Forensics is a highly technical field that demands skilled professionals working at the scene to collect, process and preserve evidence, as well as the expertise of forensic scientists performing the lab work that helps uncover what that evidence has to say. And while on-the-job training is an important aspect of rising to the level of expert in this field of CSI work, landing a job requires a solid foundation of knowledge that’s achieved only through the completion of a formal degree program.
Whether you’re interested in working as a crime scene technician and considering an undergraduate degree, or you’re considering earning an advanced degree in forensic science to conduct the intensive lab work required to find clues hidden within that evidence, everyone can use a little help when it comes to financing their education.
CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org is now accepting applications for our Leaders in Forensics Scholarship essay contest!
Update
The application window is now closed for the 2020 Scholarship. Though we won’t be offering an award going forward, we are glad to have had the privilege of being able to help out in 2020. We’d like to give a big thanks to everyone who participated!
Who is Eligible?
Any recently accepted or currently enrolled associate’s, bachelor’s or master’s student in a qualifying program in crime scene investigation, criminal justice, forensic science or a related field is eligible to apply.
All current students must provide proof of having a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 in their program.
All recently accepted students must provide proof of being accepted into a qualifying program.
All recently accepted students in an associate’s or bachelor’s degree program must show proof of having a minimum high school cumulative GPA of 3.0.
All recently accepted students in a master’s program must show proof of having a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.5 in their undergraduate studies.
Scholarship Application Requirements
You will need to submit just four things to meet the scholarship application requirements:
- Complete application form with verifiably true and accurate information
- 100% original essay that addresses the topic described below (2,500 words or less)
- Proof of enrollment or acceptance in a qualifying associate’s, bachelor’s, or master’s program (letter of acceptance or another verifiable document with university letterhead)
- Proof of meeting minimum GPA requirements (transcript summary or another verifiable document with university/high school letterhead)
The application form, required documentation, and essay must all be submitted at the same time.
Any false or inaccurate information on the application form or plagiarized content on the essay would be grounds for immediate disqualification.
Essay Topic
We want to know what inspired you to pursue a career in crime scene investigation. Is it forensic lab work that interests you, or does doing crime scene investigation work out in the field appeal to you? Did a personal experience influence your desire to work in this field, or did you take a course that piqued your interest?
In 2,500 words or less, tell us why you want to devote your career to the field of forensics.
Selecting the Winner
Our staff will review all applications and essays that meet the basic requirements and select a winner based strictly on the strength of the essay.
The essay topic is all about your personal experience and your own subjective thoughts and opinions, so naturally there is some subjectivity to our selection process. This means that everyone with a qualifying GPA who is enrolled in or has been accepted to a qualifying program has an equal shot at winning, regardless of background, employment history, or extracurriculars. We feel this is the most equitable way to approach the selection process.
We know that all applicants are worthy of the award, but we’re limited to choosing just one winner per year.
Announcing the Winner
We will start by contacting the winner by phone or email to deliver the good news. At that time, we will ask for proof of current enrollment and transcripts covering the period of time that passed since submitting the application. No further documentation would be required for students who submit their essay and application within the winter quarter/semester.
If the selected recipient is unable to supply the required documentation, or if the GPA has dropped below 3.5 (college) or 3.0 (high school) since submitting the application, we reserve the right to rescind the award and give it to another applicant.
Paying Out the Award
We will make out a check for the full $500 award and send it directly to the winner in one lump payment immediately upon making our official announcement.
The winner is free to use the proceeds at their discretion to apply toward tuition, books, housing, or any other expenses they need to cover during their graduate program.
Non-Discrimination Policy
CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org does not discriminate based on age, race, sex, religion, disability status or sexual orientation. All qualified applicants are given equal consideration and are assessed strictly based on the strength of their essay. It is at the sole discretion of our staff to select the applicant we feel best exemplifies the traits and values of a great crime scene investigator or forensic scientist.
Official Rules
PARTICIPANT ELIGIBILITY: The Contest is open to (1) any college student pursuing a qualifying degree anywhere in the world (2) who is at least 18 years of age, (3) currently enrolled in an accredited college or university, as listed on the U.S. Department of Education website, available at http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx or its equivalent in countries outside the U.S., (4) with a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, and (4) who completes the entry form on CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org. The contest is void where prohibited by law. Entries must be from individuals only; groups, organizations, and multiple-party entries are not eligible. The Contest is governed by United States law and is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Employees of CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org, its affiliates, subsidiaries, advertising, promotion and fulfillment agencies, judges, and members of the immediate family or household of each are not eligible. Immediate family members include parents, siblings or any person residing in the same household as employee.
ENTRY: Entrants must complete the entry form and answer the question in the space allotted. The essay must be original and must have been created by the entrant; entries that plagiarize the work of others will be disqualified. CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org may verify the eligibility of each applicant; if an applicant is found to be ineligible to enter the contest, their entry will be considered invalid. Entrants must fill out all required portions of the entry form to be eligible for consideration. Limit one entry per person per contest; if an applicant enters more than one time they will be disqualified. CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org reserves the right to verify an applicant’s information, the originality of the answer, or any other facet of an applicant’s entry if further investigation is deemed necessary. By entering you agree to accept and be bound by these rules. Odds of winning depend on the number of entries.
CLAIMING YOUR AWARD: The winner(s) will be notified by email and/or phone; failure to provide accurate contact information may result in disqualification and if unable to reach a winner within 72 hours, CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org may in its discretion award any scholarship to any other contestant. No guarantee of notification is made to applicants who do not win the Scholarship Contest. This scholarship will be awarded to the winner(s) directly.
No payment will be granted until CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org is able to verify with the winner’s institution that all college/university enrollment information (including GPA) is accurate. Winner will be required to submit an official transcript to CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org. CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org may, in its sole discretion, decline to award payment of the scholarship in the case of a winner’s failure to provide information in a timely fashion if requested by CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org or the institution, or if the student’s enrollment lapses for any reason.
SCHOLARSHIP AWARD; ODDS: Your chances of winning the scholarship competition depend on the number of total entries, the quality of your answer, and how your answer is viewed by the judges from CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org. ALL FEDERAL, STATE AND LOCAL TAXES, AND ANY OTHER COSTS AND EXPENSES, ASSOCIATED WITH THE RECEIPT OR USE OF SCHOLARSHIP AWARD ARE THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE WINNER. Awards are provided WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, express or implied, without limitation. ALL SCHOLARSHIPS ARE AWARDED SUBJECT TO THE TERMS, RESTRICTIONS, AND LIMITATIONS. Except as determined by the Sponsor in its sole discretion, no substitution of the scholarship shall be offered and no transfer of the scholarship to a third party is permitted.
PAYMENT DIRECTIONS: CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org will pay the Scholarship Award directly to winner in one lump sum. CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org has the sole discretion and final word over the timing and manner of any scholarship payments. Winners will be responsible for providing a letter of acceptance or enrollment from the college or university where the Scholarship Award will be directed, and a signed statement that funds will be used to offset the cost of their eligible college education (tuition, fees, books, supplies, equipment, and/or room & board). CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org has the sole discretion and final word on any issues that may arise around a winner’s eligibility.
CONDUCT: By registering for this Contest, entrants agree to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org and the judges that shall be final and binding in all respects. These Official Rules are accessible throughout the Contest Period. Failure to comply with these Official Rules may result in disqualification. CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org reserves the right at its sole discretion to disqualify any individual suspected of tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Contest; or to be acting in any manner deemed by CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org to be in violation of the Official Rules; or to be acting in any manner deemed by CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org to be unsportsmanlike or disruptive, or with intent to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other person. CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY A USER OR ENTRANT OR ANY OTHER INDIVIDUAL TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE CONTEST IS A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, CRIMESCENEINVESTIGATOREDU.ORG RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES AND COSTS (INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, ATTORNEYS’ FEES) FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
LIMITATIONS OF LIABILITY: CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org assumes no responsibility or liability for (a) any incorrect or inaccurate entry information, or for any faulty, failed, garbled or jumbled electronic data transmissions; (b) any unauthorized access to, or theft, destruction or alteration of entries at any point in the operation of this Contest; (c) any technical malfunction, failure, error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or communications line failure, regardless of cause, with regard to any equipment, systems, networks, lines, satellites, servers, computers or providers utilized in any aspect of the operation of the Contest; (d) inaccessibility or unavailability of the Internet or any combination thereof, or; (e) any injury or damage to participant’s or to any other person’s computer which may be related to or resulting from any attempt to participate in the Contest or download any materials in the Contest. If, for any reason, the Contest is not capable of running as planned for reasons which may include without limitation, infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which may corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this Contest, then CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes in whole or in part. In the event of cancellation, CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org will randomly award the prizes from among all eligible, non-suspect entries received prior to cancellation.
PRIVACY: Personal information collected through this promotion is subject to CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org’s Privacy Policy. In addition, as a condition of entering the Contest, each entrant gives consent for CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org to make his or her profile publicly available, to obtain and deliver his or her name, address and other information to third parties for the purpose of administering this and complying with applicable laws, regulations and rules and to announce the winners online and via other media, and to use the winner’s name and photograph in such announcements without restriction.
PUBLICITY RIGHTS: By entering the Contest (except where prohibited by law), entrants consent to the use of their names, pictures, likenesses, in advertising, promotion and marketing materials throughout the world, including on the Internet, by CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org, without additional compensation, notice, review, or approval. Nothing contained in these Official Rules obligates CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org to make use of any of the rights granted herein and winner waives any right to inspect or approve any such use.
GOVERNING LAW/DISPUTES: This Contest, these Official Rules, and any dispute related thereto (whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise) are governed by the laws of the United States without regard to conflicts of laws principles. Any legal action, suit, proceeding or dispute in connection with this Contest (whether for breach of contract, tortious conduct or otherwise) will be brought and resolved exclusively in the state or federal courts of the United States and each entrant accepts and submits to the personal jurisdiction of these courts with respect to any legal actions, suits, proceedings, or disputes arising out of or related to this Sweepstakes. If any provision(s) of these Rules are held to be invalid or unenforceable, all remaining provisions hereof will remain in full force and effect.
Except where prohibited, as a condition of participating in this Contest, each entrant agrees that any and all disputes that cannot be resolved between the entrant and any Released Party, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this Contest, the prize awarded, or the determination of the winner must be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action. Further, in any such dispute, under no circumstances will an entrant be permitted or entitled to obtain an award for, and hereby waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental, or consequential damages, or any other damages, including attorneys’ fees.
In the event of a dispute concerning the identity of a participant, the participant will be declared to be the authorized account holder of the e-mail address provided to CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org at the time of initial participation (i.e., registration for the Contest), but only if that person meets all other eligibility criteria, otherwise the entry may be disqualified and any potential prize won will be forfeited in CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org’s sole discretion. An authorized account holder is defined as the natural person who is assigned to an e-mail address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning e-mail addresses for the domain associated with the submitted e-mail address. Potential winner may be required to provide CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org with proof that he or she is the authorized account holder of the applicable e-mail address. If a dispute cannot be resolved to CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org’s satisfaction, the entry and individual or individuals may be deemed ineligible at CrimeSceneInvestigatorEDU.org’s sole discretion.