Fellowship

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The primary goal of a PhD is the ability of a student to become an independent researcher. Therefore, researching is a primary day to day task for graduate students. Fellowships allow for a graduate student to focus their time and energy on research alleviating their teaching responsibilities for the duration of a fellowship.

 

First Years

  • DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
    • Eligibility: undergraduate seniors, current master’s degree students, first-year graduate students
    • Benefits: a yearly stipend of $45,000,  full tuition and required fees during the appointment period, an annual $1,000 professional development allowance, up to four years of total support, a twelve-week practicum experience at one of 21 DOE national laboratories or sites (including access to DOE supercomputers) and an annual program review for fellows, alumni, university and DOE laboratory staff, held each summer in the Washington, D.C. area
  • Hertz Foundation
    • Eligibility: be college seniors, first-year graduate students, or in a gap period preparing to apply to graduate school; intend to pursue a PhD in the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics, or engineering; intend to direct their studies toward understanding and solving major, near-term problems facing society; and be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.
    • Benefits: $38,000/nine-month personal stipend, full tuition equivalent, renewable annually for up to five years, and $5,000/year stipend for fellows with dependent children.

 

First and Second Years

  • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
    • Eligibility: be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident, intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in a research-based master’s or doctoral program in an eligible field of study in STEM or STEM education, be enrolled in a nonprofit university, college, or institution of higher education accredited in, and having a campus located in, the United States, its territories or possessions, or the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico that offers advanced degrees in STEM and STEM education no later than fall of the year following award selection, never have earned a doctoral degree or terminal degree in any field, have completed no more than one academic year while enrolled in a graduate degree program, and never previously applied to GRFP while enrolled in a graduate degree program. Graduate students are limited to only one application to the GRFP, submitted either in the first year or in the second year of graduate school.
    • Benefits: five year fellowship period with three years of financial support, annual stipend of $37,000, cost-of-education allowance of $16,000 to the institution, no post-graduate study service requirement, and access to supplemental funding to sustain research while on medical deferral (e.g. family leave)
  • NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program
    • If you have applied for NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program before, but were not selected and received an honorable mention within the past 3 years, you can apply for NSF EPSCoR
    • Eligibility: received the distinction of GRFP Honorable Mention no more than three years before the proposal due date to be named NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellows and obtain financial support for their graduate education at an institution in an EPSCoR jurisdiction.
    • Benefits: awards will provide three years of stipend and associated cost-of-education allowance for each NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellow, stipends must be budgeted at the level of $37,000 per year and cost-of-education allowances must be budgeted at the level of $16,000 per year.

 

DoD

  • National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship Program
    • Eligibility: Be a U.S. Citizen, U.S. Dual Citizen, or U.S. National, have completed your undergraduate studies prior to the commencement of the fellowship in September of the fellowship year, be applying to, accepted to, or currently enrolled at an accredited graduate-level institution within the United States (If enrolled, you must be within first 2 years of your Graduate study in Science or Engineering)
    • Benefits: full tuition and required fees, a monthly stipend of $3,600 ($43,200 annually), a minimum health insurance coverage through the institution or if the institution does not offer health insurance, then private insurance, up to a total value of $1,600 will be alloted.
  • National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Graduate Fellowship Program (NGFP): 
    • Eligibility: students nearing graduation or who have recently graduated, must be able to obtain security clearance (U.S. Citizenship required), enrolled in a graduate degree program (or graduated within 18 months of the application deadline), a minimum 3.0 GPA (final or current), and be available to work full-time for 12 months
    • Benefits: Annual salary of $55,900 for Post Bachelor’s or $66,200 for Master’s or PhD in Progress or $77,800 for Post Doctorate, a hiring incentive: $4,000 (taxed), 3 weeks of vacation annually, accrued weekly, training, professional development, and networking opportunities, tuition reimbursement (criteria apply), $10,000 travel/training allotment, and a comprehensive benefits package.

 

Women

  • AAUW
    • Eligibility: PhD students in the final year of their program who identify as women and who work in a scientific field (Must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident).
    • Benefits: $25,000 stipend paid out in two installments over the course of a year
  • Graduate Women In Science (GWIS) National Fellowship Program
    • Eligibility: Anybody identifying as a woman in STEM who holds a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher learning and who perform hypothesis-based research either in the U.S. or abroad.
    • Benefits: Up to $10,000 which can go towards equipment, supplies, research-required travel, publication fees, and undergraduate helper salaries (up to 1/3rd of the total request). Note: Cannot be used to pay yourself, buy things such as tablets/laptops, or travel to conferences.

 

Minorities

  • NASA Harriett G. Jenkins Predoctoral Fellowship Project
    • Eligibility: Anybody from an underrepresented group in STEM (Women, Ethnic Minorities, and people with disabilities) who is a U.S. citizen and is within the first 3 years of their graduate education or is currently applying to accredited graduate programs in STEM and who have at least a B average in their coursework.
    • Benefits: $18,000 annual stipend for Master’s students or $24,000 annual stipend for PhD students with and up to $8,500 tuition offset.
  • GEM Fellowship Program
    • Eligibility: A senior, master’s student, or graduate student of an accredited STEM department with at least a 3.0 GPA (2.8 for M.S. students). Applicants must agree to intern at a GEM employer member during the summer immediately following sponsorship (List of GEM employers).
    • Benefits: Full tuition and fees paid for by GEM consortium in first year in addition to a minimum stipend of $16,000 with 5 years of guaranteed support at the same level from the GEM university in which the student is enrolled (List of GEM universities)
  • Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans
    • Eligibility: An immigrant (naturalized U.S. citizen, permanent resident, asylum seeker, or refugee) or child of immigrants who is under 30 years old and who has not completed more than 2 years of a graduate degree program.
    • Benefits: Up to $45,000 in total support for 1-2 years ($25,000 in stipend support and $20,000 in tuition support)

 

Education

  • NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship
    • Eligibility: be candidates for the doctoral degree at a graduate school within the United States (US citizenship is not required), complete all pre-dissertation requirements by June 1 of the award year, provide a clear and specific plan for completing the dissertation within one or two-years, propose an education research project, and submit an individual application.
    • Benefits: fellows receive $27,500 for one academic year, distributed in two installments, fellows participate in two professional development retreats facilitated by NAEd members and other distinguished scholars (these retreats offer general and specialized discussions to enhance the fellows’ research capabilities and academic growth), and fellows choose an NAEd member or another esteemed scholar as a mentor, providing guidance and support throughout the academic year.

Astronomy

  • South Carolina Space Grant
    • Eligibility: all applicants must be either full-time graduate students enrolled in an accredited consortium member institution or an applicant for full time admission to a Masters or Doctorate program in an accredited consortium member institution, applicants must be citizens of the U.S. (see U.S. citizenship requirements here), an individual accepting this award may not concurrently receive other Federal fellowships or traineeships, and underrepresented minorities, women, and persons with disabilities are strongly urged to apply.
    • Benefits: a maximum of $16,000 will be awarded from the SC Space Grant Consortium, which must be matched 1:1 by the host institution with non-federal funds, the total being applied toward a graduate assistantship, totaling $32,000. 
  • Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology
    • Eligibility: Graduate student in an accredited institution working in earth science, heliophysics, planetary science, or astrophysics. Applicants do not need to be U.S. citizens but for non-citizens the application must be submitted by the university on behalf of the student.
    • Benefits: Up to $50,000 per year in total support, including travel, publication fees, and stipend/tuition assistance

 

Condensed Matter

  • Hitachi fellowship
    • Eligibility: Graduate student doing research using the Clemson University Electron Microscopy Facility.
    • Benefits: $25,000 per year
  • Sigma Xi GIAR
    • Eligibility: Graduate/Undergraduate student in an accredited institution (U.S. citizenship not required) who have not received two GIAR grants previously
    • Benefits: $500-$5000 for supplies, travel to research sites, and subject reimbursement
  • SC EPSCOR minority grad fellowship (SAN program)
    • Eligibility: Investigators from any South Carolina college or university
    • Benefits: Up to $15,000 over 18 months.

 

Biophysics

  • Gilliam Fellows Program
    • Eligibility:  Ph.D. candidates in life sciences or related fields, committed to diversity and inclusion.
    • Benefits: Up to $53,000 ($36,000 stipend, $10,000 tuition support, $4,000 discretionary fund, and $3,000 community engagement allowance) for up to 3 years

 

General

  • Ford Fellowships
    • Eligibility: U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident in the last year of their PhD
    • Benefits: $28,000 stipend
  • Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity
    • Eligibility: U.S. citizens pursuing graduate degrees in STEM.
    • Benefits: $20,000 stipend with tuition support for up to 6 years with 1-2 paid summer internships with a government agency (fellows are also allowed to have a TA/RA)

 

If you know of an applicable fellowships that was not listed above, then please let us know at pagso@clemson.edu and we will update this list accordingly.