There are many options for funding outside of UGA, including from governmental agencies, private foundations, and corporations. Many extramural fellowships are open to international students. Others, such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP) and some government-sponsored fellowships, are awarded only to U.S. citizens. These databases provide easy access to search a wide variety of funding opportunities:
- Pivot is a grant-finding database funded by UGA’s Office of Research. Pivot is divided into two sections: Funding and Profiles. Funding allows searching and setting up alerts for funding opportunities, and Profiles allows you to “claim” your personal profile and update your information. You will need to create an account to use these features
- GRAPES is a UCLA-curated database that catalogs extramural funding opportunities of interest to prospective and current students alike. It contains information on more than 600 scholarships, grants, fellowships, and postdoctoral awards.
- Pathways to Science includes not only funding opportunities, but also resources for prospective and current STEM graduate students — including short and long-term funding opportunities, webinars, and other professional development information for preparing fellowship applications.
List of select external fellowships arranged by deadline
The fellowships listed are selected based on their applicability across multiple disciplines for graduate study at UGA.
The Following Fellowships are Some of the Most Popular at UGA:
National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship
The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported STEM and STEM education disciplines who demonstrate the potential to be high achieving scientists and engineers. Selection of fellows is based on intellectual merit and broader impacts. For more information: nsfgrfp.org
David L. Boren Fellowships
Boren Awards provide a unique funding opportunity for U.S. students to study world regions and languages critical to U.S. interests (including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East). The countries of Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand are excluded. The Boren Fellowship allows graduate students to add an important international and language component to their graduate studies. Additional information on preferred geographic regions, languages, and fields of study are available through the Boren Awards website. Application information is also available online. For more information, please contact Elizabeth Hughes Sears in the Honors Program.
Fulbright Fellowships
U.S. Student Fulbright Program
Sponsored by the U.S. Department of State, the U.S. Student Fulbright program awards roughly 1,700 grants annually for graduating seniors, graduate students, and young professionals to engage in cultural immersion and exchange. The primary aim of the Fulbright program is to further mutual understanding between the people of the U.S. and other countries. Grantees promote this mission by pursuing research, study, or creative projects, teaching English to non-native speakers, or gaining international professional experience in public health or policy fields. The Fulbright program typically covers all costs for the year. The types of grants are listed below. For more information about each grant type, visit the UGA Honors Program website or contact Maria deRocher in the Honors Program.
Study/Research/Creative Fulbright Grants
Fulbright English Teaching Assistantships (ETAs)
Fulbright Hayes Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad
This program provides grants to colleges and universities to fund individual doctoral students to conduct their dissertation research in other countries, in modern foreign languages and area studies for periods of six to 12 months. Contact Beth Lovern in the Graduate School for more information
Southern Regional Education Board Doctoral Scholars Program Fellowship
The SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program offers two awards to students pursuing a Ph.D. who plan to become a college or university professor. Funding for this external fellowship requires advance coordination between the UGA Graduate School and the student’s academic department. Students should contact Grad Awards (gradawards@uga.edu) before applying.
- The SREB Doctoral Award offers three years of an annual stipend supplement and two years of institutional funding from the scholar’s department and/or university. Students receive a tuition waiver for all five years of the award. The award features professional development support and networking opportunities.
- The SREB Dissertation Award offers a one-year stipend supplement and a tuition waiver. The award includes a research allowance along with professional development support and networking opportunities.
National GEM Consortium
The GEM fellowship program invests in a competitive American workforce by supporting high-caliber students looking to pursue Master’s and Doctoral degrees in applied science and engineering and matches their specific skills to the technical needs of GEM employer members. Through the fellowship, students receive full financial support and a paid internship. The program has received a Presidential Award for its impact in STEM and has produced over 5000 leaders in STEM.
Contact Lisa Sperling in the Graduate School for more information.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Yellow Ribbon Program
The University of Georgia Graduate School is proud to participate in the Yellow Ribbon program, a provision of the law which created the Post-9/11 GI Bill. The Yellow Ribbon program allows institutions of higher learning to make additional funds available to fund tuition and fee expenses that exceed the tuition and fees covered by the Post-9/11 GI Bill. Under the program, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs matches school aid contributions made to eligible veterans. The Graduate School has allocated funds for five annual scholarships at $5,000 each. This $5,000 will then be matched by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for a total of $10,000 per academic year.
To learn more about eligibility, please visit the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs website. If you are eligible and wish to use the Yellow Ribbon program, please email Lisa Sperling at sperling@uga.edu. Requests for funding for the 2025 – 2026 academic year must be made in writing by Monday, March 31, 2025.
