The Wolfgang Fleischhauer Award, in the amount of $5,000, rewards and fosters excellence in academics as achieved by an Ohio State German major. Eligible students must carry an overall GPA of 3.4 or higher, be in their third year of study and/or have junior standing and have completed German 2102 with a grade of B+ or better.

To Apply, Please Submit

1. A 400-word statement in which you give an example of a question or issue that has piqued your intellectual curiosity and led you to want to know more or to explore an area of German-speaking society or culture.
   
   Tell us briefly how you discovered your interest and, if given the opportunity, what you would do to pursue it. Maybe you’re interested in comedic stories about life in East Germany and would like to write a research thesis. You can use your statement to outline a draft proposal that you might bring to an advisor for discussion. Or, perhaps you’re interested in medieval manuscripts, their history, decoration and preservation. What museum or Rare Book Library would you choose to intern at and why? Or, maybe you want to pursue your engagement with environmental issues and learn more about how Germany is at the forefront of many initiatives. What German agency or institution would you want to spend time at and why? You don’t actually have to carry through on your plan, although we hope that writing the statement will encourage you to explore opportunities that you might not otherwise have considered.
2. A copy of your advising report.
3. Two academic letters of recommendation, at least one of which is from a German instructor at Ohio State. (Your instructors are welcome to email their letters to Natascha directly.)

Email your Statement to:
 Natascha (miller.521) no later than Friday, March 13, 2026 (noon - this deadline is firm!)

In honor of Professor Dieter Cunz (Chair from 1957-1969), a fund was established to present an annual award to an outstanding graduating senior with a major or minor in German. Students may be recognized for outstanding achievement in coursework, research, or leadership within the Department.

Faculty in the Department nominate students for this award.

Email your nomination to Natascha (miller.521) with "Dieter Cunz Award Nomination" in the subject line no later than Friday, March 13, 2026 (noon / this deadline is firm).

Biographical Sketch ~ Who was Professor Edse?

This $750 scholarship is awarded to a German major or minor for travel to a German-speaking country (preferably for first-time study abroad) with a minimum stay of three weeks. 

Application Deadline for 2027

For study abroad in the academic year 2026-27 or Summer Term 2026.

Requirements

• German major or minor;
• 3.2 GPA in German coursework;
• Strong desire to study, travel and/or work in a German-speaking country.

What to I need to put in my application email?

• expected graduation date;
• your major/minor(s);
• languages you studied in high school and college;
• and whether you have taken a German language proficiency exam (e.g., Goethe Institut or TestDAF).
• write a statement [in German or English] in which you describe:
  • your interest in German;
  • what you hope to accomplish while spending time in a German-speaking country
• request two letters of recommendation; at least one of them must be from a German instructor at Ohio State. Your recommenders are welcome to email them to Ms. Miller.
• Email your application information to Natascha Miller (.521) with the subject line: 'Ilsedore Edse Scholarship' 

Two prizes will be awarded each year, normally one presented in the foreign language studied and the other presented in English.

Eligibility

Students who have taken at least one language or literature course at an advanced level (3000 and above), or students with written recommendation of an instructor. Projects must have been completed in the calendar year 2025.

Topics

Literary, cultural, linguistic, and socio-political topics may be chosen.

Criteria for Evaluation

In judging the project, the Awards Committee will evaluate originality and depth of ideas, clarity, persuasiveness, appropriateness and breadth of vocabulary, grammar, and style.

1. Written submissions should consist of at least 3 typed, double-spaced pages (or 800 words). Submissions may consist of two shorter texts. If secondary literature is used, sources should be cited according to MLA style.
2. Videos of oral presentations should run 5-10 minutes.
3. A signed statement should be included, reading either: "This project is entirely my own work; I received neither written nor oral assistance in its composition," or "This project was submitted as a class assignment and has been reworked incorporating corrections and suggestions by my instructor."
4. Do not write your name on your project. Email it to Natascha and she will record your name separately before forwarding it to the Awards Committee.
5. Email your project to Natascha (miller.521) (as a PDF, or as a link to a video) no later than Wednesday, March 26, 2025 (noon / this deadline is firm)