Funding Opportunities

AAUW American Fellowships support women scholars who are completing dissertations, planning research leave from accredited institutions, or preparing research for publication. Open to applicants in all fields of study.

International Fellowships are awarded for full-time study or research in the United States to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Both graduate and postgraduate studies at accredited U.S. institutions are supported.

Deadline: 15 November

The K. Patricia Cross Future Leaders Award recognizes graduate students in terminal degree programs (Ph.D. and M.F.A) who show exemplary promise as future leaders of higher education and who are committed to academic innovation in the areas of equity, community engagement, and teaching and learning. Requires nomination from a faculty member.

The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships are designed to encourage original and significant study of ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences, and particularly to help Ph.D. candidates in these fields complete their dissertation work in a timely manner. In addition to topics in religious studies or in ethics (philosophical or religious), dissertations appropriate to the Newcombe Fellowship competition might explore the ethical implications of foreign policy, the values influencing political decisions, the moral codes of other cultures, and religious or ethical issues reflected in history or literature.

Deadline: mid-November, date varies by year

Predoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards will be made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level in the U.S., show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. [N.B. Despite who does the choosing, these awards are open to students in a wide variety of fields.]

The Humane Studies Fellowship (HSF) is a non-residency, renewable award of up to $15,000 per year to assist students enrolled or planning to enroll in full-time PhD programs.

The Jacob K. Javits Fellowships Program provides fellowships to students of superior academic ability—selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement, financial need, and exceptional promise—to undertake study at the doctoral and Master of Fine Arts level in selected fields of arts, humanities, and social sciences.

The National Institute of Social Sciences offers dissertation grants and travel funding to students in social science fields. At least as of 2023, they have a specific list of fields for the dissertation grants that does not include either international studies or criminology. However, they also say that "Interdisciplinary projects that include one or more of these fields as a major component may also be considered." Please note that the dissertation grants are a limited submissions program, which means that there can only be a limited number of applicants from ODU. If you wish to apply, please notify limitedsubmissions@odu.edu well in advance. If more than two students wish to apply, there will be an internal competition to choose nominees.

The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans is proud to honor the contributions of continuing generations of immigrants and refugees to the United States.

The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program offers opportunities for independent research or study related to Smithsonian collections, facilities, and/or research interests of the Institution and its staff. Fellowships are offered to graduate students, predoctoral students, and postdoctoral and senior investigators to conduct independent research and to utilize the resources of the Institution with members of the Smithsonian professional research staff serving as advisors and hosts. These fellowships are offered through the Smithsonian's Office of Fellowships and Internships, and are administered under the charter of the Institution, 20 U.S. Code section 41 et seq.

More than one-third of America's college students are people of color. But racial and ethnic minorities make up only small fractions of college faculty. Nationwide, about 5 percent of faculty are African-American, about 3 percent are Hispanic and about 1 percent are Native American. The SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program is working to change that. The program offers fellowships and other forms of support. It has a STEM focus but an ODU Ph.D. student in English did receive funding.

The purpose of the VASG Graduate Research Fellowship is to support exceptional graduate students who are engaged in education and research that furthers the goals of VASG. The fellowship provides hands-on experience in translating research results to coastal and marine stakeholders through a professional mentor. Selected fellows also have the opportunity to participate in a comprehensive set of professional development training opportunities offered by VASG.

Graduate Research Fellows address issues relevant to Virginia communities, and of importance to coastal and marine resources - broadly defined (e.g., natural or social sciences, engineering and design, policy and legal analysis, architecture, business, education, arts and humanities, etc.). In addition to their primary faculty advisor, fellows will be expected to work with a professional end-user mentor. Through these interactions, fellows will ensure their research results are useful to and used by stakeholders, and gain access to experienced professionals who can provide career advice.

The WW Women's Studies Dissertation Fellowships encourages original and significant research about women that crosses disciplinary, regional, or cultural boundaries. Previous Fellows have explored such topics as transnational religious education for Muslim women, the complex gender dynamics of transidentity management, women's electoral success across racial and institutional contexts, women's sports, militarism and the education of American women, and the relationship between family commitments and women's work mobility.