Top Ten Fellowship and Scholarship Opportunities for International Students

Top 10 Fellowship and Scholarship Opportunities for International Students

American Association for University Women – International Fellowships
http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/international-fellowships/international-fellowships-application/

International Fellowships are awarded for full-time study or research in the United States to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Both graduate and postgraduate studies at accredited U.S. institutions are supported. Applicants must have earned the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree by September 30, 2013, and must have applied to their proposed institutions of study by the time of the application. Up to five fellowships are renewable for a second year. Recipients are selected for academic achievement and demonstrated commitment to women and girls. Recipients return to their home countries to become leaders in business, government, academia, community activism, the arts, and sciences.

Application due December 1st.


American Scandinavian Foundation
http://www.amscan.org/study_scandinavia_details.html

The American-Scandinavian Foundation (ASF) offers fellowships (up to $23,000) and grants (up to $5,000) to individuals to pursue research, study or creative arts projects in one or more Scandinavian country for up to one year. The number of awards varies each year according to total funds available. Awards are made in all fields. Applicants must have a well-defined research, study or creative arts project that makes a stay in Scandinavia essential. Applicants must be United States citizens or permanent residents and have completed their undergraduate education by the start of their project in Scandinavia. Team projects are eligible, but each member must apply as an individual, submitting a separate, fully-documented application. First priority will be given to applicants who have not previously received an ASF award. Only in exceptional cases will a third award be considered

Application due November 1st.


Asian Development Bank (ADB) – Japan Scholarship Program
http://www.adb.org/site/careers/japan-scholarship-program/main
For citizens of ADB’s developing member countries to pursue postgraduate studies in economics, management, science and technology, and other development-related fields at participating academic institutions in the Asian and Pacific Region. The ADB-JSP provides full scholarships for one to two years.


Association for Women in Science Educational Foundation
http://www.bibsocamer.org/fellows.htm

Several fellowships available, all of which support bibliographical inquiry and research in the history of the book trades and in publishing history. Eligible topics may concentrate on books and documents in any field, but should focus on the book or manuscript (the physical object) as historical evidence.

Applications due December 15th.


National Academies Fellowships
http://www.nationalacademies.org/grantprograms/index.html

The National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Engineering, Institute of Medicine, and National Research Council offer several fellowships in science, engineering, and medicine. Information on eligibility guidelines and application deadlines is available on specific programs’ websites. The Fellowships Office (FO) of the National Academies administers predoctoral, postdoctoral, and senior fellowship awards on behalf of government and private/foundation sponsors; these fellowship awards play an important role in the career development of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers and scholars for the academic, federal, industrial and international workforce. Current opportunities can be found on the above listed website.

Deadlines vary.


Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program
http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/policyfellows/index.htm

This fellowship is designed to engage graduate science, engineering, medical, veterinary, business, and law students in the analysis that informs the creation of science and technology policy and to familiarize them with the interactions of science, technology and government.

Applications are due the fall before the session begins.


International Dissertation Field Research Fellowships
http://www.ssrc.org/fellowships/idrf-fellowship/

The Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowship (IDRF) offers nine to twelve months of support to graduate students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences who are enrolled in PhD programs in the United States and conducting dissertation research on non-US topics. Eighty fellowships are awarded annually.

Applications due November 5th.


Jack Kent Cooke Graduate Scholarships
http://www.jkcf.org/scholarships/graduate-scholarships/

The Foundation’s Dissertation Fellowship is for up to $25,000 for advanced doctoral students who are completing dissertations that inform the Foundation’s mission: advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. To be eligible, candidates must demonstrate superior academic achievement, have successfully defended their dissertation proposals, and be enrolled full-time in a US graduate degree program.

Application deadline is February 4th.


Josephine de Karman Scholarships
http://www.dekarman.org/

$16,000 scholarship to support either the final year of study for juniors or for Ph.D. candidates with ABD status. DeKarman fellowships are open to students in any discipline, including international students, who are currently enrolled in a university or college located within the United States.  Only candidates for the PhD who will defend their dissertation by June 2015 and undergraduates entering their senior year (will receive bachelors degree in June 2015) are eligible for consideration.  Postdoctoral and masters degree students are not eligible for consideration.  Special consideration will be given to applicants in the Humanities.

Application due January 31st.


Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship
http://www.spencer.org/content.cfm/fellowship-awards

Candidates for the doctoral degree at a graduate school within the United States are eligible.

 

External Funding Databases and Information Resources

Looking for external funding opportunities?
External Fellowship Databases and Information Resources


USC Graduate School External Fellowship Resources page
http://www.usc.edu/schools/GraduateSchool/resources.html

USC Visual Studies Research Institute
http://dornsife.usc.edu/visual-studies/external-funding/

USC Office of Academic & International Fellowships
http://www.usc.edu/programs/ugprograms/aif/fellowships.htm

H-Net, resource for fellowships, jobs, conferences, and calls for papers
http://www.h-net.org/announce/group.cgi?type=Funding

USC Center for Excellence in Research, Federal Programs and Fellowships that Provide Support for Graduate Students
https://research.usc.edu/files/2011/05/Fed_Programs-Support-Grad_Stud-6_2012.pdf

Grinnell College, Resources for International Students
http://www.grinnell.edu/files/scholarships_for_international_students_2012.pdf

University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana, Fellowship Database
https://www.grad.illinois.edu/fellowship/

UCLA Graduate & Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) Database
http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/grpinst.htm

Dissertation Fellowships Wiki
http://academicjobs.wikia.com/wiki/Dissertation_Fellowships_2014-2015

USC Graduate School Pinterest page
http://www.pinterest.com/uscgradschool/

Top 15 Funding Opportunities for Humanists

Top 15 Funding Opportunities for Humanists

  1. American Association of University Women (AAUW) Fellowships
    Dissertation Fellowships
    http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/american-fellowships/
    International Fellowships
    http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/international-fellowships/
    Selected Fields Fellowships
    http://www.aauw.org/what-we-do/educational-funding-and-awards/selected-professions-fellowships/ 
  2. Boren Fellowships
    Provides U.S. graduate students the opportunity to add an important international and language component to their graduate education through specialization in area study, language study, or increased language proficiency.  Applicants must explain how their language and study relate to issues of National Security, broadly defined. Boren Fellows also incur a service requirement, wherein they must agree to work for the federal government for a period commensurate with the length of their fellowship, or one year, whichever is longer.http://www.borenawards.org/boren_fellowship
  3. CES Pre-Dissertation Research Fellowships funds two months of travel to Europe to conduct the exploratory phase of a dissertation work in the social sciences or humanities that requires a stay in Europe. The 2014-15 application deadline is in January. http://councilforeuropeanstudies.org/grants-and-awards/pre-dissertation-research
  4. The Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program offers U.S. undergraduate and graduate students fully-funded intensive summer language institutes in thirteen critical foreign languages. http://www.clscholarship.org/
  5. Ford Foundation Pre-Doctoral Awards offers an annual stipend of $20,000, an award to the institution of $2000 in lieu of tuition and fees, and expenses paid to at least one Conference of Ford Fellows. For U.S. citizens, nationals, green card holders or undocumented students. Deadline in November http://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/FordFellowships/PGA_047958#eligibility
  6. Fulbright-Hays Fellowships for Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad provides grants to US colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral students who conduct research in other countries. Apply through the USC Graduate School. The deadline is in late summer. http://www2.ed.gov/programs/iegpsddrap/applicant.html
  7. Josephine de Kármán Fellowship is open to students in any discipline. The deadline is in early January http://www.dekarman.org/
  8. Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships supports a year of research and writing to help advanced graduate students in the humanities and related social sciences in the last year of Ph.D. dissertation writing. The deadline is in late October. http://www.acls.org/programs/dcf/
  9. Mellon-CES Dissertation Completion Fellowships in European Studies are intended to facilitate the timely completion of the doctoral degree by late-stage graduate students focusing on topics in European Studies. The deadline is usually in January.  http://councilforeuropeanstudies.org/grants-and-awards/dissertation-completion
  10. Mellon Fellowships for Dissertation Research in Original Sources help junior scholars in the humanities and related social science fields to gain skill and creativity in developing knowledge from original sources. The application deadline is in November. http://www.clir.org/fellowships/mellon
  11. The Rome Prize includes room, board, studio/study and stipend. Supported fields are: Architecture, design, historic preservation, landscape architecture, literature, musical composition, visual arts and ancient, medieval, renaissance, early modern studies & modern Italian studies. The deadline is in November. http://aarome.org/
  12. SSRC’s Dissertation Proposal Development Fellowship Student Competition is for graduate students in the humanities and social sciences developing research proposals through exploratory research and exchanges with other scholars within interdisciplinary areas of study. The deadline is in February. http://www.ssrc.org/fellowships/dpdf-fellowship/
  13. SSRC’s Mellon International Dissertation Research Fellowships support graduate students in the humanities and social sciences — regardless of citizenship — enrolled in PhD programs in the United States and conducting dissertation research on non-US topics. http://www.ssrc.org/fellowships/idrf-fellowship/
  14. Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans provides support for 2 years of graduate study. The deadline is November 1. http://www.pdsoros.org/competition/
  15. Woodrow Wilson Foundation provides a number of opportunities, including the Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship, which supports the final year of work on Ph.D. dissertations dealing with ethical or religious values in fields across the humanities and social sciences. http://woodrow.org/

Follow #USCgetfunded on Twitter and Facebook for tools, resources, and strategies for securing external funding.

Fellowships: They’re For You!

Fellowships: They’re For You!
By Adam Feinman

Every graduate program has different standards for how their students pay their way. However, everyone can benefit from investing the time in applying for fellowships. Be they large or small, unheard of or prestigious, acquiring fellowships demonstrates a person’s ability to convince others that they can do valuable research. This is particularly important in academia (where grant-awarding agencies often fund projects with societal impact), but all research fields need people who can communicate about their research.

No matter who you are, what your personal profile looks like, or how much research you have done to date, there are fellowships geared towards you. Many fellowships are designed towards advancing research done by minorities. Some fellowships are looking to encourage certain types of research, such as certain types of literary scholarship or particular medical disorders. Others are “patriotic” in nature, seeking to advance a national interest.

One of the most broadly available fellowships is the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program, abbreviated as NSF GRFP. (How scientists love their abbreviations!) The overall mission of the NSF is to fund scientific research that has societal benefit and broad impact. It is not, however, limited to the so-called “hard-sciences”. Any field that is scientific and non-clinical can apply for this fellowship. So if you’re working with human subjects, you might be out of luck for this one. If you’re studying animal models of human disease you’re also going to be ineligible. But some clinical psychology and bio/medical engineering projects are eligible, as are the humanities aspects of science (e.g., science education, history of science). This fellowship is usually due in November, and requires essays, a research plan, and letters of recommendation.

It might be hard to get prestigious fellowships like this (or the Hertz and NDSEG fellowships) without previous research experience, but the process of applying can help you refine your research proposal and the way you write about it. The NSF GRFP wants your essays to reflect the “Broader Impacts” (i.e., how it affects society) and “Intellectual Merit” (how it advances knowledge), and the former is very important in this fellowship. One of the great things about this process though is that if you don’t get the fellowship, the NSF will give you feedback on how you can shore up your application. In many cases, you can apply for it as a first-year grad student and still re-apply as a second-year student.

Follow the USC Graduate School and #USCgetfunded on Facebook and Twitter for continuing articles and advice on obtaining external fellowships. Get a head-start with this breakdown of the application timeline. Your path to external funding begins now!

Introducing the 2014 PhD Achievement Award winners: Tianyin Zhou

 

Tianyin Zhou
USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Doctor of Philosophy, Computational Biology and Bioinformatics
Faculty Advisor: Remo Rohs

As a graduate student, Tianyin developed the methodology for predicting local DNA shape features on a genomic scale. This approach has been described as a breakthrough in genome research because it makes possible the analysis of sequencing data in 3D, which more accurately reflects the molecular mechanisms and physical interactions involved in recognizing the double helix by proteins. Tianyin has co-published six papers in journals such as Cell and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. His work has received four significant paper awards, including several Top-10 Paper Awards from the International Society for Computational Biology. Tianyin also received the Harrison M. Kurtz Award given to the most outstanding Ph.D. student in the biological sciences at USC. He was recently hired by Google where he will apply machine learning in search algorithms.

Congratulations, Tianyin!

Introducing the 2014 PhD Achievement Award winners: Yin Tian

Yin Tian 
USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Doctor of Philosophy, Mathematics
Faculty Advisor: Ko Honda

Yin’s research centers on low-dimensional topology, representation theory and mathematical physics. In particular, his work focuses on the interaction between “categorification” and quantum physics. The practical application of “categorification” is to give improved invariants of knots, a concept intricately related to quantum computing. In the fall, Yin will begin a three-year position as a Research Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Stony Brook University. The position will allow him to interact with mathematicians and physicists and to explore questions of common interest.

Congratulations, Yin!

Introducing the 2014 PhD Achievement Award winners: Nan Li

Nan Li
USC Viterbi School of Engineering
Doctor of Philosophy, Civil Engineering
Faculty Advisor: Burcin Becerik

Nan’s research brings together a number of disciplines, including emergency response, civil engineering, and computer science. He has developed novel methods for the localization of first responders and trapped occupants during building emergencies.

His work has resulted in 11 high-quality peer-reviewed journal papers and 14 peer-reviewed conference papers. One of his papers received the Charles M. Eastman Top PhD Paper Award, which recognizes the importance of developing young researchers in the field of integrated IT through the life cycle of design, construction, and occupancy of buildings and related facilities. Nan also received the USC Department of Civil Engineering’s Best Dissertation Award, which will be honored at this years hooding ceremony. He will join Tsinghua University next year.

Congratulations, Nan!

Introducing the 2014 PhD Achievement Award winners: Ana Lee

Ana Lee
USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Doctor of Philosophy, Comparative Liverature
Faculty Advisor: Roberto Ignacio Diaz

Meet Ana Lee, a PhD in Comparative Literature from USC Dornsife, and a recipient of the 2014 PhD Achievement Award.  Here she is in front of the Praça de Camões in the main plaza in Lisbon, Portugal, where she’s completing a Fulbright Fellowship. In the Fall, she will begin a Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship at Tulane University, and in July 2015, she will join the faculty of Latin American and Iberian Cultures at Columbia University.

Congratulations, Ana!

Introducing the 2014 PhD Achievement Award winners: Chin-Hao Huang

Chin-Hao Huang
USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences
Doctor of Philosophy, Political Science and International Relations (May 2014)
Faculty Advisor: David Kang

Chin-Hao’s research explores how and why emerging economies and rising powers in Asia take on self-constraining commitments and comply with international norms. He is the primary author of ten publications, including refereed articles, research monographs, a Congressional testimony, and book chapters in leading presses such as the Oxford University Press and Routledge. One research article, which draws from a chapter from his dissertation, received the highest distinction from the American Political Science Association (APSA) for the “2014 Best Foreign Policy Paper Award.”

Chin-Hao has received grants from the United States Institute of Peace, and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office Strategic Programme Fund. In 2014, Chin-Hao was awarded a Collaborative Research Grant from the MacArthur Foundation to study the theoretical, empirical, and policy implications of China’s rise for newly-emergent U.S. security partnerships in Southeast Asia. He will be a Principal Investigator working with a network of scholars from Australia, Indonesia, Myanmar, and Vietnam. Beginning in 2014, Chin-Hao will join the faculty of Yale as an Assistant Professor of Political Science.

Congratulations, Dr. Huang!