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 that meet a stipend threshold 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 regular newsletter during the academic year featuring the latest opportunities and tips for applications. Click on the link to join and sign up to receive the newsletter. 

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 applications is available from the Graduate Writing Lab.

External awards requiring nomination

Some external fellowship competition requires applicants to secure a nomination from Yale, or require a certification from the Graduate School. When these competitions are announced, instructions for applying for a nomination or securing the necessary certification will be posted on the linked page. Applications which require a nomination from Yale include:

• ACLS/Mellon Dissertation Innovation Fellowships
• DAAD Research Grants
• Google PhD Fellowship
• Liebmann Fund
• National Institute of Social Sciences
• Schmidt Science Fellowship

Additionally, these fellowships do not require a nomination from Yale, but GSAS provides direct support for these applications in the form of information workshops. GSAS also works directly with the Graduate Writing Lab, which provides workshops, peer advising, and one-on-one counseling for applicants to these programs:

Fulbright US Student Fellowship – The application for 2027-28 is now open. The national application deadline is Tuesday, October 6, 2026 (5pm). Any graduate or 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. Yale applicants are required to complete a Campus Committee Evaluation. Please see this link to get more information about the application process for graduate and professional school students, which differs from the timeline and procedure for Yale College.

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.

Internal (Yale) fellowship opportunities

There are several endowed funds that create opportunities for students to apply for funding and enhanced training opportunities within Yale in specific STEM fields. Students interested in these opportunities should review the linked websites and contact the program administrators directly with any questions.

Peter Salovey and Marta Moret Data Science Fellowships - This program brings together students conducting research in the field of data science with students who are utilizing data science tools to solve real-world problems. Applicants from all disciplines are welcome to apply, typically in the first two years of registration, though applicants in their third year will be considered.

Wu Tsai Institute Graduate Research Fellowships - Applicants to this program are admitted to a 3-year Certificate in Brains, Minds and Machines. Participants receive a full stipend and top-up, plus a research and travel account, for up to three years. 1st year PhD students in a wide range of disciplines related to the cognitive sciences are invited to apply.

Yale Planetary Solutions - This initiative brings together researchers and educators working on problems on a planetary scale, such as climate change and biodiversity loss. The YPS Doctoral Fellowship provides a stipend supplement, a research and travel budget, and connects Fellows to a network of scientists who will provide both community engagement and professional development training. Students are invited to apply in the fall of their first or second year.