Google Europe Students with Disabilities Scholarship

Google's education and scholarship programs aim to inspire and help students become future leaders in computing and technology by breaking down the barriers that prevent them from entering these fields. As part of our commitment, we’ve partnered with EmployAbility, a nonprofit organization that supports students with disabilities while they pursue education and promising careers, to help university students with disabilities work toward their academic goals in the field of computer science. Selected students will receive a 7,000 EUR award (or local equivalent) for the 2024-2025 academic year.

To be eligible to apply, applicants must:

• Have, or consider themselves to have, a visible or invisible disability (see EmployAbility’s approach to disability here)
• Be currently enrolled as an undergraduate at a university for the 2023-2024 academic year
• Be accepted as a student in a Bachelor's program at an accredited university in EMEA for the 2024-2025 academic year
• Be studying computer science, computer engineering, informatics, or a closely related technical field
• Demonstrate a strong academic record
• Demonstrate a passion for computer science and technology

You will be asked to complete an online application which includes:

• General background information (e.g. contact information and details about your current and intended universities)
• Resume/CV
• Academic transcripts from your current and prior institutions (if you have earned a prior degree)
• At least one letter of reference from a professor, instructor, adviser or supervisor from your university
• Responses to questions on passion and technical ability in computer science
• Recipients will be selected based on the overall strength of their questions and application materials compared to the entire applicant pool

Essay Questions

1. This first series of questions is all to do with demonstrating your passion for computer science and why you have chosen to study it.

• Please be as specific as possible, making sure to answer all parts of the questions. You should use examples that demonstrate your passion for computer science. For the last question, you try and think about how you will use the knowledge gained during your studies, and how you foresee yourself developing these skills, following completion of your undergraduate degree.
• You can make reference to work and academic experiences, achievements and aims in relation to computer science.
  • Part 1 - Why did you first become interested in computer science? (200-300 words)
  • Part 2 – What area of computer science most interests you and what have you done to learn more about it and/or pursue this interest? (200-300 words)
  • Part 3 – What would you like to do with your knowledge of computer science after you have finished your undergraduate degree? (200-300 words)

2. This final series of questions is an opportunity to demonstrate your talent as a computer scientist. Please use this section to describe one project that you have worked on, either solo or as a major contributor, which best demonstrates your technical abilities and provide any evidence you have to support this.

• When answering the questions, please make sure to explain all technical terms and processes accordingly.

• Any evidence to support or to help illustrate your essay (e.g. graphs, diagrams, algorithms, sections of code etc.) can be uploaded in the ‘supporting documents’ section, for all such items please include the name of your evidence in square brackets in the appropriate place in your answer, for example [Mygraph1].

• You will have space in another part of the application to include links to other projects, code repositories, academic papers, or presentations you have done.

  • Part 1 – Briefly describe your project, including the problem your project or research was trying to solve? (100-150 words)
  • Part 2 – Was this done as part of your university studies, an internship/work experience or was it a personal project?
  • Part 3 – What was your solution for the problem your project or research was trying to solve? (100-150 words)
  • Part 4 – What were the technical problems/ difficulties that you faced? (100-150 words)
  • Part 5 – Was this a solo project or were you working as part of a group. If it was a group project, please state your personal involvement in the project. (50 words)
  • Part 6 – Do you consider this project technically challenging, innovative or both? Briefly explain why. (100-150 words)

Application deadline: Tuesday, April 23, 2024

EmployAbility administers the Google Europe Students with Disabilities Scholarship. Please see EmployAbility's website for complete information on the scholarship.

For further information, questions, or to submit an application, please see EmployAbility's website.