Margaret McNamara Education Grants

Margaret McNamara Education Grants (formerly known as MMMF) is a nonprofit, public charity founded in 1981 that awards education grants to exceptional women from developing countries who are at least 25 years old and enrolled at universities in the United States, Canada, France, and South Africa, and select universities in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Our organization draws inspiration from Margaret McNamara and her vision of education and gender equality. Margaret—wife of Robert McNamara, the World Bank's fifth president—advocated for the inclusion of gender and education issues in the Bank’s development programs. She was awarded the highest civilian distinction in the United States, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, in recognition of her important contributions. Margaret McNamara Education Grants have historically been up to $15,000 per awardee.

This program accepts applications between September 15 and January 15. Successful candidates will be personally notified of their grant in April.

Queries may be addressed to [email protected]. The results will be announced on our web page in April.

Basic Eligibility Criteria

Applicants must: 

• be a self-identifying woman, and at least 25 years old at time of application deadline;

• be a national of a country listed on the MMEG Country Eligibility List;

• be registered (not just accepted) at an accredited in-person academic institution when submitting their application; 

• not be related to a World Bank Group, International Monetary Fund, or Inter-American Development Bank staff member, spouse, retiree, or MMEG Board member.

• already be enrolled as a full-time student, with relevant student visa in national passport;

• plan to continue studying full-time for at least one academic semester (half year) following the award of the MMEG grant in April;

• plan to graduate no later than two and a half years following the award of the MMEG grant;

• not hold US citizenship or permanent residency (green card) or Canadian citizenship or Canadian landed immigrant status.

Application Requirements

Remember to read the Application Checklist and FAQs before applying and select "US-Canada program” in the first question of the application. If the program name does not appear, the program may be closed to new applications.

Before starting the MMEG application process, please scan the following documents in digital form (pdf preferred, jpeg or png): 

• Identification (ID) card with photo: 

  • (a) national passport page with photo and date of birth, if studying outside your home country, or

  • (b) government/university-issued identity card with photo and birth date;

• Most recent proof of official registration from university (not an acceptance letter); 

• Most recent official university transcripts and/or reports

• Visa page or study permit page within current passport (if studying outside home country); 

• Second passport page with clear photo (in case of dual citizenship).

You will be asked to upload these documents at specific points in the on-line application form.  You will also provide:

• Brief paragraphs describing your personal story, and how your studies, experiences, and future plans are linked to your commitment to women and children in developing countries;

• An estimate of your financial situation, including living expenses, for the coming academic year, and planned strategies to cover funding needs;

• A summary of your thesis (if applicable), including its objective, methodology, and findings, and relationship to career goals.

Two reference letters are required.

• One referee must be a faculty member from your current university. The second referee may be a person (non-family member) who can vouch for your character. At least one of the individuals must have known you for the equivalent of at least two semesters.

• Please contact two people from whom you would like to request a reference letter.  After receiving their confirmation, you will be asked to provide in the application form: the email addresses  of the two people providing references. They will each receive an email link from the Embark online platform to write their recommendation. When their recommendations are submitted, you will be notified by Embark.

Failure to submit a complete application with ALL required documents by the close of the application period will result in ineligibility of the application, i.e., automatic exclusion of the applicant. 

Incomplete applications will not be considered.