It’s fellowship season and that means you’ll want to apply to as many scholarships, grants, and fellowships as you can over the next few months. It can be overwhelming to search for what’s right for you and your research. The Graduate Division can help in directing you to potential funding opportunities.


What kind of funding is available?

Fellowships typically cover educational and living expenses.

Grants usually cover expenses related to specific projects.

Other types of funding include loans and wages from research assistantships and teaching assistantships.


Where can I find fellowships and grants?

Many funding opportunities are available to graduate students at Berkeley. A good place to start your search is the Graduate Division’s website list of Fellowships.

In addition, students should explore outside resources.

National Databases

Scholarships, Grants, and Fellowships for Underrepresented and Minority Students

International Databases


Other Resources

A good overall reference book is The Annual Register of Grant Support.

Professional associations for a variety of disciplines, such as the American Psychology Association and American Meteorological Society, for example, list on their websites grants and fellowships.

Postdoc Funding Database with opportunities across a range of STEM disciplines, funded by NSF, NASA, NIH, and university and research labs across the country. Also includes tips on applying, interviewing, and negotiating a postdoctoral position. Pathways to Science Portal.


What to look for?

The full ride: multi-year packages that cover educational and living expense for two to six years. These can be

  • Institutional: specific to a university, usually part of an admissions offer; or
  • Portable: able to be taken to the university of your choice

Small grants for specific purposes, such as travel, language study, conference attendance, summer research, or professional development.

One-year fellowships for specific phases of graduate study, such as for research, an internship or mentorship, or dissertation writing.


Tips for being successful

Be on time! Applying by the stated deadline is essential. Individuals who don’t meet deadlines reduce their chances of obtaining funding by 100 percent.

Plan ahead! The average turnaround time from application to acceptance runs six to nine months.

Don’t stop applying! Be persistent. Your chance of receiving a fellowship or grant will increase the more you continue to apply. The process of applying will also improve your grant-writing skills.


Need more information? Graduate Student Services: Fellowships offers a list of funding opportunities:

Graduate Services Fellowships Office
318 Sproul Hall
(510) 642-0672