For Current Students

Below are a number of funding opportunities and resources for graduate students. Programs are divided into University and non-University programs/resources and are organized by application or submission deadline. Programs with rolling application/submission deadlines are listed first.

For external programs, please verify submission deadlines as they may change from year to year. Programs with deadlines that have passed will remain posted so individuals may plan for the upcoming academic year. Please submit additions to gradstudies-at-virginia.edu.

University Programs & Resources

Travel Reimbursement for Graduate Recruitment by Senior Doctoral Students: This program seeks to enhance the visibility of the University's graduate programs to prospective applicants by encouraging personal contact with U.Va. graduate students who are within a year of completing their Ph.D. programs. Rolling application process. [more info]

Tomorrow's Professor Today: A program for aspiring professors offered by the Teaching Resource Center (TRC), and funded in part by the Office of the Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies (VPRGS). Research News story Applications for 2008-09 due May 23, 2008. [more info]

Bankard Fund for Political Economy, Doctoral Public Policy Fellowships: The Bankard Committee invites proposals for doctoral student research awards of $10,000. The focus of research projects must have the greatest possible influence upon the development and continuation of the public policy necessary for a healthy private business system and a healthy national economy. Applications due early-November 2008. [more info]

Award for Excellence in Scholarship in the Humanities and Social Sciences - The purpose of this program is to reward outstanding research and scholarship among graduate students in the humanities and social sciences. 2005-06 awardees; 2006-07 awardees; 2007-08 awardees. Nominations due December 18, 2008. [more info]

Award for Excellence in Scholarship in the Sciences and Engineering: The purpose of this program is to reward outstanding research and scholarship among graduate students in the sciences and engineering. 2005-06 awardees; 2006-07 awardees; 2007-08 awardees. Nominations due December 18, 2008. [more info]

Dumas Malone & Albert Gallatin Graduate Research Fellowships: Sponsored by the Thomas Jefferson Memorial Foundation, these fellowships are awarded to graduate students in architecture, history, politics, and/or international affairs. Nominations due January 14, 2009. [more info]

Faculty Senate Dissertation Year-Fellowships: Most dissertation-year fellowships at Research Universities, including our own, reward excellence in research alone. In the Dissertation-Year Fellowship program described below, the University of Virginia Faculty Senate includes not only excellence in scholarly achievement as a criterion, but also outstanding performance in teaching. With a long tradition of excellence in teaching at both the undergraduate and graduate level, the University is committed to the idea that the best researchers can be, and often are, also the best teachers. Ideally, the two activities go hand in hand. It is in this spirit that the Faculty Senate invites applications for the 2008-2009 fellowships. Applications due early-February 2009. [more info]

Double Hoo Research Grant: The Double Hoo Research Grant supports pairs of undergraduate and graduate scholars seeking to pursue independent research projects. The award is intended to encourage collaborative interaction between the undergraduate and graduate communities at the University. Proposals from all schools at the University will be considered. Applications due late-March 2009. [more info]

Graduate Student Survey: This survey of graduate students, conducted in fall 2004, covered such issues as research fees, health insurance, housing, child care, and dining. Co-sponsored by the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Council (GSASC) and the Office of the the Vice President for Research & Graduate Studies (VPRGS), a total of 1,969 graduate students were surveyed, with 1,523 responding for a response rate of 77 percent. [more info]

External Programs & Resources

Fellowship Database: Cornell University has compiled a comprehensive database on national and intertnational fellowship opportunities . Fellowships may be searched using the following fields: (1) biological sciences, (2) humanities & arts, (3) physical sciences and engineering, (4) social sciences, (5) women, (6) minorities, (7) international students, (8) summer, (9) study abroad, and (10) post-docs. [more info]

Virginia Community College System (VCCS) Faculty Diversity Program: VCCS has developed a program to help create opportunities for graduate students to teach courses at a VCCS college while in graduate school. The program matches university students with community colleges in their local area. Eligible students will teach a course, receive mentorship from a full-time VCCS faculty member, and be paid as an adjunct faculty member. Rolling application process. [more info]

IAC Traveling Scholar Program: The IAC Traveling Scholar Program enables doctoral-level students at participating ACC universities to take advantage of distinctive educational opportunities--specialized courses, unique library collections, unusual laboratories--at any other participating ACC university without change in registration or increase in tuition. Rolling application process. [more info]

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL): The Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) sponsors a Postdoctoral Program. The Postdoctoral (Postdoc) Program offers the opportunity for appointees to perform research in a scientifically rich R&D environment; present and publish research; contribute to the overall research efforts at the Laboratory; advance knowledge in the areas of basic and applied research; strengthen our national scientific and technical capabilities. Rolling application process. [more info]

Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Postdoctoral Fellowship Program: The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) sponsors a Postdoctoral Fellowship Program at a number of Naval R&D centers and laboratories. The program is designed to significantly increase the involvement of creative and highly trained scientists and engineers from academia and industry to scientific and technical areas of interest and relevance to the Navy. Rolling application process [more info]

Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) Postdoctoral Research Associates Program: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) is the largest of the U.S. Department of Energy's (DOE’s) multiprogram, nonweapons national laboratories with a staff of 4,000 scientists, engineers, and other professional, technical, and support personnel. Early in 1992, ORNL announced new and expanded Postdoctoral Research Associates and Postmaster’s Programs. This action further strengthened the laboratory's long-standing commitment to excellence in research while contributing to the development of the new MS and Ph.D. scientists and engineers on whom the future of the nation's research and development enterprise depends. Multilple applications deadlines. [more info]

National Academies Research Associateship Program: The Research Associateship awards are open to doctoral level scientists and engineers (U.S and Foreign Nationals) who can apply their special knowledge and talents to research areas that are of interest to them and to the host laboratories and centers. Awards are available for Postdoctoral Associates (within 5 years of the doctorate) and Senior Associates (normally 5 years or more beyond the doctorate). Associates conduct research in residence at the host laboratory they have chosen. Applications due November 1, February 1, May 1, August 1. [more info]

NASA Langley Research Center-Virginia Space Grant Consortium Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Internship Program: The GIS Internship Program is open to community college, undergraduate, and graduate students majoring in the fields of geography, technology, and civil engineering with experience in geospatial technology or an interest in developing their skills in spatial data technology in support of NASA’s mission. A student majoring in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) or any other major and demonstrating an interest in working in geospatial technology will also be considered. Applications due July 8, 2008 & November 1, 2008. [more info]

Virginia Society AIA Student Prize: The Virginia Society AIA, recognizing the importance of both theory and applied research in architecture, the importance of discourse in the architectural process, and the role that discourse plays in driving both, has created the VSAIA Prize for Design Research & Scholarship. The purpose of this prize is to encourage theoretical awareness, educational exchange, thought and research in architecture, both within academic institutions and within the offices of practicing architects who participate in these pursuits. Applications due August 1, 2008. [more info]

American Association of Hispanics in Higher Education (AAHHE) & the Educational Testing Service (ETS): AAHHE and ETS recognize the significant need to increase the number of Hispanics receiving doctoral degrees, entering higher education on the tenure track, and eventually serving in faculty leadership and administrative roles. By developing this competition, AAHHE and ETS are providing an opportunity to spotlight top doctoral students and, at the same time, are rewarding excellence in Hispanic student performance at the doctoral level. Nominations due September 8, 2008. [more info]

Council for Southern Graduate Schools (CSGS) Master's Theses Awards: The CGS Master's Theses Awards recognize outstanding contributions to scholarship in (1) the life sciences, (2) social sciences, business, and education, and (3) innovative application of technology. Nominations due mid-October, 2008. [more info]

Council for Southern Graduate Schools (CSGS) Faculty Awards: The CGS Faculty Awards recognize outstanding contributions to graduate education at the institutional and regional levels. Nominations due mid-October, 2008. [more info]

U.S. Department of Education, Jacob K. Javits Fellowship: This program provides fellowships to students of superior academic ability—selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement, financial need, and exceptional promise—to undertake study at the doctoral and Master of Fine Arts level in selected fields of arts, humanities, and social sciences. Applications due mid-October, 2008. [more info]

IBM Ph.D. Fellowship Program: The IBM Ph.D. Fellowship program honors exceptional Ph.D. students in many academic disciplines and areas of study, such as computer science and engineering, electrical and mechanical engineering , physical sciences (including chemistry, material sciences, and physics), mathematical sciences (including optimization), business sciences (including financial services, communication, and learning/knowledge ), and service sciences, management, and engineering. Nominations due late-October, 2008. [more info]

National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP): The Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are at the early stages of their graduate study. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) invests in graduate education for a cadre of diverse individuals who demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation. Applications due early-November, 2008. [more info]

Lawrence Fellowship: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has established the Lawrence Fellowship, a prestigious postdoctoral fellowship program. The purpose of the fellowship is to pursue cutting-edge science and stimulate cross-fertilization of ideas. Applications due early-November 2008. [more info]

Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowships: The Hertz Foundation's mission is to build America's capacity for innovation by nurturing remarkable applied scientists and engineers who show the most promise to change the world. The Hertz Foundation identifies the rare young scientists and engineers with the potential to change the world for the better and supports their research endeavors from an early stage. The Foundation empowers these outstanding young people with the freedom to innovate in collaboration with leading professors in the field. Applications due early-November, 2008. [more info]

Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad: This program provides grants to colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral students who conduct research in other countries, in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of six to 12 months. Applications due early-November, 2008. [more info]

National Physical Sciences Consortium (NPSC): The National Physical Science Consortium (NPSC) has one primary objective: Increase the number of qualified U.S.-citizen Ph.D.s in the physical sciences and related engineering fields, emphasizing recruitment of a diverse applicant pool of women and historically underrepresented minorities. NPSC accomplishes this objective by assisting corporations and government agencies and laboratories in awarding doctoral fellowships and dissertation support to outstanding U.S. students. Applications due early-November, 2008. [more info]

Andrew M. Mellon Foundation-ACLS Early Career Fellowships: The American Council of Learned Societies is launching a significant new fellowship program providing support for young scholars to complete their dissertation and, later, to advance their research after being awarded the Ph.D. The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation-ACLS Early Career Fellowship Program will award fellowships, to students in the humanities and social sciences, in two categories: Dissertation Completion Fellowships & Fellowships for Recent Doctoral Recipients. Applications due mid-November, 2008. [more info]

American Association of University Women (AAUW) Grants & Fellowships: One of the world's largest sources of funding exclusively for graduate women, the AAUW Educational Foundation supports aspiring scholars around the globe, teachers and activists in local communities, women at critical stages of their careers, and those pursuing professions where women are underrepresented. Applications due mid- November 2008 & mid-January 2009. [more info]

Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships: The Ford Foundation Diversity Fellowships seek to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. Applications due mid-November, 2008. [more info]

The Leifur Eiriksson Foundation: The Robert Kellogg Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by the Leifur Eiriksson Foundation, funds one scholar or fellow annually from the University of Virginia for graduate research or study in Iceland, or an Icelander to conduct research or study at the University of Virginia. Work may be in any area including but not limited to the sciences, the humanities, the arts, history, or architecture. Applications due early-December 2008. [more info]

East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI): The East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes provide U.S. graduate students in science and engineering: 1) first-hand research experience in Australia, China, Japan, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore or Taiwan; 2) an introduction to the science and science policy infrastructure of the respective location; and 3) orientation to the society, culture and language. Applications due mid-December 2008. [more info]

Science, Mathematics, And Research for Transformation (SMART) Defense Scholarship: The Department of Defense (DoD) is proud to offer scholarships to undergraduate, master's and doctoral students who have demonstrated ability and special aptitude for training in Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics (STEM) fields. The DoD also offers them career opportunities to continue their research as civilian employees of a DoD laboratory after graduation. Applications due mid-December 2008. [more info]

The Institute for Humane Studies (IHS), Summer Graduate Research Fellowships: Graduate students who share an interest in the classical liberal tradition receive financial and mentoring support to work on a paper or dissertation chapter. Applications due late-December 2008. [more info]

National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG): The Department of Defense (DoD) is committed to increasing the number and quality of our nation's scientists and engineers. Toward that end, the DoD annually supports approximately 8,000 graduate students in fields important to national defense needs. Applications due early-January 2009. [more info]

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Scholarship & Fellowship Program: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) realizes that the country’s strong science and technology community provides a critical advantage in the development and implementation of counter-terrorist measures and other DHS objectives. The DHS Scholarship and Fellowship Program is intended for students interested in pursuing the basic science and technology innovations that can be applied to the DHS mission. This education program is intended to ensure a highly talented science and technology community to achieve the DHS mission and objectives. Eligible students must be studying in a homeland security related science, technology, engineering and mathematics (HS-STEM) field. Applications due early-January 2009. [more info]

Naval Research Enterprise Intern Program (NREIP): This ten-week internship program, sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR), is designed to provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to participate in research, under the guidance of an appropriate research mentor, at a participating Navy laboratory. Applications due mid-January, 2009. [more info]

Department of Energy (DoE) Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (CSGF): DOE CSGF is a program funded by the Department of Energy’s Office of Science and National Nuclear Security Administration. Now in its 15th year, the DOE CSGF trains scientists to meet the nation’s workforce needs and helps to create a nationwide interdisciplinary community. The fellowship provides support and guidance to some of the nation’s best scientific graduate students, and these graduates now work in DOE laboratories, private industry and educational institutions. Applications due mid-January 2009. [more info]

Smithsonian Institution: (1) Predoctoral Fellowships are offered to doctoral candidates who have completed preliminary course work and examinations. Candidates must have the approval of their universities to conduct doctoral research at the Smithsonian Institution. The term is 3 to 12 months. The stipend is $25,000 per year plus allowances. (2) Graduate Student Fellowships are offered to students formally enrolled in a graduate program of study, who have completed at least one semester, and not yet been advanced to candidacy if in a Ph.D. program. Applicants must submit a proposal for research in a discipline, which is pursued at the Smithsonian. The term is 10 weeks; the stipend is $5,500. (3) Latino Studies Fellowships are offered to U.S. Latino/a predoctoral students and postdoctoral or senior scholars to pursue research related to Latino history, art, and culture using Smithsonian resources. Fellowship appointments are for up to twelve months with the opportunity to spend up to a third of the time in the field but not at the home institution. Predoctoral fellowships offer a stipend of $25,000 per year plus allowances. Applications due mid-January 2009. [more info]

National Science Foundation (NSF) Central Europe Summer Research Institute (CESRI): With support from the National Science Foundation, the Central Europe Summer Research Institute (CESRI) will provide fourteen U.S. graduate students in the sciences and engineering with a high-quality international research experience in Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hungary, Poland or Slovakia. The CESRI program will be 8 weeks in length, with the first week spent as a group in Budapest, Hungary in a specially designed cultural and academic orientation to the region. Participants will spend the remaining 7 weeks working in individually-arranged placements in university labs or other appropriate sites where they can participate in creative research activities under the supervision of European mentors. Applications due early-February 2009. [more info]

Virginia Space Grant Consortium (VSGC): Fellowships are $5,000 add-on awards, designed to supplement and enhance basic graduate research support, such as graduate research assistantships, graduate teaching assistantships, and non-federal scholarships and fellowships. Awards are made annually and are renewable up to a total of three years for stu dents mak ing satisfactory research and academic progress. Applications due mid-February 2009. [more info]

Explorer's Club Washington Group's Exploration and Field Research Grants Program: The Explorers Club Washington Group’s Exploration and Field Research Grants Program was established in 1997 to encourage young men and women to add to the body of knowledge of the earth, its people and the universe through exploration and field research. Examples of disciplines appropriate for support are anthropology, archaeology, ecology, entomology, botany, linguistics, ornithology, geography, ichthyology, geology, oceanography, glaciology, and similar disciplines. Applications due mid-February 2009. [more info]

Morris K. Udall Environmental Public Policy & Conflict Resolution Fellowship: The Udall Foundation awards two one-year fellowships of up to $24,000 to doctoral candidates whose research concerns U.S. environmental public policy and/or environmental conflict resolution and who are entering their final year of writing the dissertation. Applications due mid-February 2009. [more info]

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute, Graduate & Young Professional Fellowship: The Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) solicits applications from graduate students in the fields of housing, health, law and international affairs for its newly expanded Graduate & Young Professional Fellowship. CHCI's Graduate & Young Professional Public Policy Fellowship Program offers exceptional Latino graduates and young professionals unparalleled exposure to leaders, firsthand experience and leadership development in underserved public policy areas in Washington, D.C. Applications due early-March 2009. [more info]

NASA Aeronautics Scholarship Program: Fostering new generations of highly skilled scientists and engineers is critically important to the aeronautics community. ARMD, as part of its commitment to mastering the core competencies of aeronautics in all flight regimes, is restructuring its education program, including focusing investments in undergraduate and graduate education. Applications due mid-March, 2009. [more info]

Washington State University Summer Doctoral Fellows Program: Washington State University invites applications from and nominations for doctoral candidates who are nearing completion of their graduate degrees and preparing for careers in higher education to attend an annual six-week Summer Doctoral Fellows Program. Applications and nominations due mid-March 2009. [more info]

Southern Regional Education Board's Doctoral Scholars Program: The Southern Regional Education Board's Doctoral Scholars Program was developed with support from The Pew Charitable Trusts and the Ford Foundation. It is part of a nationwide initiative, the Compact for Faculty Diversity, to produce more minority Ph.D.s and to encourage them to seek faculty positions. Applications due early-April 2009 [more info]

NASA's 20th Annual Planetary Science Summer School: This program seeks people who have completed their graduate work and beyond in science and engineering fields, and who have a keen interest in a career in planetary exploration. Preference is given to post-docs, recent PhD's and current doctoral students; applications from graduate-level students or faculty members will be considered on a space-available basis. Applications due early-May 2009. [more info]

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