Fellowships are monetary awards that students use to pursue graduate studies. In general, fellowships require no work obligations on the part of the recipient. Many federal agencies, professional organizations, and private foundations provide fellowships for students pursuing graduate studies. Students are encouraged to look for and apply for these external fellowships.
Funding Forward
Applying for external fellowships and other types of funding support is a fundamental aspect of your journey as a graduate student. Not only does the process sharpen your ability to identify funding agencies, articulate the impact of your research, write proposals, and develop budgets, external awards on your CV demonstrate grant-writing success and your promise as an exceptional researcher or scholar. It’s a crucial component of success for careers in the academy and beyond.
All graduate students, even those who already have support through assistantships or other internal sources, should participate. External awards on your CV or resume stand out to potential employers and demonstrate your grant-writing skills, ambition, and excellence.
Funding Forward from the Graduate School will help you navigate this landscape with confidence and competence through workshops and resources such as:
- grant writing workshops
- writing groups
- one-on-one consultations
- info sessions on fellowships including NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program, Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship, and much more
Upcoming Funding Forward events
- January
- January 14
Fulbright U.S. Student Program Office Hours
Wednesdays, 11 am – 1 pm
256 Bascom Hall
Online at go.wisc.edu/fulbrightdropin (opens Zoom link)
Have a question about one of the many Fulbright programs available to UW–Madison students? Heard about “Fulbright” but aren’t sure what it might mean to you? Every Wednesday, campus Fulbright Coordinator, Mark Lilleleht, holds virtual and in-person Fulbright drop-in hours where you can have your questions answered, schedule a more in-depth appointment, or just learn more about what “Fulbright” could make possible for you.
Hoodie Incentive
If you are a currently enrolled graduate student and have applied during the 2025-26 academic year to one of the University of Wisconsin Graduate School’s external fellowships, as listed below, you are eligible to receive a free University of Wisconsin–Madison hoodie! Simply submit proof of your application to claim your hoodie.
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Expand to view fellowships eligible for hoodie incentive
- ACLS Robert H. N. Ho Family Foundation Program in Buddhist Studies Fellowship
- BTAA/Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (only those winners affiliated with the Big Ten Academic Alliance competition)
- Charlotte W. Newcombe Fellowship
- Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs
- Future Investigators in NASA Earth and Space Science and Technology (FINESST) Fellowship
- Hertz Foundation Fellowship
- HHMI Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study
- Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship
- National GEM Consortium Fellowship (Full Fellows only)
- National Physical Science Consortium Fellowship
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
- NIH Training Grants and NRSA Fellows
- Robert Wood Johnson Health Policy Research Scholars Program
- Rome Prize (American Academy in Rome)
- Social Science Research Council (SSRC) Fellowships
- Spencer Dissertation Fellowship
- National Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)
- DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
Past events:
- Exploring Funding Resources for Graduate Students Recording
- 2026 NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship Webinar
- Mellon/American Council of Learned Societies Dissertation Innovation Fellowships Webinar
Presentation slides from past events:
Humanities Grant Writing Camp
Monday, May 19 – Thursday, May 22
Deadline to apply: Monday, March 31
Humanities Grant Writing Camp, hosted in collaboration by the Writing Center, the Institute for Research in Humanities, and the Graduate School, provides participants with a structured introduction to the nuts and bolts of writing funding proposals to support a wide range of humanities work, from research travel and dissertation writing to public humanities projects. Eligibility criteria include enrollment in a UW–Madison graduate program in the humanities or humanistic social sciences.
External funding opportunities
In addition to funding through their program, graduate students are strongly encouraged to apply for fellowships from federal agencies, professional organizations, and private foundations.
Each particular fellowship will have its own unique set of benefits and responsibilities. You should make sure you understand the terms and conditions of any fellowship/scholarship for which you are applying: award/stipend amount, tuition coverage (if any), other supplemental funds (e.g., travel funds, research funds, conference presentation funds). Graduate programs and the UW–Madison Graduate School may supplement some externally-funded fellowships. Please talk to your program staff about the opportunity to receive tuition assistance and benefits if you are selected for an externally-funded fellowship.
Select opportunities are listed below.
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
UW–Madison is a leading institution in NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recipients. The GRFP provides three years of financial support to U.S. citizens and permanent residents for graduate study to advance science and engineering research and innovation. Recipients receive a $37,000 annual stipend and $16,000 in tuition assistance for the three years.
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Gilliam Fellows Program
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Gilliam Fellows Program aspires to build a more inclusive scientific ecosystem by supporting scientists at two levels—graduate students and their faculty thesis advisers. Fellows join a vibrant community and are offered leadership training, professional development, and opportunities to engage with and learn from peers, program alumni, and HHMI scientists. Second- and third-year biomedical and life science PhD students and their advisers are eligible.
UW–Madison Gilliam Fellows:
2024: Emma Hammond
2023: Ryan Martinez
2021: Aldo Arellano, Abbey Williams
National Academy of Education/Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship
The NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship aims to encourage early-career scholars from a range of disciplines to pursue research that can improve education. Competitive applicants are those who bring fresh, constructive perspectives to the practice of education anywhere in the world. In addition to a stipend, the award supports fellows’ professional development through mentoring at retreats led by senior scholars. The fellowship supports the final analysis of an applicant's research topic and their dissertation writing. Applicants must be pursuing a PhD and have completed all pre-dissertation requirements before the start of the fellowship period.
UW–Madison Spencer Fellows:
2025: LaShanda Harbin, Marino Miranda Noriega
2024: Yaa Oparebea Ampofo, Ariel Borns, Anshu Jain, Jonathan Marino, Alexandra Pasqualone
2023: Lois Miller, Claudia Triana
2022: Tyler Hook
2021: Nona Gronert, Elizabeth Hauck, Rachel Johnson
2020: Qing Liu, Huimin Wang, Choua P. Xiong
Department of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program
The Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program (SCGSR) prepares graduate students for STEM careers critically important to the Department of Energy’s (DOE) mission by providing graduate thesis research opportunities at DOE laboratories. 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 and facilities.
Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Award (DDRA)
The Fulbright-Hays DDRA Program is administered by the U.S. Department of Education. It provides opportunities to doctoral candidates to engage in full-time dissertation research abroad utilizing modern foreign languages and area studies expertise across disciplines. You must be a citizen, national, or permanent resident of the United States to apply.
Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellowships
The U.S. Department of Education funds Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellowships for graduate students enrolled in foreign language courses and pursuing regional or international studies.
Big Ten Academic Alliance Smithsonian Fellowship
The Big Ten Academic Alliance and the Smithsonian Institute partner to provide fellowship opportunities for dissertators to conduct paid research at the Smithsonian Institute.
Hertz Foundation Fellowship
The Hertz Fellowship is awarded annually to the nation’s most promising graduate students in science and technology. Fellows receive five years of funding, join a community of peers, and gain access to professional development workshops and networking opportunities. College seniors and first-year graduate students who intend to pursue a PhD in the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics, or engineering are eligible to apply. Applicants must also be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Mellon/American Council of Learned Societies Dissertation Innovation Fellowship
The Mellon/American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) Dissertation Innovation Fellowships support doctoral students in humanities and interpretive social sciences with a stipend and additional funding for research, travel, and external mentorship. The fellowship supports innovative dissertation projects that expand traditional research methodologies and promote inclusivity in academia, especially encouraging applications from historically underrepresented groups.
UW–Madison Mellon/ACLS Fellows:
2025: Gabriela C. Yepes-Rossel
2024: Kuhelika Ghosh, Fauziyatu Moro, Anika M. Rice, Vignesh Ramachandran
Find more funding opportunities
Grants & Funding
This micro-course provides an introduction to the world of grant seeking by covering each step of the proposal process: planning, researching, writing, and follow-up. The topic of communication and networking are interwoven throughout the micro-course as well since they are vital components to successful proposals.
Grants Information Collection
The Grants Information Collection (GIC) offers access to databases, guides, and directories to help graduate students identify and pursue grants and fellowships. Whether you are seeking funding to support your study, research, travel, or conference attendance, the GIC provides tools to navigate the grant application process effectively.
Wisconsin Scholarship Hub
The Wisconsin Scholarship Hub, or WiSH, is the place to search for and apply to scholarships, grants, and fellowships specific to UW–Madison students.
International Fellowships Office
The Institute for Regional and International Studies (IRIS) Awards Office manages its own funding opportunities for international research and study abroad. It also coordinates the campus component of a number of external programs and can assist you in exploring funding options.
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
Fulbright and Fulbright-Hays opportunities provide students the opportunity to study, teach and conduct research, exchange ideas and contribute to finding solutions to shared international concerns. The UW–Madison campus Fulbright coordinator can help you identify opportunities that match your goals.
Fellowships for International Graduate Students
This curated list from the University of Illinois Chicago and the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute offers an assortment of fellowships opportunities for international graduate students and postdocs across various academic disciplines.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Fellowship Finder
This portal is publicly accessible but designed for UIUC students. If you or your advisors would like assistance interpreting the eligibility requirements or selection criteria for fellowships you find there, please contact the UW–Madison Associate Director of Graduate Funding at funding@grad.wisc.edu.
UW–Madison sponsored fellowships
There are many merit-based Graduate School and departmental fellowships that graduate programs award to their students. To inquire about UW–Madison fellowship opportunities and eligibility, please contact your graduate program.
