Graduate Fellowships

Internal Graduate Fellowships

Prospective graduate students may be eligible for the below fellowships. Awards are made during the admissions season, with no separate application process.

  • Geological Sciences Award for Excellence (GSAFE)
    GSAFE is an award given to an incoming Department of Geological Sciences (GEOL) graduate student in recognition of aspiring scholarship. The award constitutes two years of departmental funding, excluding summer funding, in the form of one year of TAship and one year of fellowship, or two years of TAship, depending on funding availability. Incoming graduate students eligible for GSAFE include those classified as eligible for the CU Graduate School’s separate diversity fellowship and those who belong to other underrepresented minority groups, including LGBTQ, veterans, disabled, etc. (see /geologicalsciences/academic/graduate/department-geological-sciences-graduate-program-diversity-statement). The student who is awarded the GSAFE award demonstrates world class research potential, as assessed by their graduate application, and will contribute to the attainment of the GEOL department’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals through the pursuit of their existing interests.

Prospective graduate students do not apply for GSAFE; individuals are nominated by GEOL faculty from among the pool of graduate program applicants. Using their personal statement on the GEOL department’s regular application for graduate admission, students are encouraged to provide relevant information regarding their personal background and life experiences, including educational, cultural, familial, or other opportunities or challenges.ÌýÌý

  • Marcy and Bruce Benson Distinguished Fellowship (Benson Fellowship)
    The Benson Fellowship, made possible by a generous gift from Marcy and Bruce Benson, is an award given to an incoming Department of Geological Sciences (GEOL) graduate student in recognition of aspiring scholarship. The purpose of the Benson Fellowship is to provide the GEOL department with the means to recruit the highest achieving graduate students, and thus maintain their academic excellence and high world standing in the field of geosciences. The fellowship may be awarded for up to five years for pursuit of a PhD, or two years for a Masters, contingent upon continued good standing within the Department, and will be used to fully cover academic year expenses for students pursuing a graduate degree from the department. It is the Donors’ intent that at any given time one Benson Fellowship will support a student in the field of petroleum geology. To meet that intent, preference will be given to a student interested in the petroleum industry, provided that student meets all other selection criteria, including advocacy by an appropriate advisor in their intended field of study. In addition, preference will be given to PhD students, although Masters students also will be considered.

Prospective graduate students do not apply for the Benson Fellowship; individuals are nominated by GEOL faculty from among the pool of graduate program applicants. Using their personal statement on the GEOL department’s regular application for graduate admission, students are encouraged to provide relevant information regarding their personal background and life experiences, including educational, cultural, familial, or other opportunities or challenges.

External Graduate Fellowships

Current and prospective graduateÌýstudents are encouraged to apply for external fellowships such as those listed below. For general advice on how to write a successful graduate fellowship proposal, check out thisÌý.


  • ASEE maintains a web page with links to several graduate fellowship programs.


  • Deadline: 4 weeks prior to travel
    The Colorado Diversity Initiative offers professional development opportunities to traditionally underserved doctoral students in engineering, mathematics, and science.


  • Deadline: TBA (Check the web page)
    The Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) provides benefits and opportunities to first-year graduate students pursuing doctoral degrees in fields that use high-performance computing to solve complex science and engineering problems. Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents, the fellowship award provides four years of support but must be renewed each summer.

  • (Formerly National Center for Environmental Research Fellowships)
    Deadline: TBA (check the web page    )
    The STAR Graduate Fellowship Program supports masters and doctoral students in environmental disciplines. U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible to apply for this program, which awards about 100 fellowships per year through a rigorous merit review process.


  • Deadline: November (Check the web page)
    Through its fellowship programs, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. Fellowship awards are offered at the pre-doctoral, dissertation, and postdoctoral levels.


  • Deadline: February 1st
    The primary role of the GSA research grants program is to provide partial support for master’s and doctoral thesis research in the geological sciences for graduate students enrolled in universities in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Central America. GSA strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to participate.


  • Deadline: TBA (Check the web page)
    The Hertz Foundation provides merit-based fellowship awards to exceptional Ph.D. students in the physical, biological, and engineering sciences. U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are applying to or enrolled in a doctoral program are eligible to apply. In addition to financial support, the foundation provides ongoing mentoring, symposia, and a network of peers presenting a forum for fellows to share ideas and explore opportunities throughout their careers.


  • Deadline: TBA (Check the web page)
    The NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship (NESSF) program solicits applications from accredited U.S. universities on behalf of students pursuing MS or Ph.D. degrees in Earth and space sciences or related disciplines with the purpose of ensuring continued training of a highly qualified workforce in disciplines needed to achieve NASA’s scientific goals. Awards resulting from the competitive selection process will be in the form of training grants extended to the respective universities. NESSF awards are made initially for one year and may be renewed for no more than two additional years, contingent upon satisfactory progress and the availability of funds. The NASA Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP) is an agency-wide fellowship program for graduate study leading to masters or doctoral degrees in the fields of science, mathematics, and engineering related to NASA research and development. This 12-month award requires the recipient to participate in a 10-week NASA center-based research experience at the center extending the fellowship.


  • Deadline: TBA (Check the web page)
    Sponsored by the United States Environmental Protection Agency, the STAR graduate fellowship program supports masters and doctoral students in environmental studies. Benefits include paid tuition and fees, a monthly stipend, and an annual expense allowance.


  • Deadline: TBA (Check the web page)
    The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship is a highly competitive fellowship awarded to U.S. citizens and nationals at or near the beginning of their graduate studies leading to a doctoral degree in engineering and/or science. The three-year fellowship award covers full tuition and all mandatory fees and provides a monthly stipend and a medical insurance allowance.


  • Deadline: November 30th
    The goal of NPSC is to increase the number of American citizens with graduate degrees in the physical sciences and related engineering fields, emphasizing recruitment of a diverse applicant pool including women and minorities. Open to all U.S. citizens, the NPSC Graduate Fellowship provides support up to six years with an annual expense allowance covering tuition, and includes two paid summer internships with a government agency. A fellow may also hold a research or teaching assistantship.


  • Deadline: Second Thursday in November
    NSF and selected foreign counterpart science and technology agencies sponsor international research institutes for graduate students between June and August each year for a duration of about 8 weeks, offering firsthand research experiences at host institutions in Australia, China, Japan, Korea, Singapore, New Zealand, or Taiwan. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents currently enrolled in a research-oriented master’s or doctoral degree program at a U.S. institution. Awardees receive a summer stipend and round-trip airfare to the host location. EAPSI partner agencies cover living expenses during the summer institutes.


  • Deadline: TBA (Check the web page)
    The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity. Fellows benefit from a three-year annual stipend, along with a cost of education allowance for tuition and fees. U.S citizens, nationals, or permanent residents may apply. Additional program information is available at:
    .For application and deadline information, visit: .

  • Office of Science Graduate Fellowship Program
    Deadline: TBA (Check the web page)
    The Department of Energy’s Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program provides supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. doctoral students to conduct part of their doctoral thesis research at a DOE national laboratory in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist for 3-12 consecutive months with the goal of preparing graduate students for scientific and technical careers of critical importance to the DOE Office of Science mission.


  • Deadline: TBA (Check the web page)
    Sponsored by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program recognizes outstanding scholarship and encourages independent graduate-level study in oceanography, marine biology, and maritime archaeology, including all science, engineering, and resource management of ocean and coastal areas, particularly by women and minority students pursuing master’s degrees or doctoral degrees. Scholarship awards are based on academic excellence, letters of recommendation, research and career goals, and financial need.


  • Deadline: TBA (Check the web page)
    The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program provides an opportunity for U.S. citizens pursuing graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to receive a full scholarship and job placement following graduation. Awardees must be willing to accept post-graduate employment with the Department of Defense.


  • Deadline: February 1
    Through its Graduate Student Fellowship Program, the Society of Economic Geologists Foundation, Inc. (SEGF) has awarded one-year fellowships, ranging from $2,500 to $15,000 per year, since 2007. Fellowships are awarded to students who intend to pursue graduate study in economic geology leading to a Master of Science, Professional Master’s, and/or Ph.D. degree. Awards are competitive and based on merit and qualifications.

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