Graduate School Scholarships

Currently enrolled students at accredited colleges or universities who are at least 18 years old may compete in Microsoft Imagine Cup by building AI-powered startup ideas. Teams of up to four students are welcome. Prize funding reaches up to $100,000 through competition paths such as Scale and Launch, along with Azure credits, mentorship, and access to Microsoft's AI tools. Specific funding levels and round dates are set in the official rules each season. Register online, develop a minimum viable product, and advance through semifinals toward the World Championship. Imagine Cup connects student founders with technology, guidance, and a global community focused on real-world problem solving.

Graduating J.D. or LL.M. students and law graduates up to two years out may apply with a host employer for a one-year project-based fellowship, renewable for a second year. Hosts may be 501(c)(3) nonprofits, plaintiff-side or public interest firms, unions, or tribal, local, state, or federal government agencies. Justice Catalyst provides $75,000 in salary support to the host organization each fellowship year, with health insurance and fringe benefits paid by the host. Fellows design litigation-focused projects aimed at structural, high-volume change. Applications follow a two-part process (optional prospectus, then required application). The 2026-2027 cycle closed; the site directs applicants to return in summer 2026 for the next cycle, with interviews in January and February and awards by early March. Justice Catalyst Partnerships is a 501(c)(3) that funds early-career public interest lawyers pursuing innovative impact litigation.

PhD students past their first year in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or related fields who are doing active GPU-relevant thesis research may apply for the NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship. The fellowship provides up to $60,000 for the fellowship year, administered through the university. Applicants must submit a research proposal, CV, and professor nomination letters, and complete a mandatory in-person NVIDIA summer internship before the award year.

U.S. citizens or permanent residents pursuing a PhD in the applied physical, biological, or engineering sciences, mathematics, or engineering may apply for the Hertz Graduate Fellowship. Candidates should show exceptional creativity and a commitment to solving major societal problems. Fellows receive up to five years of fellowship funding, plus mentorship and career support. The application includes references and multi-round interviews for selected candidates.

Teams of two PhD students at participating North American universities can compete for the Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship. Entrants must be enrolled in a PhD program for the full fellowship academic year, with at least one team member in electrical engineering, computer science, or a related department. Winning teams receive $50,000 per entrant paid to the university department to fund research during the program year. Qualcomm also provides research mentors and may offer collaborative activities or internships. Teams submit registration materials and, if selected, a detailed innovation proposal and presentation to a judging panel. Faculty recommendation is required. The fellowship has run for many years and recognizes innovative proposals in EE, CS, and related technical fields at a fixed set of participating universities in the United States and Canada.

Graduate students enrolled in a Ph.D. program who have completed preliminary coursework and examinations may carry out thesis research in residence at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory under an SAO scientist while remaining enrolled at their home institution. The stipend matches Harvard Astronomy Department support and is adjusted annually on July 1. Applicants must secure funding through their home institution or an SAO advisor. Apply through SOLAA. Application deadlines are May 1 and November 1.

Doctoral students enrolled in good standing at an accredited U.S. or international university may apply for the NIH Graduate Partnerships Program (GPP) to conduct dissertation research in the NIH Intramural Research Program while remaining enrolled at their degree-granting institution. Eligible degrees include PhD, DPhil, PharmD, DrPH, PsyD, MD/PhD, and DVM/PhD. U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and eligible international students (including J-1 pathways) may participate through individual or institutional partnerships. While at NIH, GPP students are paid on the NIH predoctoral IRTA stipend table based on research experience after the bachelor's degree. Annual stipends range from $46,100 for a first-year predoctoral fellow with up to one year of experience to $59,300 in later years. NIH also provides health insurance supplements, a $1,500 relocation benefit for new fellows, and professional development, advising, and well-being resources. There is no fixed application deadline; students arrive year round once they secure an NIH principal investigator willing to host their dissertation research and obtain permission from their university graduate program. Individual partnership applicants contact PIs directly and apply through the NIH Application Center. Institutional partnership students apply through specific university partner programs. GPP lets doctoral students combine university coursework with mentored intramural research at NIH institutes and centers across multiple campuses.

U.S. pre-doctoral art history candidates who will be all-but-dissertation when the fellowship begins and whose dissertation research focuses on European art from antiquity to the early 19th century may be nominated by their department for Kress History of Art Institutional Fellowships at European research centers. Departments may nominate a maximum of two candidates for different research centers. Six two-year fellowships are awarded at $45,000 per year. Applications are accepted in November for fellowships beginning the following academic year.

Immigrants and children of immigrants who are 30 years old or younger and plan full-time enrollment in an eligible U.S. graduate or professional program may apply. Applicants may be applying to graduate school or in the early years of graduate study. Thirty fellows are selected annually. Each receives up to $25,000 per year in stipend plus up to $20,000 per year in tuition support, covering 50% of tuition and fees, for one to two years of study. Complete the fellowship application at pdsscholarship.org by the October 29 deadline, including required essays and supporting documents. The fellowship recognizes academic excellence and leadership among New Americans across all fields of study.

U.S. citizens or permanent residents enrolled full-time in a master's or doctoral program at a U.S. accredited college may apply through their institution for the Margaret A. Davidson Graduate Fellowship. Fellows conduct two years of collaborative research at one of 30 NOAA national estuarine research reserves. Fellows receive up to $45,000 per year in direct support for stipend, supplies, travel, and tuition.