A major part of NCMA’s mission is education. The San Diego Chapter awards scholarships to assist and encourage individuals interested in a career in contracts management.
The Chapter’s scholarship program is named in honor of Dean Menard. In 1962, the San Diego Chapter became the second chartered NCMA chapter in the United States; Dean was one of the Charter Members.
Throughout his years of service to NCMA, Dean received several NCMA national awards including two Pony Express Awards. In 1982, the National Education Award honored his efforts in establishing the Contract Management Certificate Program at SDSU College of Extended Studies. The Certificate Progam was one of Dean's many contributions to the contracts community and embodies his dedication to mentoring up-and-coming contracts professionals.
Scholarship Award Amounts and Financial Considerations
Scholarship awards to successful applicants to cover course cost, less any employer contribution, up to a maximum award of $350. Awards will be made contingent upon the availability of Chapter funds.
Financial need is not a basis of award. Scholarships are awarded to Chapter members that do not have full funding available from their employer or from other scholarships, grants, etc.
Scholarship Application Instructions
Scholarship applications shall be emailed to the Education Director at education@ncmasd.org in either of the months identified in the section “Schedule for Scholarship Acceptance, Evaluation and Disbursement” below.
Applications sent at other times will be held until the next one of these months. The email shall contain a letter that provides the information enumerated below. All required information must be contained therein to be considered a responsive application.
Letter Contents:
Your name and contact information (i.e., home address, e-mail address and telephone number)
Your NCMA membership number (membership in NCMA is a requirement to apply for a scholarship award). For membership information (and application if not a member), go to: www.ncmahq.org.
The intended use of scholarship funds (i.e., the course, when and where you will take the course, total course costs and the amount your employer plans to contribute)
Identification of any prior scholarships received from NCMA, including but not limited to, the San Diego Chapter
Statement of permission to make public your name, amount of scholarship received, and use made of scholarship funds which may include course title, completion date and where taken. The media for publication may include, but are not limited to, the Chapter newsletter and the Chapter website.
Affirmation of adherence to NCMA Code of Ethics, as stated below, along with your signature and date signed
NCMA Code of Ethics
Each member of the contract management profession (“the profession”) accepts the obligation to continuously improve one’s professional knowledge and job performance in the field of contract management, and to abide by the letter and spirit of the ethical standards set forth below.
Each member of the profession shall:
Strive to attain the highest professional standard of job performance, to exercise diligence in carrying out one's professional duties, and to serve the profession to the best of one’s ability.
Conduct oneself in such a manner as to bring credit upon the profession, as well as to maintain trust and confidence in the integrity of the contract management process.
Avoid engagement in any transaction that might conflict or appear to conflict with the proper discharge of one's professional duties by reason of a financial interest, family relationship, or any other circumstances.
Comply with all laws and regulations that govern the contract management process in the jurisdictions in which one conducts business, including protection of competition-sensitive and proprietary information from inappropriate disclosure.
Keep informed of developments in the contract management field, utilizing both formal training and ad hoc means, to continuously increase knowledge, skill, and professional competence.
Share one’s knowledge and experience openly to contribute to the development of other professionals, improve performance quality, and enhance public perception of the profession.
Not knowingly influence others to commit any act that would constitute a violation of this code.
Schedule for Scholarship Acceptance, Evaluation and Disbursement
Scholarship applications will be accepted, evaluated and awarded twice a year as summarized in the following table and described below:
Summary of Schedule for Application Acceptance, Evaluation and Award
Applications are Accepted
Applications are Evaluated
Disbursements are Made
1st Period
October
November
December
2nd Period
April
May
June
The Chapter program year is from July through June of the subsequent year. Scholarships are budgeted on an annual basis.
Scholarship applications submitted to the Education Director during October will be evaluated in November. Funds for successful scholarship applications will be disbursed in December, based on the availability of Chapter funds.
Scholarship applications submitted to the Education Director during April will be evaluated during May. Funds for successful scholarship applications will be disbursed in June based on the availability of Chapter funds.
Note that a large number of successful applications in October may result in disbursement of all available funds for that program year in December, in which case applications will not be accepted during the April period.
Scholarship Evaluation Criteria
Properly completed scholarship applications will be evaluated by a committee established by the Chapter’s Board of Directors. The committee will be made up of three members of the Board who will evaluate all applications received during that period and make recommendations for awards to the Board. The Board will make the final determination on scholarship awards, based on the committee’s recommendations and availability of Chapter funds.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the deadline to submit a scholarship application? Scholarship applications will only be accepted during the months identified in the above table. It is recommended that you contact the Chapter’s Education Director before applying to ensure that scholarship funds are still available for the current program year.
How will I find out if I am going to receive a scholarship? The Education Director will notify each applicant of the Chapter Board’s disposition of the scholarship request in accordance with the schedule noted above. If you are not awarded a scholarship you may resubmit the application in a subsequent period.
When are scholarship announcements made? When a scholarship award is granted, the Chapter may include an announcement of the award in the Chapter’s newsletter, on the Chapter’s website or other forum. The announcement may include the member’s name, the purpose of the scholarship award and the amount of the award received. Your scholarship application request must consent to this publicity.
May individuals submit scholarship applications more than once? An individual may apply for scholarship awards in successive program years. An individual may also apply for multiple scholarship awards in the same year. However, in both cases, if limited funds are available, a qualified individual that previously has not received a scholarship award will be given preference over one who has.
Point of Contact for Questions
For additional questions about this policy please contact the Education Director at education@ncmasd.org.
NCMA San DiegoChapter P.O. Box 504255, San Diego, CA 92150-4255 Return to Home Page
