director, department chair/head, college leadership, or appropriate leadership in an institutional partner (see document linked below) unit. Students may not apply directly for this award. Each unit (as defined by university major code) and institutional partner may nominate no more than ONE nominee (total) per award cycle.
In the online nomination form, nominators will be required to prepare/upload the following materials as one PDF document using the following file name convention: "Nominee's last name_grad program_Yerex.pdf," and upload it through the nomination form.
- A statement from the nominee (2 pages maximum) that clearly describes (a) their previous academic success and commitment to graduate studies; (b) their scholarship and its impact in their scientific or technological field of study; (c) their leadership and service, especially as they relate to their scientific or technological field of study; and (d) how this award will support them in their graduate studies. Nominees are encouraged to review the Office of Graduate Education’s OSU Grad Advantage core competencies and complete the OSU Grad Advantage Self-Assessment Tool.
- These criteria can be demonstrated in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, prior coursework, degrees, and institutions of higher education; honors, awards, scholarships, or other academic distinctions; scholarly activity at previous institution(s) or employment; progression of academic performance over time; commitment and persistence related to previous academic pursuits; intellectual curiosity and degree progress to date; leadership, service, or other significant involvement in relevant professional organizations; and the ways in which current scholarship will make a significant contribution to their scientific or technological field of study.
- A nominating letter (2 pages maximum) from college leadership or the nominee’s major professor, unit chair/head that clearly describes (a) the nominee’s previous academic success and commitment to graduate studies; (b) the nominee’s scholarly potential along with their proposed or current scholarship and its impact in their scientific or technological field of study; and (c) the nominee’s recent and most significant leadership and service activities, especially as they relate to their scientific or technological field of study.
- These criteria can be demonstrated in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, their prior coursework, degrees, and institutions of higher education; honors, awards, scholarships, or other academic distinctions; their scholarly activity at previous institution(s) or employment; their progression of academic performance over time; their commitment and persistence related to previous academic pursuits; their intellectual curiosity, commitment, and degree progress to date; the strengths and skills they bring to their graduate studies; their leadership, service, or other significant involvement in relevant professional organizations; and the ways in which current scholarship will make a significant contribution to their scientific or technological field of study.
- A copy of the nominee’s résumé or curriculum vitae
NOTE to Institutional Partners:
If an institutional partner is submitting the nomination, they must also have confirmation from the student’s academic unit that:
- the student is not already being nominated for the same award by the academic unit, and
- the student is in good academic standing, making satisfactory progress, and that the nomination aligns with the student’s status in the program.
Nomination Form
Scholarships and Fellowships Application Form Overview
Questions
For questions about this award or any Office of Graduate Education administered awards, please contact our Graduate Scholarships and Fellowships team