Graduate Fellowships for Research/Study in the U.S.
Graduate Fellowships for Research/Study in the U.S.
Department of Defense- NDSEG
The Department of Defense National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships (NDSEG) are intended for students who are at or near the beginning of their graduate study for a Ph.D. in science or engineering. Ninety-seven percent of fellowships are awarded to students who are either graduating seniors or in their first year of graduate study. Fellowships are awarded for a maximum period of three years of graduate study. The actual number of awards varies from year to year depending upon the available funding. Over 10,000 applications are received each year. Applications are encouraged from minority students, women, and those with disabilities. Ten percent of these awards are set-aside for applicants from underrepresented minority groups. The NDSEG pays for full tuition and all mandatory fees, a $3200 monthly stipend, and up to $1,200 a year in medical insurance (this excludes dental and vision insurance). NDSEG Fellowships last for three years.
Department of Defense- SMART Scholarship
The SMART (Science, Mathematics and Research for Transformation) Scholarship is open to U.S. citizens studying one of the allowed subjects (see website for complete list) as an undergraduate or graduate student. The award covers full tuition and education related fees (not including items such as meal plans, housing, or parking), a stipend paid at a rate of $25,000 - $38,000 dependent upon educational experience, paid summer internships, mentoring and employment placement after graduation, a book allowance of $1,000 per academic year, health insurance reimbursement allowance up to $1,200 per calendar year.
Department of Energy Fellowships
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) sponsors approximately one hundred fellowship opportunities for faculty, post-docs, graduate students, and undergraduates who are interested in research related to energy concerns. The Oak Ridge Institute administers the DOE awards for Science and Education (ORISE). These awards require U.S. citizenship or permanent residency. Some awards are restricted to U.S. citizens only. Students can search for specific fellowship options on their website.
DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
The Computational Science Graduate Fellowship Program is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy through the Office of Scientific Computing. The program supports full-time doctoral study in the United States in an applied science or engineering discipline with applications in high-performance computing. Fellowships are granted for one-year renewable terms from September 1 through August 31 of each year. This fellowship can cover up to 48 months of graduate study. These fellowships will provide tuition, fees, a yearly stipend of $37,000, and an academic allowance of $5,000 for research the first year ($1,000 in following years).
Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
The Ford Foundation seeks to increase the number of minorities who are underrepresented as faculty members in U.S. colleges and universities. Applicants must be pursuing research or teaching careers. Students may study the behavioral or social sciences, humanities, biological sciences, mathematics, physical sciences and engineering or an interdisciplinary area. Awards will not be made to those seeking professional degrees, the fine or performing arts, or education. Awards will not be made for terminal Master's degrees. Seniors or current graduate students can apply. Approximately 60 pre-doctoral and 29 dissertation fellowships are awarded yearly. See the Ford brochure for more information on the dissertation awards. Predoctoral awards, which are granted to college seniors or first and second year grad students, provide an annual stipend of $24,000. Awards are for three years and can be used at any accredited nonprofit U.S. institution granting Ph.D. or Sc.D. degrees in the fields specified above.
Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship
Applicants must be enrolled in an eligible research-based, (dissertation-required) program leading to a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree at a non-profit U.S. institution of higher education. Must complete the dissertation in a period of 9-12 months during the academic year.Awards provide a stipend of $28,000.
GEM Fellowship Program
The GEM Fellowship Pograms are designed to offer opportunities for under-represented minority students to obtain M.S. degrees in engineering and Ph.D. degrees in engineering and the natural and physical sciences through a program of paid summer internships and graduate financial assistance.
Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity (GFSD) (Formerly the NPSC)
Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity is a partnership between government agencies and laboratories, industry, and higher education. GFSD is open for application by all U.S. citizens regardless of race or gender. GFSD's goal is to increase the number of American citizens with graduate degrees in STEM fields, emphasizing recruitment of a diverse applicant pool.
List of participating universities can be found here: https://stemfellowships.org/fellows/
Great Minds in Stem Scholarships
The GMiS STEM Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship ranging from $500-5,000 or a non-merit based scholarship ranging from $500-$1,000 for applicants of Hispanic descent and enrolled in a STEM undergraduate / graduate program in the U.S. or its territories.
Hertz Fellowship
The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowships are based on merit (not need). There are two options for Hertz Fellowships:
Option 1 – Five Year Hertz
- $34,000 / 9-month Personal Stipend
- Full Tuition Equivalent
- Renewable for up to 5 years
Option 2 – Five Year Coordinated
Hertz Period – Two Years
- $40,000 / 9-month Personal Stipend
- Full Tuition Equivalent
Other Fellowship Period – Up to Three Years
- $8,000 / year Supplemental Stipend from Hertz
- Requires recipient to accept 3-year Fellowship from another source, e.g., NSF or university sponsored fellowship.
The fellowship supports academic versus professional graduate study, e.g., study for the Ph.D. Only those studying the physical sciences whose work will have real world applications versus the theoretical are eligible. This focus, however, may be broadly construed. The official description of the fellowship stresses applicants who are "willing to morally commit to make their skills available to the United States in time of national emergency." Again, this should not be taken literally. Students with excellent academic credentials, who plan to study in some area of the physical sciences, should definitely consider applying for the Hertz, which offers very generous support. In 2014, the Hertz Foundation received nearly 800 applications and about 19% of those got personal interviews. There are 10-15 awards annually. Fellows must attend one of the Foundation's tenable schools, which are listed on their website.
Knight-Hennessy Scholars
Each year the Knight-Hennessy Scholars program will identify a group of 100 high-achieving students from around the world with demonstrated leadership and civic commitment to receive full funding to pursue a wide-ranging graduate education at Stanford, with the goal of developing a new generation of global leaders.
The Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program funds up to three years of graduate education. If the applicant's graduate degree program exceeds three years, such as an MD or PhD program, then the home department will fund the remainder of the scholar's education (to the extent consistent with its standard funding commitment for that program). The Knight-Hennessy Program cannot be deferred, but applicants can reapply for the year they wish to join. This indicates it cannot be "coordinated" with fellowships such as the NSF GRFP nor deferred if a student wins a Fulbright, Marshall, Gates, Rhodes, etc.
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Graduate Partnerships Program
The NIH GPP is designed to bring PhD graduate students to the NIH Intramural Research Program in Bethesda, MD, for dissertation research.. The goal is to create a different kind of graduate experience, one that focuses on training the next generation of scientific leaders by emphasizing communication and collaboration skills, integration of information, and interdisciplinary investigation.
The stipends for graduate students at the NIH are adjusted yearly; the level depends on prior research experience and number of years at NIH as a graduate student.
National Science Foundation (GRFP)
NSF Graduate Research Fellowships provide support for research based graduate study leading to doctoral degrees in the natural sciences, mathematics, computer sciences, engineering, behavioral and social sciences, and in the history or philosophy of science.
Individuals are typically eligible to apply:
- During the senior year of college
- After graduating from college and prior to entering graduate school
- During the first OR second year of graduate school
Awards carry a stipend for each fellow of $37,000 for a 12-month tenure and an annual cost-of-education allowance of $16,000, paid to the Fellow's institution in lieu of tuition and fees.
Students should read the annual NSF GRFP Program Solicitation for all information on eligibility and to understand the application process and requirements of the NSF.
- GRFP presentations for Applicants (Updated 7/2024)
Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans supports thirty awards per year for up to two years of graduate study in any subject anywhere in the United States. The fellowship provides a maintenance allowance of $25,000 and a tuition grant of one-half the tuition cost of the US graduate program attended by the Fellow (up to a maximum of $20,000 per academic year). The Fellowship Program pays the tuition grant directly to the institution. The size of the tuition grant depends on the cost of tuition at the institution the Fellow attends. Fees are not included in calculating tuition.
The Norton Labs Graduate Fellowship
The Norton Labs Graduate Fellowship provides up to $20,000 USD that may be used to cover one year of the student's tuition fees and to reimburse expenses incurred by the student to engage into research collaboration with Symantec, such as conference registration fees, travel expenses, hardware, etc. Mentors from Symantec Research Labs are paired with award recipients. The mentor is a top researcher who can provide ongoing technical guidance on the recipient's research, during their graduate training as well as during summer internships at Symantec. All recipients will be encouraged to take a salaried summer internship with Symantec Research labs. Fellowships are awarded to recipients for one academic year and may be extended for a second year, based on the award recipient's continued exceptional academic standing, progress and achievement. Any such extensions will be granted solely at Symantec's discretion.