Why should you apply for nationally- and internationally-competitive scholarships and fellowships as a graduate student? For some of you, the answer is obvious: to secure funding. Others of you, though, are already funded, either by the university or your PI’s grant. So what’s the value then? More than just a stipend, some awards provide unique opportunities to study, research, or intern abroad. Others grant access to elite research opportunities. Still others provide opportunities to work within the federal government after graduation. Even when a stipend is the main benefit, these awards give recipients access to networks of support and mentorship that can be foundational in career success.
It’s true that these awards are highly competitive and, statistically speaking, many more applicants will not receive the awards than those who do. If it’s a long shot, then, is it still worth applying? YES! The application process itself is an important opportunity for professional development–for learning how to write personal statements, research statements, grant proposals, etc.; for cultivating relationships with mentors and other campus resources that can support you throughout your graduate career and beyond; and for crafting language explaining the significance and impact of your graduate studies and research that is accessible to a wide audience. The NSO’s support is intended to help you achieve all those outcomes, and hopefully a scholarship or fellowship too!
Check out our Kaltura channel to view recordings of past information sessions and workshops.
Application Essays (i.e. Statement of Purpose, Research Statement, and others)
Letters of recommendation
(Possible) Interview
(Possible) Language Evaluation
Application Tips
Start the application process early. Applying for fellowships takes longer than you think it should, and your department or the NSO may have internal deadlines you need to meet, so plan ahead!
Give yourself enough time when writing proposals or personal statements to have them reviewed several times by professors or advisors. Peers and even parents can also be good reviewers!
Discuss your research and its significance in language non-experts can understand.
Contact your references early and notify them of deadlines well in advance—then follow-up with them. Give them any materials they will need to write a compelling recommendation.
Presentation is important because it shows your commitment, ambition and desire. Allow enough time to show your very best work.
Getting Letters of Recommendation
Most scholarship applications require multiple letters of recommendation. Most scholarship applications require multiple letters of recommendation. They are looking for letters from mentors and supervisors who know you well and can speak knowledgeably about your research, academic firepower, talents and abilities, leadership, potential, and more.
Work with the NSO to come up with a list of potential recommenders and to determine which combination will work best for the award you are applying for. Different applications may be best served by different combinations of recommenders.
When approaching potential recommenders, ask early and go armed with information! Share information with them about the award you are applying for, why you are applying, and what you are hoping they might be able to write about. Give them the opportunity to say no–this is better than getting a bad or vague letter!
Don’t agree to write your own letter. Not only is it unethical to do so, but you will not be able to write as good a letter about yourself as your mentors can. They have perspective and context that you lack (and they don’t have the sense of humility about you that you probably do have!)
Follow up with recommenders throughout the application process. Share essay drafts with them both to keep them informed and to get valuable feedback! Remind them of upcoming deadlines.
At-A-Glance Guides
The At-A-Glance Guides list graduate-level scholarship and fellowship opportunities, broken down by discipline.
The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) aims to increase the number of Americans studying critical foreign languages. The program provides full funding for undergraduate and graduate students to study a critical language abroad during the summer.
Students from all majors, disciplines and backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Program participants are expected to continue language study beyond the duration of their funding, as well as to implement skills gained from their participation in the program into their future professional careers.
The application is open to United States citizens currently enrolled in a U.S. degree-seeking program at the undergraduate or graduate level. Applicants must have already completed their first year of university-level curriculum by the beginning of the program.
Typically CLS has a national deadline of mid-November. The NSO has a campus process to help students through the application process including a self-paced Canvas course and application review panels.
Boren Scholarship
The Boren Scholarships provide financial assistance to undergraduate students (up to $25,000) to study a critical language abroad in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East. Boren recipients must serve one year working for the federal government. Boren Scholars and Fellows must not graduate before concluding their Boren funding period. Applicants must be U.S. Citizens. Typically the Boren Awards have a national deadline of late January or early February. The NSO has a campus process to support students applying for the Boren Awards, including a self-paced Canvas course and campus review panels. You can view a recorded information session on our Kaltura channel. The campus deadline is typically early January.
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
The Fulbright U.S. Student Program is the nation's largest international exchange program with over 2,000 grants awarded each year. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, it is designed to give recent graduates and alumni opportunities to study, conduct independent research, pursue creative projects, or teach English abroad for one academic year. Applicants must be U.S. citizens and hold at least a Bachelor’s degree or the equivalent by the start of the grant. Other country-specific eligibility requirements may apply. The Fulbright program aims to increase mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and the people of other countries through educational exchange.
There are two major types of student grants:
Academic Study/Research Grant
Independent research, study, or creative and performing arts projects abroad
English Teaching Assistantships
20-30 hours a week at primary/secondary schools or universities helping to teach English and U.S. culture
Remaining time spent on a community-focused project
The typical national deadline for Fulbright is mid-October. The NSO has a campus process to help students through the application process including workshops and application review panels. The campus deadline is typically mid-August. The NSO Kaltura channel hosts a recorded Fulbright information session and other workshops.
RISE Germany
RISE Germany is a summer internship program for undergraduate students from the United States, Canada and the UK in the fields of biology, chemistry, physics, earth sciences and engineering. It offers unique opportunities to work with research groups at universities and top research institutions across Germany for a period of 2 to 3 months during the summer. RISE interns are matched with doctoral students whom they assist and who serve as their mentors. The working language will be English. All scholarship holders receive stipends from DAAD to help cover living expenses, while partner universities & research institutes provide housing assistance.
SMART Scholarship
The Science, Mathematics And Research For Transformation (SMART) Scholarship is awarded to undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM). Established by the Department of Defense (DoD), recipients participate in summer research internships at a DoD laboratory and are expected to complete a post-graduation employment service as a DoD civilian.
In addition to these benefits, participants receive:
Full tuition and education related fees
Stipend paid at a rate of $25,000-$38,000 depending on degree pursued
Health insurance allowance up to $1,200 per calendar year
Miscellaneous supplies allowance of $1,000 per academic year
Mentoring
Employment placement after graduation
Applicants must be a citizen of the United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or United Kingdom, 18 years or older, and in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.
The application deadline for the SMART Scholarship is usually December 1.
Quad Fellowship
The Quad Fellowship sponsors 100 exceptional American, Japanese, Australian, and Indian master’s and doctoral students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to study in the United States. The fellowship will develop a network of science and technology experts committed to advancing innovation and collaboration in the private, public, and academic sectors, in their own nations and among Quad countries.
Applicants must:
Be at least 18 years old
Be a citizen or permanent resident of Australia, India, Japan, or the U.S., have a bachelor’s degree in a STEM field
Have a bachelor’s degree or its equivalent in a STEM field by the start of the program
Have a demonstrated record of superior academic achievement at the undergraduate level
If applicants are currently enrolled in a Master's or PhD program in the United States, they may apply if they will be enrolled in a qualified academic program during their time as a Fellow
Application deadline is typically the end of June.
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
The National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) aims to support early-career graduate students in science and engineering in the United States in order to ensure the vitality of these fields and reinforce their diversity. The 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 U.S. institutions. The NSF welcomes applications from all qualified students and strongly encourages underrepresented populations, including women, underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities, to apply for this fellowship.
GRFP Fellows Receive:
Three years of support
$30,000 annual stipend
$12,000 cost-of-education allowance to the institution
International research and professional development opportunities
Graduating seniors and alumni who have not yet matriculated in a graduate program are particularly encouraged to apply. Once enrolled in a graduate program, eligible students may apply in their first OR second year. US citizens, nationals, and permanent residents are eligible to apply.
Students who would like NSO support should plan to work on their application over the summer, with campus deadlines as early as July. The national deadline is usually the third week in October.
Ford Fellowships
The Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation's college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, and increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. The Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship is intended to support the final year of writing and defense of the dissertation. Eligibility to apply for a Ford fellowship is limited to:
All U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and U.S. permanent residents (holders of a Permanent Resident Card); individuals granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program; Indigenous individuals exercising rights associated with the Jay Treaty of 1794; individuals granted Temporary Protected Status; asylees; and refugees
Individuals with evidence of superior academic achievement (such as grade point average, class rank, honors or other designations)
Individuals pursuing a PhD who are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level in the U.S.
The application deadline is typically mid-December.
The Ford Foundation Predoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 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 in the U.S., 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.
Eligibility to apply for a predoctoral fellowship is limited to:
All U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and U.S. permanent residents (holders of a Permanent Resident Card); individuals granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program;1\ Indigenous individuals exercising rights associated with the Jay Treaty of 1794; individuals granted Temporary Protected Status; asylees; and refugees
Individuals with evidence of superior academic achievement (such as grade point average, class rank, honors, or other designations);
Individuals committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level in the U.S.;
Individuals enrolled in or planning to enroll in an eligible research-based (dissertation-required) program leading to a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree at a non-proprietary (not for profit) U.S. institution of higher education
Individuals who require a minimum of three years of their program to complete their Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree; and
Individuals who have not earned a doctoral degree at any time, in any field.