External Funding

This program is an opportunity for graduate students from all disciplines to apply their coursework and gain hands-on government experience in one of the world’s most dynamic cities. Fellows work closely with Mayor’s Office senior staff on legislation, policies, and programs to improve the lives of Chicago’s 2.7 million residents. Fellows also participate in weekly site visits of the city’s most interesting places and attend talks with leading policymakers. Apply here.

The James B. Pearson Fellowship Fund for Graduate Studies Abroad provides funding for scholars that require study abroad to perform their research, with funded projects typically ranging from 3-15 months. Administered by the Kansas Board of Regents, eligible applicants must have been a resident of Kansas for a minimum of five years and currently attend a graduate program at a university in Kansas. Applicants from many fields of study are welcome, but they must be pursuing research related to foreign affairs. To apply for James B. Pearson Fellowship, please contact the Office of Graduate Studies

Ford Foundation Fellowships are sponsored at the predoctoral, dissertation, and postdoctoral level by the National Academy of Sciences. The Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.

Founded in 1846, the Smithsonian Institution is the world's largest museum and research complex, consisting of 19 museums and galleries, the National Zoological Park, and nine research facilities. Through their Office of Fellowships & Internships, the Smithsonian administers fellowship opportunities in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences at dozens of museums, parks, and centers.

Andrew W. Mellon Foundation / American Council of Learned Societies Dissertation Completion Fellowship assist graduate students in the humanities and related social sciences in the last year of Ph.D. dissertation writing. The Fellowship tenure may be carried out in residence at the Fellow's home institution, abroad, or at another appropriate site for the research.

The Winterthur Museum & Library was established in 1952 to furnish staff, students, and the general public with research materials about American decorative arts and material culture. Since then it has become a recognized research center for advanced study and is dedicated to the understanding and appreciation of America's artistic, cultural, social, and intellectual history from colonial times into the twentieth century. Winterthur offers a variety of research fellowships.

The American Antiquarian Society library houses the largest and most accessible collection of printed materials from first contact through 1876 in what is now the United States, the West Indies and parts of Canada.The American Antiquarian Society offers three broad categories of visiting research fellowships, with tenures ranging from one to twelve months. All of the fellowships are designed to enable academic and independent scholars and advanced graduate students to spend an uninterrupted block of time doing research in the Society's library.

Resident scholar fellowships are awarded annually by the School for Advanced Research to four or more scholars who have completed their research and who need time to prepare manuscripts or dissertations on topics important to the understanding of humankind. Resident scholars may approach their research from the perspective of anthropology or from related fields such as history, sociology, art, and philosophy. Scholars from the humanities and social sciences are encouraged to apply.

The Graduate Fellowship Award is based on merit and consists of a cost-of-education allowance and a personal-support stipend. For more information, visit the Hertz Foundation website

The Hispanic Scholarship Fund provides numerous scholarships to Hispanic undergraduate and graduate degree seeking students. To learn more about application requirements and deadlines, visit the Hispanic Scholarship Fund website.

The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships of ICS are designed to encourage original and significant study of ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences, and particularly to help Ph.D. candidates in these fields complete their dissertation work in a timely manner.

The Women’s Studies Fellowships are provided to Ph.D. candidates at institutions in the United States who will complete their dissertations during the fellowship year in the humanities and social sciences

American Fellowships support women scholars who are completing dissertations, planning research leave from accredited institutions, or preparing research for publication. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. For more information, visit the American Association of University Women Fellowship website.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of the P3 - People, Prosperity and the Planet Award Program, is seeking applications proposing to research, develop, and design solutions to real world challenges involving the overall sustainability of human society. Students receive up to $15,000 for an initial award and up to $75,000 for a second award. Learn more about the P3 program>>

The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce in the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees in fields within NSF's mission. The GRFP provides three years of support for the graduate education of individuals who have demonstrated their potential for significant achievements in science and engineering research.

Various NSF Institutes offer Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants. Find more information on these grants to support doctoral research on the NSF Funding Website.

The National Institutes of Health supports predoctoral and postdoctoral fellowships through the F31 and F32 mechanisms. Find more information on the Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards on the NIH website.

The AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships provides opportunities for social scientists, scientists, and engineers with doctoral degress to learn first-hand about policymaking while contributing their knowledge and analytical skills in the federal policy realm.

The Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE NNSA SSGF) provides opportunities to students pursuing a Ph.D. in fields of study that solve complex science and engineering problems critical to high energy density physics, nuclear science, or properties of materials under extreme conditions and hydrodynamics.

The Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) provides outstanding benefits and opportunities to students pursuing doctoral degrees in fields that use high-performance computing to solve complex science and engineering problems.

The Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program provides supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students to pursue part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE laboratory/facility in areas that address scientific challenges central to the Office of Science mission. The research opportunity is expected to advance the graduate students’ overall doctoral thesis while providing access to the expertise, resources, and capabilities available at the DOE laboratories/facilities.

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 in April 2013, subject to the availability of funds. Find more information on the DOD website

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 upon degree completion.

The National Academies Research Associateship Programs offer postdoctoral and senior scientists and engineers an opportunity to conduct concentrated research in association with selected members of the permanent professional laboratory staff. Find more information on the NAS RAP website

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jenkins Fellowship aims to increase the U.S. talent pool of underrepresented groups, including women, ethnic minorities, and persons with disabilities who receive Master's and Doctoral degrees participating in the STEM workforce. For more information, visit the UNCF Special Programs website.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration Technology Research Fellowships sponsor U.S. citizen and permanent resident graduate students to perform innovative, space-technology research at their respective campuses and at NASA Centers or at nonprofit U.S. Research and Development (R&D) laboratories, and receive up to $68,000 a year.

Pathways to Science is a project of the Institute for Broadening Participation (IBP) that connects underrepresented groups with science, technology, engineering, and mathematics programs, funding, mentoring, and resources.

The NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship Program seeks to encourage a new generation of scholars from a wide range of disciplines and professional fields to undertake research relevant to the improvement of education. These $25,000 fellowships support individuals whose dissertations show potential for bringing fresh and constructive prerpectives to the history, theory, or practice of formal or informal education anywhere in the world. More information is available on the NAED website

Rotary Global Grant Scholarships (pdf) fund one year of post-baccalaureate study at a recognized university in a country other than the United States.The funding minimum by The Rotary Foundation is $15,000 with a minimum project cost of $30,000. There is no set timeline for consideration of scholarship application. Any application will be reviewed as received. Information about this program is available from the following websites. District 5710 and Rotary International.