Applications for Humanities, Life Sciences, and Social Sciences Fellowships

The pre-doctoral, dissertation, and postdoctoral fellowships are awarded to individuals who show superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, 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.

Three types of fellowships are available through the program:

Predoctoral Awards — Stipends of $24,000 a year for three years will be awarded in support of individuals engaged in graduate study leading to a PhD or ScD degree. Approximately seventy fellowships will be awarded in this category.

Dissertation Awards — A one-year stipend of $25,000 will be awarded to individuals in the final year of writing and defense of his/her dissertation leading to a PhD or ScD degree. Approximately thirty-six fellowships will be awarded in this category.

Postdoctoral Awards — One-year stipends of $45,000 will be awarded in support of individuals engaged in postdoctoral study after the attainment of the PhD or ScD degree. Approximately twenty fellowships will be awarded in this category.

In addition to a stipend, fellows will receive an invitation to attend the Conference of Ford Fellows and access to Ford Fellow Regional Liaisons, a network of former Ford Fellows who have volunteered to provide mentoring and support to current Fellows, as well as additional networking resources.

Awards will be made for study in research-based programs within the following major disciplines and related interdisciplinary fields: American studies, anthropology, archaeology, art and theater history, astronomy, chemistry, communications, computer science, cultural studies, earth sciences, economics, education, engineering, ethnic studies, ethnomusicology, geography, history, international relations, language, life sciences, linguistics, literature, mathematics, performance study, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religious studies, sociology, urban planning, and women’s studies. Also eligible are interdisciplinary ethnic studies programs such as African American studies and Native American studies, and other interdisciplinary programs, such as area studies, peace studies, and social justice.

Eligible applicants include citizens, nationals, and permanent residents (holders of a Permanent Resident Card) of the U.S., as well as individuals granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program, Indigenous individuals exercising rights associated with the Jay Treaty of 1794, and political asylees and refugees regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation.

See the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine website for complete program guidelines and application instructions.