How to Prepare for Graduate School
One of the many challenges of graduate school is finding enough funding to complete your dissertation research. Fortunately, there are government agencies, institutions and other organizations that recognize the value of the research you are doing and are willing to provide funding. We’ve compiled the below list of graduate fellowships and grants to help students afford to complete their graduate degree.
Funding Basics
Funding for graduate or professional school is available through many different sources. Be sure to check with your graduate program for fellowships or scholarships for which you might be qualified. Here is the basic information you need to decide which might be best for you.
Basics About Fellowships
- Portable graduate fellowships can be applied to your choice of institution. Institution fellowships are only provided at the institution you are attending.
- Portable fellowships are often referred to as “external” fellowships and can award funding based on academic need, academic record or merit.
Sources of Federal Grants
- Some grants are issued by government agencies, while others come from state organizations.
- Timelines are rigid and sometimes can be short. So make it a practice to check on grant opportunities regularly.
- View this list of agencies who provide federal grants.
ORISE STEM Workforce Development Fellowships
The Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) administers a wide range of fellowships and internships that are STEM-based. ORISE manages fellowships for the U.S. Department of Energy and more than a dozen other Federal agencies.
U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Ferguson Fellowship Program
The Dr. James A. Ferguson Emerging Infectious Disease Fellowship Program provides educational and experiential opportunities for racial and ethnic minority medical, dental, pharmacy, veterinary and public health graduate students in a broad array of public health activities.
U.S. Department of Defense National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
U.S. citizens or nationals pursuing a doctorate in a field that benefits national security are eligible for this three-year fellowship from the Department of Defense. Fields of study include aeronautics/astronomy; bioscience; chemical engineering; chemistry; civil engineering; computational, neural and behavioral sciences; electrical engineering; physics; geosciences; mathematical science and engineering; mechanical engineering; naval architecture; ocean engineering; and oceanography.
U.S. Department of Energy Computational Sciences Graduate Fellowships
The U.S. Department of Energy provides funding for students in their first or second year of graduate study in the fields of physical, engineering, computers, mathematics and life sciences.
U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration Harriett G. Jenkins Predoctoral Graduate Fellowships
The Harriett G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship Program increases the number of graduate degrees awarded to underrepresented persons (women, minorities and/or persons with disabilities) participating in the STEM workforce. Approximately 20 students are selected annually to receive financial support for their graduate education. Fellowship tenure is a maximum of 36 months for individuals pursuing a doctorate and/or masters degree in NASA-related fields, for example; aeronautics/aerospace, biology, physics, chemistry, etc.
U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowships
Find a variety of programs provide either direct (i.e., from NSF) or indirect (i.e., from an awardee institution) funding for students.
STEM fellowship opportunities through the federal government
American Academy in Rome Fellowships (AAR)
Rome Prize applications are accepted in the following fields: arts (architecture, design, historic preservation and conservation, landscape architecture, literature, musical composition, visual arts) and humanities (ancient studies, medieval studies, Renaissance and early modern studies, modern Italian studies).
American Association of University Women (AAUW)
The AAUW has a variety of funding opportunities for women’s graduate education. Explore a variety of grant and fellowship opportunities for academic work or community project.
The American Educational Research Association (AERA)
The AERA Grants Program, with support from the National Science Foundation, provides small grants and fellowship funding for research on education.
American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) Minority Doctoral Fellowships
Fellowships for students from a marginalized backgroundwho have been accepted into a doctoral accounting program.
American Psychological Association Minority Fellowship Program (MFP)
The MFP is a highly successful, federally funded training program for ethnic and racial minority researchers and service providers in the psychology field.
American Sociological Association Minority Fellowship Program
This graduate fellowship program offers up to three years of funding to minority students studying sociology with a focus on mental health issues and research. Students devoted to mental health and drug abuse research can receive an annual stipend of up to $20,772. The stipend can be renewed for three years and students are not required to repay the funds. However, this graduate fellowship does not cover the expenses of doctoral dissertations.
Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowships
The dissertation fellowships provide one year of support for individuals working to complete a dissertation leading to a doctor of philosophy (PhD) or doctor of science (ScD) degree.
Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowships
The program has previously awarded approximately 60 predoctoral fellowships each year. The predoctoral fellowships provide three years of support for individuals engaged in graduate study leading to a doctor of philosophy (PhD) or doctor of science (ScD) degree.
GEM Fellowship Program
GEM offers MS-level and PhD-level students access to dozens of the top engineering and science firms and universities in the nation. The GEM Fellowship was designed to focus on promoting opportunities for individuals to enter industry at the graduate level in areas such as research and development, product development and other high-level technical careers.
Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study
The program provides awards to pairs of dissertation advisers and their graduate students based on what Howard Hughes Medical Institution (HHMI) values and considers essential components of the environment, particularly the institution and adviser’s commitment to creating a healthy academic ecosystem and the student’s potential for scientific leadership.
Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity (GFSD)
GFSD is a unique graduate fellowship in the physical sciences and related engineering fields. It is open to all U.S. citizens, but with emphasis on recruitment of applications from historically under-represented minorities and women.
Greenlining Institute Academy Fellowship Program
The fellowship is an 11-month professional development program for emerging social justice leaders taking the lead on race equity work, and advocating for change on a systemic level.
Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship
The Hertz Fellowship provides financial and lifelong professional support for graduate students in science and technology.
Institute for Citizens & Scholars
Citizens & Scholars fosters future generations of informed, engaged, hopeful citizens who reflect the diversity of our democracy. Each Fellowship program is a part of a long tradition of Citizens & Scholars investing in the best and brightest people and ideas. They offer a variety of ffellowships for leaders and scholars across multiple disciplines.
Knowles Teaching Initiative
The Knowles Teaching Fellowship has opportunities to support students pursuing math and science education.
Microsoft Research Student Fellowship
The Microsoft Research PhD Fellowship is a global program that identifies and empowers the next generation of exceptional computing research talent.
Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program honors the contributions of immigrants and children of immigrants to the United States.
United Negro College Fund and Merck Foundation Science Initiative Graduate Science Research Dissertation Fellowships
This graduate fellowship program is available for African American students preparing for a dissertation in biomedical sciences. The fields of study covered by the fellowships include the environmental and life sciences, medicine, physical sciences and engineering.
There is less flexibility with switching programs as a graduate student than switching majors as an undergraduate. Do your research to find a graduate program that will be a good fit for you, and check out the range of graduate programs that CU Boulder has to offer!
A resource many CU Boulder students have found helpful is the Peterson’s Grad School Search Engine. This online resource allows you to:
- Capture information about graduate school in one place.
- Utilize information to create a spreadsheet for organizing deadlines.
- Begin to explore niche areas within disciplines.
- Practice entrance exams by selecting the exam, and scrolling to “free test questions.”
- Reference a top resource to prepare for specialized military training.
We recommend these tips when using the guide:
Use the degree type and/or location as filters to start. Then, you can narrow down additional filters from there.
Be sure to save schools of interest to review later.
Each program has a page that contains:
Overview of program.
Degrees and awards (type of degrees, how many are usually awarded).
Concentrations and sub concentrations are here.
Admissions information such as acceptance rates, application fees and deadlines, program requirements.
Program Information such as tuition information, faculty and research.