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GRANT RECIPIENTS PLEASE NOTE Brush Foundation grant recipients are expected to submit this reporting form within three months of the close of their grant year. Please download the Grant Reporting Form and submit it electronically to brushfoundation@hotmail.com. X

The Brush Scholarship

The Brush Foundation takes great pride in supporting an annual fellowship that has, for nearly two decades, supported the graduate professional education of a group of outstanding students who are now making significant contributions to the reproductive health field.

In 1991 the Foundation established a scholarship to provide training to exceptional students pursuing a career in reproductive health and policy. The intent is to help grow the cadre of young professionals who will carry a passion for reproductive health and freedom into the future as they mature in their careers. A critical component of the Scholarship has been to identify partner universities that educate students in public health policy in addition to the basic sciences and the practice of reproductive health.

From 1991 to 2001 the scholarship was based at the University of Michigan, the alma mater of benefactor Charles F. Brush. During that time, five students completed their Master of Public Health degrees. As the School of Public Health evolved over time, its programmatic focus areas shifted away from population and reproductive health and the scholarship found a home at the Tulane University School of Public Health & Tropical Medicine in New Orleans. While based there three students graduated, including some who had to weather Hurricane Katrina and all its associated disruptions.

In early 2007 several Brush Foundation Board members met with Dean Allan Rosenfield and other faculty members at the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University. At this meeting the common interests of the Foundation and School were explored and Dean Rosenfield made a commitment to our shared vision and mission. The Mailman School of Public Health became the Brush Foundation’s new partner university for a graduate fellowship focused on reproductive health and policy, particularly on the international level. This $25,000 annual funding from the foundation is matched by the Mailman School and supports two students per year. Four students have gone through their graduate program as Brush Fellows since 2007, and two more will begin their studies in Fall 2009.

This initiative has so far assisted 12 students who might otherwise not have been financially able to pursue this graduate level education. The Alumni link at the top of the page provides information on the exceptional work that our Brush Fellows have pursued. We continue to be very impressed with the caliber of these individuals - two Scholars have even become members of our Board of Managers: Carol Miller – now an Emeritus Board Member due to her posting in Ethiopia, and Stacey Easterling, our newest Board recruit. Another alumna, Sara Melillo, has developed an alumni group (with a Facebook page) to link all the alum and provide them networking and support opportunities.

The Brush Fellowship at the Mailman School of Public Health

The Brush Foundation wishes to express its heartfelt thanks to the Mailman School of Public Health and Dean Fried for its continued commitment to the Brush Fellows program, and for all the excellent work that it does in the field of population, reproductive health and health policy.

Brush Foundation Fellowship Criteria:

The Mailman School of Public Health does not accept applications for the Brush Scholarship, but rather individuals are nominated through their normal application process. The Brush Foundation does not accept any applications for this scholarship award.

This fellowship is awarded to two students who are committed to working in the field of reproductive health as public health specialists.

One student will be selected from the Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health and the other from the Department of Sociomedical Sciences.

These students will be chosen based on professional promise, leadership, and ability to make a contribution to the field of reproductive health and policy, as well as financial need.