AWM Foundation & NCTA Scholarship Application

The AWM Foundation and NCTA – The Internet and Television Association Scholarship allows a deserving female communications/media undergraduate or graduate student to create an original piece (digital short, video, animation, multi-media or other concept chosen by the student) that may be featured in NCTA and AWM Foundation media distribution channels. In addition, the chosen student will receive a scholarship to their educational institution for $10,000 and a ticket to attend the Gracies Leadership Awards in New York City on November 16, 2026.

This scholarship serves to fund a promising student’s education as well as to provide a unique and compelling piece for her resume. The student will also have the opportunity to meet high-level professionals in the media industry through the AWM event. The scholarship piece ultimately will be created with the guidance of NCTA representatives to ensure it is as compelling and high-quality as possible.

In addition to completing the form below, please submit by email to info@allwomeninmedia.org:
1 – A letter of recommendation from a professor or a journalism/media/communications professional,
2 – Proof of enrollment via a copy of your student id or transcript, and
3 – A sample of your work from a college class (can be a link to a video, presentation, paper, article, etc.).

Legal Name*

First Middle Last

Address*

Street Address Address Line 2 City State ZIP Code

Cell Phone*

Email*

College/University Attending*

Degree you will receive (including major)*

Expected date to receive degree in progress*

How did you learn of this scholarship?*

Did you use generative AI to develop any part of your submission? If yes, identify the tool in the space below and describe how you used it in one or two sentences. Generative AI use is permitted when disclosed. Failure to disclose its use may result in disqualification.*

If you answered Yes above, please identify the AI tool and how it was used:

Please choose a topic for which you would like to create a digital or multimedia piece, or other creative concept, if chosen for this scholarship:

□ Closing the Connection Gap: Reliable broadband connects people to education, careers, health care, entertainment, and one another. Yet gaps in availability, affordability, access to devices, and digital skills still leave people disconnected.

Choose a specific community and propose a creative solution to one barrier. What would success look like, and how would you measure it?

□ Designing the Next Connected Experience: Broadband and wireless networks carry more of daily life each year. One part of that infrastructure is unlicensed spectrum, shared airwaves used by Wi-Fi and other technologies. As demand grows, spectrum policy and technology must keep pace.

Imagine a connected product, service, or media experience that does not exist today and would place new demands on broadband and Wi-Fi. What problem would it solve, who would benefit, and what changes in policy or technology would make it possible?

□ Creativity and Trust in an AI World: AI is changing how television programming and digital content are created, distributed, recommended, and experienced. It also raises questions about originality, transparency, ownership, and credit.

Propose a creative concept that takes a clear position on one of these issues. What role should technology play, and which decisions should remain human?

□ Trust in a Connected World: Privacy and Security in the Digital Age: As more of daily life moves onto connected devices, networks, and platforms, protecting personal data and digital trust has become as important as the connectivity itself. Broadband and technology providers are constantly innovating to safeguard consumers, their devices, and their information from evolving threats. Explore what privacy, security, and trust mean in a hyperconnected world. How should individuals, companies, and policymakers balance innovation and convenience against the need to protect people’s data and digital lives?

Please write, in 750 words or less, how you would address the topic chosen above in your scholarship project:*

Scholarship Recipient Requirements and Deadlines:
Once chosen for the scholarship, the student will develop and deliver the project according to a timeline set up between the student and NCTA.

Scholarship Money and Recognition:
AWM Foundation and NCTA will select one student winner to receive $10,000, payable to the winning student’s educational institution (50% for the 2027 Spring semester and 50% for the 2027 Fall semester upon completion of project), and one complimentary ticket to the Gracies Leadership Award in New York City on November 16, 2026. Notifications will be sent in October of 2026.

Additional Information:
• This scholarship opportunity is open to any female undergraduate or graduate student attending an accredited college or university in the United States in 2027. Those pursuing a media career in an area such as cable, television, radio, digital media, publishing, journalism, advertising, production, creative design, or others are especially encouraged to apply.
• The finished product, pending editorial review, may be featured in NCTA and AWM Foundation media distribution channels; and the student will have the right to use and retain the deliverable material in her own portfolio and for any purposes she sees fit.

Application with requested materials must be submitted by the close of business on September 25, 2026. For questions, please email info@allwomeninmedia.org or call 202.750.3664.

Untitled

2026 AWM Foundation & NCTA Scholarship Application