Prestigious Fellowships
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.
Gilliam Fellows Program
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) will be accepting applications for the next round of the Gilliam Fellows Program, beginning on October 17, 2024.
Criteria: The Gilliam competition is open to second or third year biomedical and life science PhD students and their thesis advisors who are committed to advancing equity and inclusion in science.
Program Announcement: The 2025 Program Announcement is available at this website.
Webinar: The Gilliam team will be hosting a 2025 Gilliam competition informational webinar on Monday, October 21, 2024 at 2pm EST. Registration is required. Visit this website for more information and to register. For those who are unable to attend, the webinar recording and slides will be posted to the Gilliam website.
Questions: If you have questions, please contact gilliam@hhmi.org.
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.