Funding Opportunities

While you may feel secure in the knowledge that you have a fellowship to support you in your training years, we strongly encourage you to seek external funding because this can be a bonus to add to your resume.  Some, but not all sources for funding require that you be a citizen of the United States, so you need to first check eligibility.

National Research Service Awards (NRSA) for predoctoral fellows (F31) can be obtained through several branches of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).  The application form (PHS416-1) can be obtained from the website.  Applicants are advised to contact the appropriate discipline-specific institute to discuss the proposed application prior to submission. Telephone numbers of the institutes are listed on the website mentioned above.

NSF Graduate Research Fellowships are intended for individuals in the early stages of their graduate study in science, mathematics, or engineering. In most cases, an individual has three opportunities to apply: during the senior year of college, the first year of graduate school, and the beginning of the second year of graduate school. Individuals who have completed one year or less of full-time graduate study in NSF-supported fields will be given preference over more advanced students. Deadline is in early November.

SREB Doctoral Scholars Program The Southern Regional Education Board's Doctoral Scholars Program works to increase the number of minority faculty in the 16-state region including Kentucky. Any ethnic minority student who is a U.S. citizen (including Native Americans, Hispanic Americans, Asian Americans and African Americans who holds a bachelor's or master's degree, and who is accepted into an approved Ph.D. program, is eligible to apply for support. Students already enrolled are not eligible for the Doctoral Scholars Program Award, but may qualify for the SREB Dissertation Year Fellowship. Visit the website for application forms.

American Foundation For Aging Research supports education and research in aging through fellowships to graduate and undergraduate students. Students must be actively involved in a biomedical age-related research project. The awards are renewable. Visit the website for more information and application forms.

Amersham Pharmacia Biotech and Science have joined forces in creating the Prize for Young Scientists. The aim of the prize is to recognize outstanding Ph.D. graduate students and reward their research in the field of molecular biology. Each year, the grand prize winner receives a prize of $25,000, while runners-up receive prizes of $5,000. Visit the website for more information.

Ford Foundation and the Howard Hughes Institute The Ford Foundation offers fellowships for Predoctoral Fellowships for Minorities. They also have fellowships for graduate students in their final year for the purpose of completing their dissertation. The Howard Hughes Medical Institute fellowships are open to both U.S. citizens and foreign citizens who have completed less than one year of graduate study toward a Ph.D. degree in the biological sciences. The deadline for these fellowships is usually in November.

Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Graduate Fellowships. Minority Academic Institutions Graduate Fellowships and Minority Academic Institutions Undergraduate Fellowships are available.

American Association of University Women support women doctoral candidates completing dissertations. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Click here for more details.

Mental Health Dissertation Research Grants to Increase Diversity