Submission Deadline
Friday, November 6, 2026
The Thomas Tam Scholarship was established by the City University of New York to honor the legacy of Dr. Thomas Tam—a former CUNY Board of Trustees member, founding Executive Director of the Asian American / Asian Research Institute (AAARI), and dedicated community leader. The $1,000 scholarship is awarded annually to a qualified CUNY undergraduate student (Asian or non-Asian) who demonstrates creativity in raising awareness about issues facing the Asian American community. Eligible projects may span fields such as healthcare, education, media, arts and culture, or community advocacy.
Application Guidelines
2026 Scholarship Online Application Form
All currently enrolled CUNY undergraduate students are eligible to apply for the Thomas Tam Scholarship.
Display of communication of the concerns of the Asian American community can be in the form of written reports, film, video, new media techniques, and the development of performances or materials in the arts and sciences.
The following are the issues to be addressed in your application for the Tam Scholarship. Please be sure to cover all of the points in your application.
- Please describe your project in detail, be sure to tell us about the issue of concern to the Asian American community that the project is designed to address.
- Please explain how your project demonstrates creativity in communicating the concerns of Asian Americans in areas such as health, education, culture, media and advocacy.
- What are the objectives or goals of the project, i.e. what do you want to accomplish, or what impact or effect will it have? How will you know that it has been successful?
- How was the project implemented, or if in progress or a future project, please describe how it will be implemented?
- Is the project completed, is it in progress or is it a future project? (Note: Uncompleted/future projects will only receive partial scholarship award until they are completed.)
Please submit your application using the online form by Friday, November 6, 2026. If your pdf or zip file exceeds 5 MB, you can use file hosting services such as WeTransfer.com and email it to info@aaari.info. In the email subject header, type “2026 Tam Scholarship Submission.”
Scholarship Committee: TBA
Coordinator: William Tam
