Nationally Competitive Graduate Fellowships
Fellowships below are just a few of the many options that exist – this is NOT an exhaustive list. Please make sure to search the databases listed on the previous page for even more funding options.
The majority of fellowships have deadlines from October – January and require institutional nomination/assistance.
LEGEND: (M) = Master’s (D) = Doctoral/PhD candidates; Awards open to most programs unless designated “STEM”
Please click the headers to organize the table differently, if desired.
“*” indicates eligibility to international students
| Award Name | Description | Eligibility | Approximate Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Educational Research Association Dissertation Grants | Dissertation Grants are available for advanced doctoral students and are intended to support the student while analyzing data and writing the doctoral dissertation. Proposals are encouraged from the full range of education research fields and other fields and disciplines engaged in education-related research, including economics, political science, psychology, sociology, demography, statistics, public policy, and psychometrics. | D | September/October |
| GEM Fellowship | GEM’s principal activity is the provision of graduate fellowships at the MS and PhD levels coupled with paid summer internships . GEM also offers fellowships without paid summer internships through our GEM University and Associate Fellowship programs. | M, D -- STEM | September/October |
| Microsoft PhD Fellowships * | The proposed research must be closely related to the research topics carried out by Microsoft Research as noted in the Research areas tab above. Applicants for the Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship must be nominated by their universities, and their nominations must be submitted by the office of the chair of the department. Direct applications from students are not accepted | D -- STEM | September/October |
| NSF - Graduate Research Fellowship Program | The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based Master's and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions. | M, D -- STEM | September/October |
| Woodrow Wilson Dissertation Fellowships in Women's Studies | Since 1974, the Woodrow Wilson Dissertation Fellowship in Women’s Studies has been the only national program supporting original, significant, interdisciplinary doctoral dissertations on women’s issues. | D | September/October |
| Fulbright Scholars (Research and English Teaching Assistantships) | The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides grants for individually designed study/research projects or for English Teaching Assistant Programs. A candidate will submit a Statement of Grant Purpose defining activities to take place during one academic year in a participating country outside the U.S | M, D | October |
| Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships | The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships support the final year of work on Ph.D. dissertations dealing with ethical or religious values in fields across the humanities and social sciences. | D | November |
| American Association of University Women (AAUW) * | Fellowship and grant recipients perform research in a wide range of disciplines and work to improve their schools and communities. Their intellect, dedication, imagination, and effort promise to forge new paths in scholarship, improve the quality of life for all, and tackle the educational and social barriers facing women worldwide. AAUW seeks a diverse applicant pool. | M, D | November |
| Ford Foundation Fellowships | Predoctoral, Dissertation, and Postdoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on behalf of the Ford Foundation. | D -- STEM | November |
| Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Research Fellowships * | The Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF) offers nine to twelve months of support to graduate students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who are enrolled in PhD programs in the United States and conducting dissertation research on non-US topics. Seventy fellowships are awarded annually. | D | November |
| Critical Language Scholarship | The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program is an intensive overseas language and cultural immersion program for American students enrolled at U.S. colleges and universities. Students spend eight to ten weeks abroad studying one of 15 critical languages. The program includes intensive language instruction and structured cultural enrichment experiences designed to promote rapid language gains. | M, D | November |
| International Peace Scholarship * | The International Peace Scholarship Fund, established in 1949, is a program which provides scholarships for selected women from other countries for graduate study in the United States and Canada. | International students only | December |
| National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG) | National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowships are awarded to applicants who will pursue a doctoral degree in, or closely related to, an area of DoD interest within one of the fifteen | D -- STEM | December |
| DoD SMART Scholarships | The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship-for-Service Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed by the Department of Defense (DoD) upon degree completion. | M, D -- STEM | December |
| Boren Fellowship for Study Abroad and National Security | Boren Fellowships, an initiative of the National Security Education Program, provide unique funding opportunities for U.S. graduate students to study less commonly taught languages in world regions critical to U.S. interests, and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central and Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded. | M, D | January |
| Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship | The DOE CSGF is open to U.S. citizens or permanent resident aliens who plan full-time, uninterrupted study toward a Ph.D. at an accredited U.S. university. We encourage applications from students in engineering and the physical, computer, mathematical or life sciences who meet the following eligibility requirements. The fellowship provides four years of support, but must be renewed each summer. | D -- STEM | January |
| Hispanic Scholarship Fund | The HSF Scholarship is designed to assist students of Hispanic heritage obtain a university degree. | M, D | February 15 |
| National Research Council Research Associateship Programs | The NRC Research Associateship Programs (RAP) promote excellence in scientific and technological research conducted by the U.S. government through the administration of programs offering graduate, postdoctoral, and senior level research opportunities at sponsoring federal laboratories and affiliated institutions. | M, D -- STEM | February |
| Smithsonian Institutional Fellowship | The Smithsonian has a comprehensive list of awards listed on their site. | M, D | varies |