Fellowships

Funding Forward

Funding Forward: A new program from the Graduate School that equips and empowers graduate students to compete for external fellowships.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

Hoodie Incentive

If you are a currently enrolled graduate student and have applied during the 2024-25 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.

Apply

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.

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.

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. To aid with this search, the UW–Madison Graduate School recommends reviewing the Fellowship Finder provided by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC).

Find External Fellowships >>

Please note that 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 Fellowship Manager at funding@grad.wisc.edu.

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.

UW–Madison sponsored fellowships

There are many merit-based Graduate School and departmental fellowships that are awarded to graduate students, including fellowships designed to enhance diversity on campus. Nominations and/or selection of most fellowship awards for incoming students are made by the graduate program(s) to which students are applying. To inquire about eligibility and application procedures, please contact your graduate program. If you have a Graduate School-funded fellowship, please scroll down for information about your fellowship.

The UW–Madison Graduate School directly supports over 200 fellowships each year to both current and incoming students. Fellowship recipients are selected by their graduate program.

Graduate Research Scholar fellowships (also called GRS or AOF) support underrepresented students. GRS Communities are organized by the schools and colleges to support students throughout their graduate school career for a range of social, academic, professional development opportunities.

Eligibility Criteria:

  • Incoming PhD-, DMA-, or MFA-bound students OR students who have completed (or are completing) a master’s program at UW-Madison and are applying to (or changing their major to) a PhD or DMA program different from the master’s.
  • Nominees must meet one or more of the criteria below:
    • First-generation college student (neither parent received a baccalaureate degree);
    • Experienced significant barriers to achieving higher education such as experiencing foster care as a child, growing up in low-income family, living in a single-parent household, having an incarcerated parent, or having responsibilities to provide financial support or primary care for other household members.

The Jerome A. and Mary Jane Straka Fellowship supports middle-class, middle-income dissertators pursuing a course of study in engineering, physical sciences, biological sciences, mathematics, or economics (concentrating on the advantages of the free-enterprise system).

The Dickie Family Sauk County Educational Fellowship supports graduate students in science, math, or engineering who are residents of Sauk County when they begin their graduate studies at UW–Madison. Preference is given to returning adult students.

The Albert Markham Fellowship supports recent PhD recipients conducting postdoctoral international research. The students must have completed their PhD in linguistics, a foreign language, and/or cultural studies.