What fellowships and grants can I apply for?

Even if you already have funding through an assistantship, it can be a good idea to apply for grants and fellowships: getting one can enhance your curriculum vitae.

What's the difference between a grant and a fellowship?

In general, most grants are are research-oriented: they provide funds for research projects. Some will cover travel to meetings/conferences, equipment, assistants' salaries etc. They typically will not provide a tuition waver.

Fellowships often provide a tuition waver and stipend. A fellowship may or may not cover some research expenses.

However, the exact details of what's on offer in a grant or fellowship varies from organization to organization: read the details carefully. Also be aware of limitations on who can apply: some awards may have age limits, or require particular academic backgrounds.

Where can I apply?

Dozens of organizations offer grants and fellowships. Here are links to some of these organizations, and also to directories listing funding opportunities. There may be others (please contact us if you have suggestions for what else should be included on this list). Some awards may require you to be nominated by your advisor, department, college or other body.

Penn State

• Penn State offers various fellowships: more details from the Penn State Graduate School
• The Office of Sponsored programs lists various funding sources

Associations, foundations, trusts, charities etc

• The Science Careers Forum, sponsored by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, lists possible funding sources
• The Foundation Directory Online, from the Foundation Center, is a guide to funding offered by foundations
• The American Cancer Society
• The American Heart Association
• The National Academies (includes Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships)
• The Hispanic Scholarship Fund (HSF)

Federal agencies

• Grants.gov, a central listing of discretionary grants offered by more than 20 federal grant-making agencies including the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Department of Energy (DoE)
• The National Science Foundation (NSF)
• The National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), including:
• The National Center for Environmental Research
• The Social Science Research Council (SSRC)