Prestigious Fellowships

The  Graduate School Professional Development Initiative provides workshops to assist students in applying for these prestigious fellowships. Refer to Professional Development Initiative website for information and upcoming events.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Website: NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program

Due Date: Applications for the GRFP are due October-November, depending upon discipline.

Amount: Stipend that varies annually, plus tuition and healthcare for three years.

Ratio (awards/applicants): 1/8

Eligibility: Applicants must have completed fewer than three semesters of graduate school.

Description: The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) provides fellowships to individuals selected early in their graduate careers based on their demonstrated potential for significant achievements in science and engineering. Three years of support is provided by the program for graduate study that will lead to a research-based master’s or doctoral degree in science or engineering (see Fields of Study).

The program goals are the following: 1) to select, recognize, and financially support individuals early in their careers with the demonstrated potential to be high-achieving scientists and engineers, and 2) to broaden participation in science and engineering of underrepresented groups, including women, minorities, persons with disabilities, and veterans.

GRFP is a critical program in NSF’s overall strategy to develop the globally engaged workforce necessary to ensure the nation’s leadership in advancing science and engineering research and innovation. The ranks of NSF Fellows include numerous individuals who have made transformative breakthrough discoveries in science and engineering, become leaders in their chosen careers, and been honored as Nobel laureates.

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship

Website: Ford Foundation Fellowships

Due Date: Application deadlines are in November. 

Amount: Stipend, expenses paid to (at least) attend the Conference of Ford Fellows, Access to Ford Fellow Liaisons.

Ratio (awards/applications): 1/15

Eligibility: Applicants must be enrolled in s doctoral program and have at least three (3) years of study remaining until graduation.

Description: The predoctoral fellowships provide three years of support for individuals engaged in graduate study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree. Predoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of the Ford Foundation.

The awards will be made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. Learn more about Ford Fellows.

National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship

Website: National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program

Due Date: Applications for the NDSEG close in December

Amount: Stipends that vary annually for the first year, second year, and third year. 

Ratio (awards/applicants): 1/10

Eligibility: Applicants must have completed fewer than two full years of graduate study.

Description: As a means of increasing the number of U.S citizens and nationals trained in science and engineering disciplines of military importance, the Department of Defense (DoD) plans to award approximately 200 new three-year graduate fellowships per year. The DoD will offer these fellowships to individuals who have demonstrated the ability and special aptitude for advances training in science and engineering. Learn more about NDSEGF.

The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate 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 following disciplines: aeronautical and astronautical engineering, biosciences, chemical engineering, chemistry, civil engineering, cognitive, neural and behavioral sciences, computer and computational sciences, electrical engineering, geosciences, materials science and engineering, mathematics, mechanical engineering, naval architecture and ocean engineering, oceanography, and physics. Learn more about Fellows

The Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship

Website: The Hertz Foundation

Due Date: Applications open in summer

Amount: Stipends for up to five (5) years. Learn more about the awards

Ratio (awards/applicants): 1/30

Eligibility: Must be a senior undergraduate student or first-year graduate student in pursuit of their doctoral degree.

Description: The Graduate Fellowship Award is based on merit (not need) and consists of a cost-of-education allowance and a personal-support stipend. The cost-of-education allowance is accepted by all of the participating schools in lieu of fees and tuition. Therefore, Hertz Fellows have no liability for any ordinary educational costs, regardless of their choice among participating schools.

Eligible applicants for Hertz Fellowships must be students of the applied physical, biological, and engineering sciences and are citizens or permanent residents of the United States of America, and who are willing to morally commit to make their skills available to the United States in a time of national emergency.

Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity (GFSD) 

WebsiteGraduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity 

Due Date: Applications close in December each year. Information for applicants.

Amount: The charge to the employer for each student supported is an annual amount, of which an amount is the Fellow’s expense allowance plus GFSD’s fee. 

Eligibility: Any qualified U.S. citizen who has the ability to pursue graduate work at a GFSD university partner. Applicants at any stage of their graduate program may apply, as long as they will be available to accept two summers of paid internship. Those with a doctoral degree are ineligible.

Description: Formerly known as the National Physical Science Consortium (NPSC), this award was founded in 1989 “To increase the number of American citizens with graduate degrees in STEM fields, emphasizing recruitment of a diverse applicant pool.” GFSD is a partnership between federal agencies & laboratories, industry, and higher education institutions. GFSD is a registered US nonprofit (501c3). We are only able to support our fellows through partnerships and generous donation of our sponsors.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans

Website: Paul & Daisy Soros Fellow for New Americans

Due Date: Learn more about the application process and deadlines here

Amount: Each Fellow receives a stipend support for a year (all stipend awards are capped at $50,000 per year), as well as 50 percent of required tuition and fees, up to a specified amount for one to two years. The first year of Fellowship funding cannot be deferred.

Ratio (awards/applicants):

Eligibility: Students must not be in their third year of graduate study or later. Learn more about eligibility requirements

Description: The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program is intended for immigrants and children of immigrants in the United States. To be eligible, your birth parents must have both been born outside of the US as non-US citizens, and both parents must not have been eligible for US citizenship at the time of their births.