External Fellowships & Awards

PhD students in the Graduate School receive stipends and tuition fellowships to support their studies. However, students can benefit from applying for and receiving external awards. Professional benefits include:

• Experience in applying for funds
• Practice in discussing your research interests with a range of audiences
• Establishing a track record of successful funding applications

In addition, students who win external fellowships are eligible for our Combined Award policy, which provides a stipend bonus. External awards, if sufficiently large, may also replace some teaching, or provide you with more flexibility regarding your teaching requirements.

If you win an external award, you must send a copy of your Notice of Award to the Office of Graduate Financial Aid (gradfinaid@yale.edu). The office will assist you in determining whether you are eligible for a Combined Award. 

If you have questions about how an external award will interact with Yale’s Financial Aid, including teaching, you can contact Associate Dean Robert Harper-Mangels.

Resources for Students Applying for External Awards

There are a variety of resources available on the web to assist you in looking for funding opportunities. Yale is a sponsor of the SPIN database (select Yale University from the organization list). Other funding opportunities can be found at the Yale Student Grants Database and at the Grant Forward Database.

The Office of Graduate Fellowships also runs a YaleConnect group with a monthly newsletter featuring the latest opportunities and tips for applications. Click on the link to join and sign up to receive the newsletter. 

Would you like to tell us how we can provide better information on external funding? Please fill in our 4-5 minute survey, open until Friday November 21st.

If you are applying for external fellowships, we encourage you to work directly with your academic adviser(s) to prepare an application. Additional support with application essays is available from the Graduate Writing Lab

External Awards requiring nomination

Some external fellowship competition requires applicants to secure a nomination from Yale. When these competitions are announced, instructions for applying for a nomination will be posted here.

ACLS/ Mellon Dissertation Innovation Fellowships – The ACLS/Mellon research grants support outstanding scholarship in the humanities and interpretive social sciences for PhD candidates in the formative stage of dissertation development. Applications are normally due mid-fall. While an applicant does not require a nomination from Yale to apply, Yale does need to sign a statement confirming the eligibility of the student to accept this award, including a non-cumulative year of registration while on the fellowship. Applicants requiring this statement can designate Dean Robert Harper-Mangels as the point of contact for this statement.

Schmidt Science Fellowship – The Schmidt Science Fellowship funds recent graduates in STEM fields who are interested in postdoctoral study that represents a significant shift away from the field or techniques used in their doctoral studies. The competition normally opens early in the spring term, and Yale nominees will be selected by April or May. Nominees will then be invited to submit a complete application to Schmidt, usually by late June/early July.

Google PhD Fellowship – This fellowship supports the stipend and research of doctoral students studying computer science or conducting innovative research in areas relevant to computer science-related fields. Nominations are normally made in the spring (April-May).

 DAAD Research Grants – The DAAD German Exchange provides travel and fellowship support for students who wish to conduct research, artistic projects, or pursue degrees in Germany. For most awards, students will apply on-line directly through the DAAD application. However, Yale doctoral students interested in extended (7+ months) research grants in Germany may also solicit a nomination from Yale. 

Applicants for the Research Study grants should still submit a complete application through the DAAD application by the posted deadlines. In addition, applicants may submit their complete application materials to robert.harper-mangels@yale.edu no later than October 27, 2025. If a student is nominated by Yale, the DAAD will be notified of Yale’s endorsement. This endorsement does not guarantee that an award will be made, nor does the lack of an endorsement disqualify an applicant from consideration. In either case, all applicants must still complete and submit the on-line application through the DAAD site.

Highlighted Awards 2025-2026

Fulbright US Student Fellowship – Applications for 2026-27 are now closed. Applications for 2027-28 will likely open in late spring 2026, with a deadline in early October, 2026. Any graduate and professional school student interested in applying for the 2027-28 academic year should register their interest by writing to the Fulbright Program Advisor at robert.harper-mangels@yale.edu.

DAAD – application deadlines on October 31, 2025 and April 30, 2026 (only the application due on October 31 is eligible for a Yale nomination, see above).

NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program – application deadlines are 10^th – 14^th November, depending on field of study. Please contact the Graduate Writing Lab for information about workshops, information sessions, and one on one advising.