A key element of a Stamps Scholarship is faculty mentoring. Before beginning the application process for the program, you will need to find a faculty mentor with expertise in your area of interest. Start this process early so that you have adequate time to work with your mentor on your application. Faculty mentors for Stamps Scholars are expected to be closely involved in the project from beginning to end so be sure that your faculty mentor understands and agrees to the two-year time commitment.
Once you have a faculty mentor, you can proceed to the application process. You may opt to have an additional mentor or mentors, depending on the nature of your project, but only your primary mentor is required to submit a recommendation on your behalf. Be sure to let your faculty mentor know that s/he will be asked to complete a recommendation form that includes a series of prompts (rather than a standard letter of recommendation). In the recommendation form, your faculty mentor will be asked to comment specifically about your research plan, and it is strongly recommended that you share a final (or near final) draft of your proposal with your faculty mentor at least a week before the application deadline so that your mentor has adequate time to review it before the recommendation is due.