Fellowships 101: Introduction to External Funding for Graduate School

Fellowships allow you to receive a salary and tuition, set your own research agenda, earn prestige and develop career enhancing networks. In this session we’ll cover the basics, including where to search for funding and what goes into a successful application. Learn about opportunities to work in national and international labs. External funding is not just for U.S. citizens! We’ll discuss options for international students as well. Register for either the January 15th (noon) or April 16th (noon) session. Both sessions are virtual. 

Email Betty madige@rpi.edu for more information.

Information Session, March 5th noon:  Students interested in the NSF GRFP, which provides 3 years of tuition and salary to graduate students in 30 STEM disciplines, are encouraged to attend this introduction to the program. We discussed the benefits, eligibility, and the selection criteria for strong candidates. We will also offer an overview of our successful BOOTCAMP program.  (Attendance is not mandatory to participate in the Bootcamp.) Each year, Rensselaer students successfully earn this award. U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents are eligible. 

Spring or Summer Bootcamp: 1st and 2nd year graduate students (fall 2025) and rising seniors are encouraged to register for this proven 4 week virtual program (no classes required) to develop strong applications to the NSF GRFP. This asynchronous online virtual program of self-paced activities is designed to help you develop strong application statements. Note: international students that may be eligible for and NSF Dissertation Improvement grant may benefit from participating in this Bootcamp. Email madige@rpi.edu for information. Choose either April 7th - May 8th or August 4th - 25th.  

Please see this OVERVIEW of the benefits of the NSF GRFP and what to expect during the Bootcamp.

Register for the information session and/or the Bootcamp.

INDIVIDUAL FEEDBACK IS AVAILABLE YEAR ROUND.  Email madige@rpi.edu for review of your  2025 application documents.

Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation Scholarship Program: The Department of Defense SMART program offers a generous stipend, tuition, and the opportunity to work in DoD laboratories doing work in your field/discipline during summers and post graduation. Guaranteed work in your field after graduation. (United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or United Kingdom citizens are eligible)

National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship:  The NDSEG provides 3 years of stipend and tuition for PhD students that are doing work in areas that meet specific needs of the military as indicated in Broad Agency Announcements. This session will discuss eligibility, benefits, and approaches to creating a strong application. (United States, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, or United Kingdom citizens are eligible)

Register for the spring 2025 virtual information session on April 30th at noon. 

Spend two afternoons learning powerful strategies for crafting strong statements for grant and fellowship applications. The first session will focus on content and the second on revision strategies.  Even the best writers will take away new strategies! Sessions will be in person and run from 2pm – 4pm on March 19th and 26th. Participants should be available both days. Email madige@rpi.edu for more information. Please Register.

Fulbright is a U.S. State Dept. program that offers U.S citizens with a bachelor’s degree grants to engage with others in ~140 countries in multiple ways:

Research Study/Awards Design your own projects, affiliate with, or take classes at an academic or research institution. Many students do thesis or dissertation research abroad. Special grants are available in the arts, journal and communications, business, STEM, and public health advocates. Consider the Fulbright- National Geographic Storytelling Fellowship.

Teach English Abroad Spend a year teaching English at the elementary, high school, or post-secondary school level.

Earn a Graduate Degree Below is a sample of the many opportunities available:

Masters in Creative Industrial Design OR Energy Engineering in Taiwan

Masters in many fields in Israel

Architecture study in Milano Italy

PhD in: cancer, neurologic and psychiatric disorders, population health, biomaterials and

regenerative medicine, or vascular biology in Ireland

Register for the February 25th noon virtual information session. Applications will be submitted fall of 2025; travel will take place fall of 2026.

Students seeking to travel during the 2026-2027 academic year should expect to complete the required RPI application process in August of 2025. Contact your Fulbright Advisor for details by spring of 2025. Email madige@rpi.edu 

GEM Fellowship partners with over 120 top universities and 75 employers to support graduate students earning Masters and PhDs in over 35 STEM fields.  Undergraduate seniors and current graduate students may apply to be fully funded for up to five years (presuming adequate annual progress). If sponsored, the student will spend at least one paid summer internship at the sponsoring employer. Students must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents at the time of application.  GEM does focus on increasing diversity in graduate education, but will accept an application from any qualified candidate that employers may be seeking. Professional development and networking opportunities are some of the great benefits for participants. 

The next information session will take place in early fall of 2025. Please contact the advisor, madige@rpi.edu, at ANY time with questions about this program.

This slide presentation is an interactive self-paced workshop designed to assist you in planning and editing strong application statements for external funding programs. Use the lower right arrow button to advance through the slides. Use the home button to return to the main menu at any time.

There are a number of brief exercises embedded in the presentation. Please take your time to think carefully about your responses to each question. The entire presentation can take 30-90 minutes depending on the effort you put into the exercises. You may skip sections, jump around, or complete sections in different sittings. The first two sections are relevant to BOTH personal statements and research statements. The last three slides may be printed as a checklist.

For personal assistance please email your statement, your questions, or a request for a Webex meeting to madige@rpi.edu. Applications that are sent at least one week before the due date will receive feedback in a timely fashion. 

Writing For Applications Self Paced Workshop

LEADERSHIP LAB: The Craft of Writing Effectively All graduate students and post-docs can improve their writing for publication and grant/fellowship applications. This presentation by Larry McEnerny, Director of the University of Chicago’s Writing Program, is highly recommended.

Writing in the Sciences Stanford University (free self-paced online course) This course covers everything from sentence-level issues like wordiness and verb choice to formatting a manuscript and communicating science to a non-technical audience. It is highly recommended by graduate students and faculty alike.

Writing Resources and Publications: Improve your writing with these guides and books recommended by the National Association of Fellowship Advisors. Many are available through the RPI library or can be purchased online.

• C.V. Tips and Tricks Do's and Don'ts for creating professional and effective C.V.s 
• Resumes and Cover Letters for PhD Students Guide provided by Harvard University Office of Career Services. Many excellent examples.
• Find more writing resources, attend a workshop, or schedule a consultation on any communication project at the Center for Global Communication+Design.