Fellowship Area

Sources of Fellowship Information

There are a number of databases and publications available for HGSE students to search for fellowship information. Several of them are listed below.

The HGSE External Fellowship Database

The HGSE External Fellowship Database contains information on 300-plus fellowships, scholarships and grants for graduate and doctoral students. You may access the database in the Financial Aid Office and in the Reference Department at Gutman Library. Since office hours vary, you are encouraged to make an appointment to use the database in the Financial Aid Office.

The HGSE Directory of External Fellowships (332KB pdf).

This directory provides an abbreviated listing of selected fellowships, scholarships and grants from the External Fellowship Database in education and related fields. This list is most useful to doctoral students, especially after the first and second year of study. The entries reflect the fact that much outside funding supports research and writing of the dissertation.

The Additional Resources for Graduate Funding Publication (266KB pdf)

This resources provides web links for HGSE and Harvard resources, information on external funding opportunities on the internet, free scholarship search sites and websites of organizations which sponsor major fellowships and grants (and often have their own lists of fellowships).

Harvard's Subscriber Database Access

Harvard subscribes to the Sponsored Programs Information Network (SPIN) and Community of Science (COS) network databases for its students. The lists provide thousands of funding possibilities. (Harvard students must use Harvard computers. Out-of-town alumni and prospective applicants may be able to obtain permission for use of these and similar databases (e.g., IRIS) through nearby colleges, universities, or public libraries.)

Cornell University Fellowship Database (Formerly called the "Cornell Notebook".) This large, well-organized list is easy to search.

Outside Funding Sources for International Students

This site includes a listing of fellowship and scholarship opportunitites available to international students

Suggestion: Pace your search sessions. There are very large numbers of listings to see, and it can also be overwhelming if taken all at once. For tips on using the SPIN and COS databases, visit the Office of Sponsored Research.

Keyword Searches

Creative keyword searches on the Internet can be used in the same way the subscribed databases use them, and may provide listings of smaller or more specialized awards. To tailor a search to your academic or personal profile, jot down words which describe your research and writing interests and professional goals and skills, and, in a personal search, affiliations with organizations which may have funds to support students who share your interests and background. Consider who may benefit by the study or work you hope to do. For example (if you use Google as a search engine), basic search strings might begin with words like...

General search:

graduate fellowships/grants education [keywords specific to your areas of interest] . . .or

For doctoral candidates in the early stages of study:

graduate/predissertation fellowships/grants . . . or,

For master's candidates:

predoctoral fellowships/scholarships . . .

Try combinations of keywords; use advanced search options to refine your ideas. Look up relevant professional societies; see if your undergraduate institution offers help on its website. Even if a link leads to a site which lists no particular fellowship or scholarship competition, check the URLs it publishes--some may lead to related sites and unexpected finds. Good luck!