So let’s talk about 3 main ways you can be funded:
External Fellowships
External fellowships usually come from organizations like the NSF or private organizations that have some interest in supporting your research. You can find these fellowships by searching for fellowships in your specific area of research or by searching databases of fellowships.
Two of my favorites are Pathways To Science and ProFellow.
Most universities also offer workshops for big external fellowships and have people designated to help you put these applications together.
Internal Fellowships
Universities often have internal fellowships that you can apply for as you complete your application. If you don’t see the fellowship application when you apply, email the admissions office and ask if there are any you can apply for!
Ask the university about other funding!
Aside from fellowships, there are typically paid teaching assistant (TA) and graduate research assistant (GRA) positions available. Similar to internal fellowships, if you don’t find any info about these positions, reach out and ask.
I applied for and won the NSF GRFP fellowship as well as a 2-year fellowship from my university and am using the university fellowship for my first 2 years and then will use the NSF fellowship after that! As engineers, we are fortunate that there is so much funding out there but it is often hard to find. The trick is to ask and ask often, it’s likely that your university has more funding for grad students than you know about!
Add A Comment