What Is a Fellowship?
A fellowship is a competitive award that provides financial support to a student, researcher or professional to pursue study, research or training. It often includes a stipend, and may also cover tuition, fees, health insurance and research or travel funds. The word is also used for a position in a professional training program, such as a medical fellowship.
Types of fellowship
- University fellowships: awarded to incoming or continuing graduate students, often to attract top applicants.
- External fellowships: funded by governments, foundations or companies, such as national science fellowships and international programs like Fulbright.
- Research fellowships: funding for a specific project or period of research.
- Postdoctoral fellowships: for researchers who have completed doctorates.
- Professional fellowships, such as those in medicine, journalism, policy or the arts.
- Undergraduate fellowships: for research, service or study abroad.
Fellowship versus other funding
A scholarship usually helps pay tuition or costs and is based on merit, need or other criteria. An assistantship gives pay in return for work as a teaching or research assistant. A fellowship typically supports your own study or research without work duties, which gives time to focus on your project, though some have service components.
What to compare
- Amount and duration.
- What it covers: tuition, stipend, insurance, travel and research costs.
- Conditions: full-time study, progress requirements and obligations after the award.
- Prestige: it can add credibility to your CV.
- Taxes and visas: treatment varies by country and award.
How to apply
Start early. Find opportunities through your department, graduate school, funding databases and professional organizations. Prepare a clear proposal, tailor it to the funder's goals and ask recommenders in advance. Allow time for revisions and ask for feedback from advisors. Many programs have strict deadlines and limited funds, so apply to several.
Why they matter
A fellowship can reduce the need for debt and outside work and provide freedom to pursue research or training that might otherwise be hard to fund.
Related terms
See stipend, assistantship, tuition waiver, postdoc and full-ride scholarship.
Frequently asked questions
How is a fellowship different from an assistantship?
A fellowship usually funds you without requiring teaching or research duties, so you can focus on your own work. An assistantship pays you for working as a TA or RA.
How do I get a fellowship?
Apply through your university, external funders, governments or foundations, with a proposal, transcripts and recommendations. Some are automatic with admission to a program.
Do fellowships cover tuition?
Many include tuition and a stipend, though some give only one or the other. Check the terms and extras such as health insurance and travel.