• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship: Fact Sheet - Predoctoral
• Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans 
• National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships Program (GRFP) (View information for Princeton students with NSF funding.)

• Charlotte W. Newcombe Foundation
• US Fulbright Program
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council Doctoral Fellowships (SSHRC)

• HHMI Gilliam Fellowships for Advanced Study
• National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program (NDSEG)
• NIH Individual Research Fellowships
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC)

Visit the DAAD website for complete details.

Deadlines

• Campus deadline: October 17, 2024
• National deadline: October 31, 2024

Description

The DAAD grant is awarded to highly qualified Ph.D. candidates who have completed a Master's degree by the time they begin their grant-supported research in Germany. 

• Long-term grants: DAAD invites Princeton to nominate two "priority" candidates for Long-Term Research Grants of 7-12 months. Princeton graduate students typically apply for long-term grants. 
• Short-term grants: These grants cover 1-6 months. Applicants should apply directly to the DAAD New York office. They are not part of the pre-selection process.

Eligibility

• Doctoral students from all disciplines are eligible. 
• Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the U.S. or Canada.  
• Foreign nationals who live in the USA or in Canada and by the time of application deadline have gained their last degree in the US/Canada or will be gaining it before the beginning of their funding period.

How to Apply

By Nomination, followed by student application

Students must be nominated by their department to be considered for a priority candidate slot. The director of graduate studies must submit a letter of nomination (including a rank order if more than one student from the department) to the Graduate School before October 17th. If there are more than two nominees, the Graduate School’s Fellowships Subcommittee will evaluate and choose the two "priority" nominees. Remaining applications are submitted for the general competition. All applicants will be notified of the outcome.

Applicants are invited to meet with Dean Elaine Willey prior to applying to discuss their proposed research plans and/or to review a draft of their statement of purpose. Application materials must be submitted in one PDF document:

• Graduate School pre-selection: A complete application must be submitted to Elaine Willey in the Graduate School by October 17th for pre-selection. 
• Signed reference form: Also called the referee's report, this can now be uploaded by the student directly to the portal. (The form is available on the DAAD portal.) 
• DAAD online application: All applicants must also apply and submit their final applications via the DAAD Online Portal by the national deadline of October 31st. Please note that no changes/edits can be made once an application is submitted through the portal. For details, follow the DAAD online application instructions. 

Visit the Eisenhower Institute website for complete details.

Deadlines

• Call for nominations: This is normally sent to relevant departments in mid-February.
• Applications: Applications are due to Academic Affairs by early March, via an email to Elaine Willey.  

Description

This fellowship supports students in areas of history, government, economics, and international affairs and provides a stipend of $10,000. 

Eligibility

• Applicants should be advanced doctoral students in good academic standing. 
• Non-U.S. citizens are eligible to apply.

How to Apply

The Graduate School is invited to submit up to two (2) candidates to be considered for The Dwight D. Eisenhower / Clifford Roberts Graduate Fellowship Program. Depending on the number of applications received, the Fellowships Subcommittee of the Graduate School may be called upon to determine the two applications that are sent forward. 

Applications must include the following, each as a separate file. (Items should not be combined into one document.)

• Curriculum Vitae
• Graduate transcript
• A statement describing the nature and scope of the dissertation, including a timetable for its completion
• A statement, not exceeding 1,000 words, of the applicant’s career aspirations
• A statement describing how the applicant will use the funding
• A writing sample of 10-15 pages, preferably on a topic related to the dissertation
• Two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from the applicant's doctoral adviser (These letters should not be seen by the applicants. Recommenders should email their letter directly to Elaine Willey.)

Visit the Fulbright-Hays DDRA applicant page for complete details.

Deadlines

• Campus deadline: March 19, 2024 by 4:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
• National institutional submission deadline: March 29, 2024

Description

This grant supports dissertation research in modern foreign languages and area studies.

Eligibility

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.  
• Absolute priority is given to research projects that focus on one or more of the following geographical areas: Africa, East Asia, Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands, South Asia, the Near East, Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia, and the Western Hemisphere (excluding the U.S. and its territories). Applications that focus exclusively on Western Europe and/or ancient, medieval, or pre-modern topics will not be considered eligible.
• Competitive preference is given to applicants that meet the following criteria:
  • A research project that focuses on any modern foreign language, except French, German, or Spanish.
  • A research project in the field of science, technology, engineering, mathematics, computer science, education (comparative or international), international development, political science, public health, or economics.

How to Apply

All interested applicants should notify Elaine Willey of their intent to apply and with any questions about the application. 

NOTE: The period between the grant announcement and the application deadline is typically very short. We therefore advise graduate students to begin drafting their application materials early in the spring term, well before the grant notification. Information from previous-year competitions are available as a guide.

Completed student applications, which are submitted online through G5.gov, include:

• Fulbright-Hays application form
• Curriculum vitae
• Application narrative (10-page maximum. Evaluation criteria are provided in a sample Technical Review Form. The application narrative must be written in a way that answers all questions provided in the form.)
• Application bibliography (2-page maximum)
• One foreign language reference form
• Three letters of recommendation
• Transcripts (graduate and undergraduate)
• Letters of affiliation

Visit the Fulbright IIE website for complete details and the online application.

Deadlines

The application cycle for the 2025-26 fellowship competition is now open.

• Campus deadline for graduate students: September 24, 2024 by 1:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time
• National deadline: October 8, 2024

Description

Predoctoral grants are administered by the Institute of International Education (IIE) for U.S. citizens who must pursue dissertation research in foreign countries with which the U.S. has diplomatic relations. Graduate students typically apply for the Research Grant. Most Fulbright awards are tenable only in a single country, although a small number of multi-country awards exist. 

Eligibility

• U.S. citizen in good health
• Bachelor's degree but not Ph.D. by beginning date of the grant
• Proficiency in the language of the host country(ies) to which you are applying
• Preference for applicants who have received the majority of their education at educational institutions in the U.S. (Study abroad is not a disqualification.)

Expectations for Participation in the Campus Process

If a Princeton graduate student wishes to apply for a Fulbright Research Grant via Princeton, Fulbright requires a campus applicant evaluation process. To be eligible to participate in the Graduate School’s campus process, applicants:

• Must have completed at least one academic year in residence. 
• Should have completed General Examination and be entering the dissertation research phase of their program by the start of the award. Only post-generals Ph.D. students are eligible to be enrolled in absentia. 
• Should plan to use this grant to conduct research that is necessary to their academic progress and dissertation completion.

If you have questions about eligibility, please contact Dean Elaine Willey in the Graduate School.

How to Apply

The Graduate School works in collaboration with Fellowship Advising in the Office of International Programs to help students through the application process. Please refer to the timeline for the graduate student campus process.  Interested graduate students should first contact Dean Elaine Willey to discuss eligibility and the campus process. Eligible applicants must then contact Dr. Eric Myers, assistant director of fellowship advising, to schedule a meeting before August 9th to discuss your project proposal and review a draft of your project and personal statements.

Completed applications are evaluated by the Graduate School and the faculty Fellowships Subcommittee and include:

• Fulbright online application form
• Statement of grant purpose (2 pages max. – the who, what, when, where, why, and how of the proposal)
• Personal statement (1-page narrative max.)
• Affiliation letter
• Foreign Language Evaluation Form
• 3 letters of recommendation
• Transcripts (undergraduate and graduate)

For additional details, contact Elaine Willey.

Deadlines

• Campus deadline: January 16

Description

This fellowship is open to graduate students who expect to be enrolled next year and whose research requires a year in France. The amount of the fellowship stipend is currently $25,000. 

Eligibility

• Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. 
• The student will be chosen without preference as to the field of study or department, provided that the subject matter is uniquely French and requires study in France for an academic year. 
• The program strongly encourages applicants whose research has contemporary relevance in French political, legal, and social issues.

How to Apply

The Graduate School may nominate one well-qualified student to the fellowship sponsors. Interested students should submit the following via email to Elaine Willey. 

• Curriculum vitae
• Transcripts (undergraduate and current graduate)
• Statement of proposed research
  • 5 pages maximum, 12-pt font, double-spaced
  • Include an estimated timeline of your proposed research
  • Include why you need to be in France
  • Please keep in mind that non-specialists will be reviewing your statement
  • No bibliography or citations necessary
• Letters of recommendation from the director of graduate studies and student's primary adviser

The Graduate School will review all applications and send one applicant forward to the Georges Lurcy Charitable Educational Trust. Depending on the number of applications, the Fellowships Subcommittee of the Faculty Committee on the Graduate School may be used to evaluate the applications and come to a final recommendation.

Deadlines

• Call for nominations: This normally goes out to relevant departments in mid-January.
• Applications: Submission deadlines are normally in mid-February.

Description

Princeton is invited to submit up to two graduate student nominations for the Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation. The prize recognizes and honors creativity and innovation by graduate students in the biomedical sciences. 

• One graduate student is selected to receive the Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation each year. Each winner receives a check for $50,000, which can be used in any way the winner chooses. 
• Approximately 8-10 applicants will be selected for finalist status. Finalists may be invited to visit Regeneron for the onsite competition, travel expenses paid, and are each awarded $5,000. 
• Winners’ home institutions receive a $5,000 donation to support its seminar series. 

Eligibility

The prize is open to nominated graduate students in the biomedical sciences.

How to Apply

Interested students submit their nomination materials directly to Academic Affairs. A complete nomination includes:

• Curriculum vitae
• A “dream” project description per the guidelines (no more than 2 single-spaced pages)

Should the Graduate School receive more than two nominations, the Fellowships Subcommittee is asked to review and select the two nominations to go forward.

Princeton is among a select group of institutions invited to put forward nominees for the Schmidt Science Fellows Program. 

Description

Schmidt Science Fellows is an initiative of Schmidt Futures, delivered in partnership with the Rhodes Trust. The Schmidt Science Fellows Program looks for outstanding students or recent graduates who combine scientific curiosity with extraordinary academic achievement. They must be able to demonstrate a collaborative spirit, have the ambition to make a lasting impact in science and in society, and must have a keen interest in undertaking an interdisciplinary research pivot during a postdoctoral placement in a world-leading laboratory. 

Nomination Process

The Graduate School asks departments in the natural sciences and engineering to nominate eligible students. The Fellowships Subcommittee of the Faculty Committee on the Graduate School then reviews and selects the final institutional nominees. Interested students should discuss their eligibility with the director of graduate studies in their department.

Recent Winners

Announced by Eric and Wendy Schmidt in 2017, Princeton is delighted to have the following winners:

2023

Suong Nguyen, Chemistry

2021

Sebastian Musslick, Neuroscience

Kurt Ristroph, Chemical and Biological Engineering

2020

Ben Winer, Molecular Biology

William (Chuck) Witt, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Evan Zhao, Chemical and Biological Engineering

2019

Saki Takahashi, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

2018

Yogesh Goyal, Chemical and Biological Engineering