Funding Upcoming Deadlines & Opportunities (April 2024)

To see additional fellowships and award opportunities, visit the CURF Resources for Graduate Students and Grad Center Grants and Fellowships webpages. Additional individual & student group funding and financial assistance can be found on our Graduate Funding & Finances page. 

UPCOMING DEADLINES

ONGOING AND ROLLING 
 

Funding and Professional Opportunities

Jane Street Employer Trek for STEM PhD Students
Deadline: April 10 | Travel date: Fri 19th April, New York
Penn's Career Services is excited to share this unique opportunity from Jane Street, a a research-driven trading firm where curious people work together on deep problems. As a firm that celebrates intellectual curiosity and has deep ties to academia, Jane Street takes a rigorous, quantitative approach to keeping financial markets transparent and efficient. Our work combines techniques from machine learning, distributed systems, programmable hardware, statistics, and applied mathematics. Jane Street will be providing selected students with transportation to and from New York City for an opportunity to visit the Jane Street office and hear how the group's PhDs made the transition from academia to industry. hD students of all tenures with a background in STEM are encouraged to apply and experience in finance is not required. Apply here by April 10 - students selected for the visit will be notified by the 12th April. If you're unable to join us in person, we’re also hosting open virtual info sessions this May. 

CWiC Critical Speaking Fellowship
Deadline: April 10
Each year, CWiC supports two final year doctoral candidates in SAS who want to develop new courses that are built around oral communication. The goal of the fellowship is to offer a doctoral student financial support and an opportunity to develop an innovative course while completing a dissertation. Fellows receive tuition, fees, insurance and $39,425 for the 10-month fellowship in 2024-25. 

Schmidt Science Fellows 
Nomination Deadline: April 12
Penn is one of a select number of institutions invited to nominate graduating PhD students for the Schmidt Science Fellows in partnership with the Rhodes Trust. Schmidt Fellows receive a stipend of $110,000 a year for up to 2 years, and are supported to pursue a postdoctoral placement at a world-leading laboratory anywhere in the world in a disciplinary pivot from their PhD. During their Fellowship Year(s), they also participate in a varied and challenging Global Meeting Series that introduces new research ideas, techniques, and questions, in addition to a tailored training program.  Students must complete a PhD in the sciences before the deadline and should be nominated by a faculty member. Call for nominations has been shared with Penn graduate deans and faculty in eligible schools. Open to students in Nursing, SAS, SEAS, and PSOM-BGS. Internal school processes for selection may vary. Contact your school's associate dean for graduate studies or graduate group chair for more information. Learn more about the program here. 

Wilderness Society - Gloria Barron Graduate Scholarship
Deadline: April 15
Annual scholarship awarded to qualified graduate students for one year to support research and preparation of a paper on an aspect of wilderness. Proposals relating to climate change, as well as other topics regarding wilderness conservation, are strongly encouraged, with several suggested themes. Award includes $25,000 stipend, travel expenses, plus additional funding to support publishing and presenting. 

National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Deadline: April 17
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), Office of Justice Programs (OJP), National Institute of Justice (NIJ) provides grants to universities to support outstanding doctoral students whose dissertation research is relevant to criminal and/or juvenile justice. Research should focus on preventing and controlling crime and ensuring the fair and impartial administration of criminal and/or juvenile justice in the United States. This program furthers the DOJ’s mission by increasing the pool of researchers who are engaged in providing science-based solutions to problems relevant to criminal and juvenile justice policy and practice in the United States. Fellowships provide $41k stipend, $16,000 education allowance, and up to $3000 in research experiences for 1-3 years. Students do not apply directly but instead must work with their university's sponsored programs administration office to submit an institutional nomination to the Dept of Justice through Grants.gov. Learn more.

Institute of Historical Research (IHR), University of London, Postdoctoral Fellowships in History & the Humanities 
Deadlines: various program deadlines in April and May
The IHR offers a range of 1-2 year postdoctoral fellowships to promote the study of history and an appreciation of the importance of the past among academics and the general public, in the UK and internationally. It is one of ten member Institutes of the School of Advanced Study part of the University of London. Some fellowships require residence at the IHR. Learn more

National Health Service Corps (NHSC) Scholarship Program 
Deadline: April 25 
Fellowships support graduate students in health-related programs in return for a commitment of one year for each year of support in under-served communities at an NHSC-approved site in a medically under-served Health Professional Shortage Area. Applicants must be committed to primary care and accepted to or enrolled in a fully accredited training program for a degree in one of the areas of study below. Fellowships offer up to four years of support, including monthly stipend, tuition & fees, and additional educational assistance. 

Dow Building Engineering and Science Talent (BEST) Symposium
Deadline: April 30 | Symposium Dates: July 29-Aug 1
This annual conference was developed to introduced advanced doctoral students and postdoctoral scientists from minoritized backgrounds to the range of rewarding careers in industrial research and, in particular, to opportunities with one of the world’s largest and leading materials science companies, Dow.  Applicants must be pursuing degrees in: Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science, Physics, or other closely related fields and should have a doctorate degree or expect to receive one by December 2025. Please visit the BEST Symposium website for more details and to apply.  

DOE Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program
Deadline: May 1
Supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students to pursue part of their dissertation research at a Department of Energy (DOE) laboratory/facility in areas that address scientific challenges central to the Office of Science mission.

Ongoing Opportunities or Rolling Deadlines 

Campaign for Community Grants 
Deadline: rolling
The Campaign for Community aims to strengthen our Penn community by finding ways to discuss and understand key issues that may appear to be difficult or intractable. The program provides grants of up to $1500 for projects and activities that help advance the Campaign's goals of encouraging mutual understanding, respect, and discussion among members of the community on important topics. Learn more at https://provost.upenn.edu/campaign-community.

Dirksen Congressional Center Congressional Research Grants 
Deadline: rolling 
Eligibility: Students with a serious interest in studying Congress; a significant portion of the funds is awarded for PhD dissertation research