How a Nigerian Microbiologist Won the AAUW $20,000 International Fellowship to Pursue a PhD in Statistical and Human Genetics at Purdue University, USA

My name is Mary Oluwatosin Kaka, and I am from Nigeria, West Africa. After completing my Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology in 2017 from Adeleke University with a first-class honors, I got an offer to take up a Graduate Assistantship role at my alma mater in 2019. During this period, I concurrently began my Master’s degree in the same field, concentrating on Medical Microbiology and Biotechnology.

Over time, with the right association and exposure, I started to take an interest in expanding my knowledge base and ventured into understanding insilico research. I started joining training workshops, such as with H3A Bionet, and summer schools in Bioinformatics. Soon enough, I started to gain some expertise and wanted to do more.

However, the constant limitation was the lack of resources available to carry out the kinds of research I really wanted to conduct, hence, I resuscitated an interest that had always been at the back of my mind. Prior to when I joined Adeleke University for my Master's, I was at Lagos State University, serving out my National Youth Service Corps Year, and had started seeking out international opportunities to further my education.

Some of these included the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships, PTDF, among many others, which were unsuccessful at the time. Fast forward to 2020, when I had decided to revive this pursuit, I got an opportunity to participate in a workshop at the Abdus Salam International Center for Theoretical Physics in Trieste, Italy. This would have been the best avenue to network and seek out PhD opportunities in quantitative life sciences, but as many might recall, February 2020 was very tough on Italy due to COVID-19, and we ended up being sent back home.

In hindsight, this was really a blessing in disguise as it only motivated me to intensify my search. I got to hear about Purdue University from a close mentor of mine who was invested in my progress. My initial plan was to pursue a PhD in Biological Sciences in the area of Microbiology, but I turned out to be a better fit for a Statistical and Human Genetics laboratory. That is a snippet of my journey and transition to the US as an international student.

AAUW Scholarship Details

In the second year of my PhD, I applied for and won the American Association of University Women (AAUW) International Fellowship, with an award amount of $20,000 covering my living expenses for the 2022/2023 academic session.

Educational Background

As I had previously stated, my previous degrees were in Medical Microbiology and Biotechnology, and I graduated top of my class across my Bachelor's and Master's programs back in Nigeria.

How Did You Prepare to Apply to Purdue University?

Even though the AAUW places an emphasis and most prefer applicants who are still in their home countries and are applying for the first year of their PhD program, I applied as a student already in the PhD program.

How Did You Prepare to Apply for the AAUW Scholarship?

After learning about the AAUW from a friend, I searched for and made a list of the required documents, discussed with my PhD advisor, and prepared my application package.

What Do You Think Made Your Application Stand Out?

Being new to the field of research, I quickly developed a passion for identifying a major research gap and developed a strong passion for bridging it. I believe my application stood out due to the approach I took in drafting my essays, showing sincerity for my interest in genuinely answering a specific research question, and taking the time to refine my research proposal.

What Would You Have Done Differently if You Were Going Through the Process Again?

Going through the process again, I would seek out previous AAUW winners in my field or a similar field, and get their perspective on how best to maximize my application.

What Advice Would You Give Those Looking to Apply for a Similar Scholarship?

My first advice would be to reach out to previous awardees who are listed on the Fellowship database. They are in the best position to share their experience and describe the best way that they were able to optimize their essay responses in a way that made them stand out. Secondly, clearly identify a project you are passionate about, so that this passion shines through your written proposal.