Women In International Trade Scholarships

Our merit-based scholarships are awarded twice per year to support and encourage women studying all aspects of International Trade, including trade policy and negotiations, global business and supply chains, economic development, women’s economic empowerment, and more.    

• Applicants must identify as female and be currently enrolled at an accredited U.S. university or college, either full-time or part-time.  Applicants must be undergraduate Juniors or Seniors, or enrolled in graduate studies.  
• Awards ($3000) will be based on the quality of the assigned essay and the applicant's demonstrated interested in international trade. They are made without regard to race, religion, age, national origin, ability, sexual orientation or gender identity.

In addition to the $3000 financial scholarship to be used against academic costs, scholarship winners will receive:

• One full year of personal mentorship by a WIIT member.
• One full year of WIIT membership.
• One WIIT program based on the topic of the winning essay with knowledgeable professionals from the WIIT community.  Scholarship winner will have a visible opportunity to engage in a role in the discussion and leverage this public engagement for social media purposes.

Application Requirements

Essays must be on a relevant international trade topic and can either be a bespoke essay submission or an appropriately formatted academic paper from current classwork on a relevant topic.  

EVERY submission must include:

• Essay (see requirements below)
• Completed information sheet
• University Transcript confirming enrollment

Successful submissions should:

• Be based on a relevant topic as noted in  proposed examples below;
• Include a thesis statement outlining the essay’s trade argument; and
• Provide critical analysis of the topic, including  a review of both sides of the issue, with a strong defense of the essay’s main thesis.

Each Essay Submission Must Be:

• Minimum 5 and maximum 10 numbered pages (exclusive of endnotes, bibliography)
• Typed, double-spaced, 12 pt Times New Roman font
• Submitted as a Word document
• Removal all personal references (name, name of university etc)
• Submitted to info@wiittrust.org

Application deadlines are April 1st and November 1st , and winners will be notified by May 15th and December 15th, respectively.

Essay Topic Options

The choice of a topic is up to the applicant and can be as broad or narrow as desired, provided that it has a direct and discernible tie to international trade or investment.

Broad categories include -

• Trade & Development – how does any aspect of trade policy promote progress on the Sustainable Development Goals or other environmental priorities?
• Trade & Empowerment – how can any aspect of trade policy encourage greater gender diversity and in particular deliver practical gains for women’s economic empowerment?
• Trade and Investment Agreements – select a current agreement and discuss trade impact on a specific industry and/or specific labor/workforce impact.
• U.S. Trade Policy – analyze any current facet of US trade policy and the potential impact (positive and/or negative) on the U.S. economy.
• Another country’s trade/commercial/economic policy -- analyze the impact (positive and/or negative) on U.S. competitiveness.

Examples of prior years’ winning essay topics -

• GSP and its impact on economic development
• Global Health Trade; Indonesia’s healthy economy
• CFIUS & National Security
• AGOA and the impact to development in Africa