Highlighted Opportunities

Prestigious awards requiring university interview, nomination, or submission. 

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There are a number of competitive fellowships and awards to support Penn graduate students. In many cases, students must be nominated by their department and cannot apply directly to these awards. Students wishing to be nominated should contact their department’s graduate chair for details. 

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Many awards are designed for students to apply to the foundation or granting agency directly, without a campus endorsement process. Of these, several programs stand out as particularly interesting to Penn graduate & professional students. Although you apply for these awards directly, we strongly encourage you to seek feedback and guidance from the fellowships team at CURF, your faculty advisor(s), and peer advisors or mentors. 

• American Academy in Rome: Rome Prize 
  Rome Prize fellows reside at the Academy's eleven-acre center in Rome and receive room and board, and a stipend for periods ranging from 6-months to two years. Preference is given to applicants for whom research time in Italy, and especially in the city of Rome, is essential, and who have not had extensive prior experience there.
   

• American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) Fellowships & Grants
  Awards to support study, research, or creative projects in one or more Scandinavian country for up to one year. Preference is given to candidates conducting dissertation-related study or research, who have at least some ability in the host country language.
   

• Center for Engaged Scholarship (CES) Dissertation Fellowships
  Supports 9-months of full time dissertation research and/or writing for Ph.D. students in academic departments and programs in the social sciences, including: anthropology, economics, geography, history, political science, social psychology, and sociology.
   

• Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship
  Completion fellowship for 12-months of full-time dissertation writing on topics related to ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences. 
   

• DAAD -- The German Academic Exchange Service
  Scholarships funding study, research, and/or internships in Germany for one semester to one year. Preference will be given to students whose projects or programs are based at and organized by a German university. Programs include: 

  • DAAD RISE Pro for graduate students and undergraduate DAAD RISE alumni to carry out summer internships with German companies.
  • Graduate Study Scholarship for one full year of study in any subject for a master’s degree or an independent research project at an institution in Germany. 
  • and more! 
     

• Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF)
  Renewable fellowships for outstanding students pursuing doctoral degrees in fields of study that use high performance computing to solve complex science and engineering problems. Provides a yearly stipend, tuition, a research allowance, and more. Applicants must be in the first year of graduate study in engineering, mathematics, or the physical, computer, or life sciences.
   

• Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program
  Provides supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students conducting research in areas that address scientific challenges central to the Office of Science mission. Recipients conduct 3-12 months of research at a participating host DOE laboratory/facility in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist within a defined award period. 
   

• Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship
  Support the final year of dissertation writing and defense for individuals completing a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree. Fellows have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, 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.
   

• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
  Predoctoral fellowships provide three years of support for individuals engaged in graduate study leading to a Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) or Doctor of Science (Sc.D.) degree. Fellows have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, 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.
   

• Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity
  Formerly known as the National Physical Science Consortium, Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity is a partnership between government agencies and laboratories, industry, and higher education. Fellowships are awarded to doctoral students in the physical sciences and related engineering fields. The competition is open to all qualified U.S. citizens, with an emphasis on recruiting a diverse applicant pool. NPSC Fellows receive one or two paid summers internships at their NPSC-sponsoring employer’s research facility, as well as tuition, fees, and stipends for up to six years.
   

• Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship
  Highly selective fellowship supporting the nation's most remarkable PhD students in the physical, biological and engineering sciences. Applicants must be students of the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics, and engineering who 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 time of national emergency
   

• Insight Data Fellows Programs 
  Funded, intensive seven (7) week post-doctoral training fellowship programs bridging the gap between academia & data science in several areas:data science, data engineering, health data, decentralized consensus, AI, and more.
   

• Josephine De Karman Fellowship
  Completion fellowships for PhD students entering their final year who will defend their dissertation by June of the following academic year. All disciplines are eligible. Special consideration is given to applicants in the humanities. 
   

• Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant Program
  Research funding research funding opportunity for doctoral students from groups underrepresented in computing (women, African-Americans/Blacks, Latinos, American Indians/Alaskan Natives, Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders, and/or people with disabilities). PhD students must be conducting dissertation work that relates to computing topics in which Microsoft Research has expertise. PhD students must be in their fourth year or beyond in a PhD program when they apply for this grant. 
   

• National GEM Consortium Fellowship Program
  GEM offers MS and Ph.D. level students an outstanding opportunity and 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. GEM also offers exposure to a number of opportunities in academia.
   

• NRC Research Associateship Programs (RAP) 
  The National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies administers competitive graduate, postdoctoral, and senior research awards on behalf of 26 U.S. government research agencies and affiliated institutions with facilities at over 100 locations throughout the U.S. and abroad. Research Associates receive annual stipends ranging from $30,000 to $80,000 by degree level and  proportionally higher for Senior Associates. The NRC also provides health insurance, relocation benefits and an allowance for professional travel. The host laboratory provides research facilities, equipment and funding for supplies to support the Associate’s research. Citizenship requirements vary by host institution. 
   

• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP)
  The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides 3 years of support to outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are at or near the beginning of graduate study. Fellows benefit from a three-year annual stipend, cost of education allowance for tuition and fees (paid to the institution), opportunities for international research and professional development, and the freedom to conduct their own research at their chosen accredited U.S. institution of graduate education.
   

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Special Programs for Graduate Students
  Listing of various programs provide either direct (i.e., from NSF) or indirect (i.e., from an awardee institution) funding for graduate students at this level or identify programs that focus on educational developments for this group such as curricula development, training or retention.
   

• Soros Fellowship for New Americans
  The Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship supports the graduate education of New Americans (immigrants or the children of immigrants),  who are poised to make significant contributions to U.S. society, culture, or their academic field. Fellows receive up to $90,000 in financial support over two years and join a lifelong community of New American Fellows. 
   

• Social Science Research Council (SSRC) Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship
  Supports up to 12 months of support to PhD students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who are conducting dissertation research on non-US topics. Fellowship amounts vary depending on the research plan, with a per-fellowship average of $23,000. The fellowship includes participation in an SSRC-funded interdisciplinary workshop upon the completion of IDRF-funded research.