19 International Scholarships in Behavioral Science

Are you passionate about learning human or animal behavior? If you are, a degree in behavioral sciences might just be perfect for you! In this article, you are provided with an overview of what behavioral science is and how it differs from social science. You are also provided with a list of international scholarships that may support you in pursuing a degree in behavioral sciences in another country.

Introducing Behavioral Science

Behavioral sciences explore the cognitive processes within organisms and the behavioral interactions between organisms in the natural world. It involves the systematic analysis and investigation of human and animal behavior through the study of the past, controlled and naturalistic observation of the present, and disciplined scientific experimentation and modeling. It attempts to accomplish legitimate, objective conclusions through rigorous formulations and observation. Examples of behavioral sciences include psychology, psychobiology, anthropology, and cognitive science. Generally, behavior science deals primarily with human action and often seeks to generalize about human behavior as it relates to society.

Behavioral sciences include two broad categories: neural (information sciences) and social (relational sciences.

Information processing sciences deals with information processing of stimuli from the social environment by cognitive entities in order to engage in decision making, social judgment and social perception for individual functioning and survival or organism in a social environment. These include psychology, cognitive science, psychobiology, neural networks, social cognition, social psychology, semantic networks, ethology, and social neuroscience.

On the other hand, relational sciences deal with relationships, interaction, communication networks, associations and relational strategies or dynamics between organisms or cognitive entities in a social system. These include fields like sociological social psychology, social networks, dynamic network analysis, agent-based model and microsimulation.

Insights from several pure disciplines across behavioral sciences are explored by various applied disciplines and practiced in the context of everyday life and business. These applied disciplines of behavioral science include: organizational behavior, operations research, consumer behavior, and media psychology.

The term “behavioral sciences” is often confused with the term “social sciences”. Though these two broad areas are interrelated and study systematic processes of behavior, they differ on their level of scientific analysis of various dimensions of behavior.

Behavioral sciences abstract empirical data to investigate the decision processes and communication strategies within and between organisms in a social system. This involves fields like psychology, social neuroscience ethology, and cognitive science. In contrast, social sciences provide a perceptive framework to study the processes of a social system through impacts of social organization on structural adjustment of the individual and of groups. They typically include fields like sociology, economics, public health, anthropology, demography and political science.

Many sub-fields of these disciplines cross the boundaries between behavioral and social sciences. For example, political psychology and behavioral economics use behavioral approaches, despite the predominant focus on systemic and institutional factors in the broader fields of political science and economics.

Scholarships for Behavioral Science Students

For you who are interested in pursuing a degree and a career within a field in behavioral sciences, and need financial support to pursue your dreams, you have come to the right page! Below is a list of behavioral sciences scholarships for international students who wish to study, or are studying abroad. The scholarships shown below are mostly psychology scholarships and neuroscience scholarships.

1. Anette Urso Rickel Foundation Dissertation Award for Public Policy: A US$1,000 psychology scholarship available in support of research on psychology-related public policy.

2. American Psychological Foundation Scott and Paul Pearsall Scholarship: US$10,000 to support work that seeks to increase the public’s understanding of the psychological pain and stigma experienced by adults who live with physical disabilities.

3. J. McGuigan Dissertation Award: US$2,000 support for dissertation research, aimed at advancing a cohesive conception of brain and behavior.

4. OMS Graduate Scholarship in Industrial Organizational Psychology: Scholarships offered by the Guelph Community Foundation to both Canadian and non-Canadian students studying PhD in Industrial Organizational Psychology at the University of Guelph, Canada. The scholarship is worth $1,750 for one student.

5. Alumni Research Travel Grant: Grants offered by the University of Guelph alumni through the Alma Mater Fund, for graduate students in the Department of Geography, Political Science, Psychology, or Sociology & Anthropology, in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences at the University of Guelph, Canada. Available to students with at least an 80% average in the previous two years of study, and who are completing thesis research off campus. Students cannot receive the award beyond semester 5 at the master’s level and beyond semester 8 at the doctoral level. The award is valued $2,000 for one student.

6. Bruce & M. Linda Hutchinson Graduate Entrance Scholarship CSAHS: One scholarship award worth $5,000, offered to students entering any Master’s program in the College of Social and Applied Human Sciences with a focus on families and youth. Selection will be based on the quality of the student’s statement of research interest / academic intent in the graduate application and the feasibility of the proposed research as documented in a one page letter of support from the proposed faculty research advisor. Preference will be given to students with practical experience in their field of study. No separate application is necessary.

7. Alf and Mary Hales Graduate Scholarships in Family Studies: Scholarship worth $3,000, based first on financial need and second on highest average. Preference will be given to an entering student, or student in class levels 1, 2 or 3 at the University of Guelph.

8. Barbara Bowen Graduate Bursary: One award of $5,000 for graduate students registered in any program offered by the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph, with demonstrated financial need.

9. Beatrice Craven Graduate Scholarship: One Award of $1,500 for students entering a graduate program in the Department of Family Relations and Applied Nutrition at the University of Guelph.

10. The Chicago School of Professional Psychology: Scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $10,000 for the upcoming academic year.

    1. Dean’s Scholarship: Up to $5,000 (non-renewable) for new incoming students who demonstrate prior service contributions, academic excellence, and achievements.

    2. Global Psychology Scholarships & Start-Ups: $3,000 (subject to change based on budget availability) for full-time students.

    3. Global Impact Scholarship: $1,000 (subject to change based on budget availability and without advanced notice) for new or returning international students enrolled full-time in an on-ground campus program in Fall semester of the awarding year. Past recipients are not eligible.

    4. Merit Scholarship: Scholarship worth up to $10,000 (renewable up to three years for full-time five-year degree programs and up to two years for full-time programs that are four or less years in length), for students applying to the University’s on-campus programs. Selected based on students’ excellent academic achievement.

    5. President’s Scholarship: Awards up to $7,000 (non-renewable) based on students’ academic promise and dedication to The Chicago School Mission – commitment to diversity and community service.

    6. The Ricardo Grunsten Scholarship Fund: Scholarship awarded annually to students who exemplify the mission, vision and core values of The Chicago School in their academic and professional endeavors. Scholarship gifts assist students with funds to pay for tuition and fees, conduct research, and attend educational conferences. These scholarships are worth $2,500 each (non-renewable) and are only awarded to two active students per year.

    7. The Theodore Weber Scholarship Fund: Scholarships awarded to current students who demonstrate academic excellence, financial need, and/or professional promise. The scholarships are only awarded to two students per year, and are worth $1,500 each (non-renewable).

11. Berlin School of Mind and Brain: The Einstein Center for Neuroscience in Berlin (ECN) in Germany offers fellowships for a competitive four-year neuroscience PhD program, to start in October 2019. National as well as international scientists with an exceptional academic background are welcome to apply.

12. Bangor University School of Psychology: Scholarships available for both international and domestic students at Bangor University.

13. King’s College London Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience: Postgraduate scholarships to study at King’s College London, including the  Antony Kidman Scholarship in Health Psychology, established with actress Nicole Kidman.

14. Lancaster University Scholarships: Merit-based scholarships to study a taught master’s (MSc) degree in psychology at Lancaster University.

15. London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) Hilde Himmelweit Scholarship: Three scholarships worth ₤2,000 each available to study a full-time MSc Social and Cultural Psychology.

16. Reading University School of Psychology: Three International Excellence Scholarships available for psychology students from outside the EU who show outstanding academic achievement, with awards at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

17. University of Kent School of Psychology Taught Master’s Scholarships: Tuition fee discount scholarships worth up to ₤2,000 for students who have achieved (or be on track to achieve) an excellent result in a psychology degree.

18. Jerry Greenspan Student Voice of Mental Health Award: A $3,000 award available for US and international undergraduate and graduate students who are working to raise awareness of mental health issues. Selected student will also get a trip to New York to accept the award at JED’s Annual Gala.

19. Lullelia W. Harrison Scholarship in Counseling: Scholarship for US and international students enrolled full-time in a degree-granting graduate or undergraduate program in Counseling. Awarded for full-time study for one academic year (Fall-Spring). Amount varies from $500 to $1,000. Proof of enrollment required.