Fellowships

The German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) offers funding opportunities for students and scholars to pursue graduate study or research in Germany. Each year, UC San Diego may nominate one priority candidate for either a DAAD Study Scholarship or a DAAD Research Grant.

A UC San Diego nomination provides candidates with preferential consideration in DAAD's highly competitive selection process. While nominees compete in a separate applicant pool with a higher likelihood of receiving funding, final award decisions are made by DAAD’s independent Selection Committee.

Funding Opportunities

Study Scholarships
Support graduate-level study in Germany for students from all academic disciplines (excluding architecture and artistic fields).

Funding may be used for:

• A full master’s degree program at a state or state-recognized German university.
• Up to one year of study in Germany as part of a master's or postgraduate degree program being completed at the student's home institution.

Research Grants (One-Year Grants)
Support doctoral students and recent postdoctoral scholars conducting research in Germany.

Eligible applicants include:

• Doctoral students enrolled at a university or research institution outside Germany.
• Postdoctoral scholars within four years of completing their doctorate.

Eligibility Requirements

Study Scholarship Applicants

• Must hold an undergraduate degree.
• Must plan to pursue graduate-level study in Germany.
• Cannot receive funding for a master's program already started in Germany.
• If studying abroad as part of a degree program at their home institution, academic credits earned in Germany must be recognized by the home institution.

Research Grant Applicants

• Must be a doctoral student or recent postdoctoral scholar.
• Cannot be completing their entire doctorate at a German university.

Funding Duration

• Study Scholarships: 10–24 months, depending on the length of the academic program.
• Research Grants: Typically support research projects of up to one year.

Required Application Materials

Applicants must submit:

• Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Letter of Motivation describing:
  • Academic and personal reasons for pursuing study or research in Germany
  • Expected benefits of the experience
  • How the opportunity will contribute to future academic and professional goals
• Reference Letter

This fellowship is typically run in September. Please reach out to your home department graduate coordinator for more details.

The Lindau Meetings are unique scientific conferences where Nobel Laureates and the most promising Young Scientists meet to educate, inspire, and connect beyond cultural and political boundaries. The annual conferences are alternately dedicated to the Nobel Prize disciplines of Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or Medicine, as well as Economics. Every year, the Lindau Meetings attract about 30-40 Nobel Laureates and 600 outstanding Young Scientists from around the globe, thus becoming the world’s largest regular gathering of Nobel Laureates beside the award ceremony in Stockholm itself. Since 1951, more than 35,000 Young Scientists have participated in the Lindau Meetings. Thanks to the Lindau Alumni Network, many of them are still connected to Lindau and to each other, thus creating an exceptional network of scientific excellence. 

Please visit the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings website for more information and selection criteria. 

Students/postdocs should receive support and approval by their department. Nominees should:

• receive strong support of their application by their graduate advisor and/or faculty advisor and/or by an internationally renowned scientist, who knows the applicant well, via the letters of recommendation
• deliver a comprehensive Curriculum Vitae (CV) together with their application materials
• commit themselves to being present in Lindau for the full duration of the meeting.

This fellowship is typically run in September. Please reach out to your home department graduate coordinator for more details.

Oceanids and its members have witnessed the birth and amazing growth of UC San Diego since 1952. Oceanids members share a common belief in the power of higher education, and awarding scholarships and fellowships beautifully underscores what they are about as a group, and as individuals. Each year thanks to generous gifts, Oceanids scholarships and fellowships enable students to step out into the world with a lighter financial burden. 

• Bertha Lebus Fellowship 
  • This fellowship will be awarded to a graduate student who is returning to UC San Diego and has had a break in their education of at least one year, preferably longer, from the completion of undergraduate studies. Nominees should have a long-range goal to become a teacher at any educational level. Kindly note this is biannually awarded.

• Frieda Daum Urey Academic Fellowship
  • This fellowship will be awarded to a graduate student who has had a significant hiatus in their studies since undergraduate education, and subsequently enrolls in graduate or professional studies on the General Campus or The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, and for whom the award of the fellowship will make a critical financial difference in their ability to attend UC San Diego. The length of the hiatus will typically be at least five years but may be as short as two to three years for students in science or engineering or resuming studies after military service.  Ph.D. students will be preferred, but master's and professional students are also eligible. SOM/SSPPS professional degree and graduate academic degree programs are not eligible.

• Oceanids Memorial Fellowship
  • This fellowship will be awarded to a graduate student who has exhibited academic excellence and financial need at the General Campus of UC San Diego or the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Nominees must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. 

Fellowship Award: Stipend $3,000

This fellowship is typically run in September. Please reach out to your home department graduate coordinator for more details. 

The Judith & Neil Morgan Fellowship recognizes outstanding doctoral students whose research uses humanistic methods to examine the culture and context of pressing societal issues. The fellowship is intended as a mark of distinction and is awarded in addition to the financial support already provided by the student's graduate program. The Judith & Neil Morgan Fellowship supports exceptional scholars whose research brings humanistic perspectives to complex societal challenges and demonstrates the potential to make meaningful contributions to their academic disciplines.

Awardees will be awarded a stipend.

Applicants must:

• Be enrolled in one of the following Ph.D. programs:
  • Anthropology
  • Communication
  • History
  • Linguistics
  • Literature
  • Philosophy
  • Psychology
  • Sociology
• Be an outstanding doctoral student or candidate.
• Be enrolled as a full-time student during the 2026–27 academic year.
• Meet all university fellowship eligibility requirements at the time of award disbursement.

Both incoming and continuing Ph.D. students are eligible for nomination.

Required Application Materials

Departments must submit the following materials:

• Departmental Financial Support Package Letter
  • Describes the financial support offered to the student through their graduate program.
• Department Chair or Graduate Adviser Letter
  • Addresses the student's academic performance and accomplishments.
  • Evaluates their potential for significant contributions to research and/or teaching.
  • Explains how the nominee meets the fellowship eligibility criteria and aligns with the fellowship's purpose.
  • For incoming students, it includes information about undergraduate academic achievement.
• Research Statement (maximum 2 pages, excluding citations)
  • Describes the student's research project.
  • Explains how the work uses humanistic methods to illuminate the culture and context of important societal issues.
  • Discusses the potential impact of the research on the field.
• Admission Materials (for incoming students only)
  • Statement of purpose
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Unofficial undergraduate transcripts
• Department Nomination Attestation Form

The Rita L. Atkinson Graduate Fellowship supports outstanding doctoral students conducting interdisciplinary research in the sciences and related fields at UC San Diego. The fellowship is designed to encourage innovative research that integrates perspectives, methods, or expertise from multiple disciplines. The Rita L. Atkinson Graduate Fellowship recognizes doctoral students whose interdisciplinary research bridges multiple fields and has the potential to advance knowledge through innovative collaboration across disciplines.

The fellowship provides:

• A stipend paid over 12 months (four consecutive quarters, including summer)
• Tuition and fee coverage during fall, winter, and spring quarters

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be a continuing Ph.D. student at UC San Diego.
• Be engaged in interdisciplinary research in the sciences or related fields.
• Be actively advised by at least two faculty advisors from different disciplines and departments/programs.
• Demonstrate that both advisors play meaningful roles in guiding the interdisciplinary aspects of the research.
• Remain enrolled through the entire fellowship period and not plan to graduate before the final quarter of fellowship funding.

Both domestic and international students are eligible.

Important Notes

• Co-advisors do not need to be formally designated as co-chairs or be members of the dissertation committee.
• Advisors may be from different institutions, provided they represent different disciplines and are actively involved in the student's research.
• Students with only one advisor are not eligible.
• Fellowship recipients may not hold instructional appointments during the fellowship period, except during the summer period between spring and fall terms. Limited research appointments may be approved by exception if they directly support dissertation research.

What Makes a Competitive Application?

Strong applicants clearly demonstrate:

• A well-integrated interdisciplinary research project.
• Meaningful collaboration across distinct academic disciplines.
• Active mentorship from faculty advisors representing different departments or programs.
• The significance and innovation of their interdisciplinary work.

Required Application Materials

Applicants must submit:

• Statement of Interest (1 page maximum)
  • Describes the interdisciplinary nature of the research.
  • Explains the project(s) the student plans to pursue during the fellowship period.
• Faculty Support Letter
  • Co-signed by at least two faculty advisors and endorsed by the department chair or graduate program.
  • Addresses:
    • Academic performance and achievements
    • Publications, presentations, and other scholarly accomplishments
    • The interdisciplinary nature of the student's research
    • How the nominee meets the fellowship eligibility criteria
• Current Transcript (unofficial transcripts accepted)
• Department Attestation Form

The Will of Dolores Zohrab Liebmann created a perpetual charitable trust designated as “The Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fund” for the purpose of funding advanced education and graduate study grants, which must be carried out entirely in the United States of America. The Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowships are to be awarded only to candidates who have outstanding undergraduate records, have demonstrated a need for financial assistance, are citizens of the United States of America, are enrolled in accredited colleges and universities in the United States and have received baccalaureate degrees.

Mrs. Liebmann was the daughter of a prominent Armenian intellectual, writer and statesman and was married to one of the owners of a successful American business. She supported students and educational and charitable organizations during her lifetime. Mrs. Liebmann’s primary concern, as expressed in her Will, was to attract and support students with outstanding character and ability who hold promise for achievement and distinction in their chosen fields of study. The trustees welcome applications from students of all national origins who are United States citizens.

Fellowships are available to students who: 

• are enrolled in a graduate program and pursuing a graduate degree at a designated institution of higher learning at the time of application. Individuals applying to graduate programs are not qualified candidates.
• pursuing a program of study that includes any recognized field of study in the humanities, social sciences, or natural sciences (including law, medicine, engineering, architecture or other formal professional training). The selection committee has a strong preference for supporting scholarly endeavors.
• have an outstanding undergraduate record, must demonstrate financial need, and must be a US citizen. 

Fellowship Award: Stipend $18,000, tuition (no fees) for the academic year

This fellowship is typically run in November. Please reach out to your home department graduate coordinator for more details. 

The Graduate Research Mentorship Program (GRMP) supports doctoral students in developing advanced research skills through faculty mentorship and dissertation-related research activities. The fellowship is designed to help students make progress toward advancement to candidacy, increase doctoral completion rates, and prepare future faculty and scholars.

Each award includes a stipend, resident tuition, and mandatory fees. Fellowship recipients and their faculty mentors must submit a final report describing progress made toward the goals outlined in the proposed work plan.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be enrolled in an eligible UC San Diego Ph.D. program under the jurisdiction of EVC-Academic Affairs.
• Have completed required coursework but not yet advanced to candidacy.
• Be eligible for support throughout the entire fellowship period.
• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or qualify for a nonresident tuition exemption under AB 540.
• Not have previously received a GRMP fellowship.

Preference is given to students in their second, third, or fourth year of doctoral study.

Applicants must also meet at least one of the following criteria:

• Have experienced circumstances that created barriers to pursuing graduate education.
• Conduct research focused on cultural, societal, or educational issues affecting educationally disadvantaged communities.
• Demonstrate an intention to use their doctoral degree to serve educationally underrepresented populations.

Required Application Materials

Applicants must submit:

• Student CV
• Faculty mentor CV
• Research Proposal
• Work Plan (1 page maximum) outlining:
  • Goals and timeline for advancement to candidacy
  • How the GRMP fellowship will support these objectives
• Personal Statement 
• Faculty Mentor Letter of Support

This fellowship is an excellent opportunity for doctoral students to strengthen their research skills, receive dedicated faculty mentorship, and make meaningful progress toward their academic and professional goals.

This fellowship is typically run in December. Please reach out to your home department graduate coordinator for more details.

The UC President’s Pre-Professoriate Fellowship Program (PPPF) is funded by the University of California Office of the President (UCOP) to support doctoral students from California Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) who are interested in pursuing careers in higher education and the professoriate.

The program aims to strengthen pathways to faculty careers by providing financial support, professional development opportunities, and resources that help fellows prepare for academic careers. 

Each fellow will receive:

• Stipend for one academic year
• Professional development fund to support activities that prepare and inspire students for careers in the professoriate
• Resident tuition and mandatory fees covered by GEPA during the fellowship period

Professional development funds may be used throughout the remainder of the fellow’s doctoral program and do not need to be spent during the fellowship year.

Eligibility Requirements

Applicants must:

• Be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or AB 540-eligible student (international students are not eligible).
• Be enrolled in an academic Ph.D. program at UC San Diego.
• Have advanced to candidacy before nomination.
• Have earned a bachelor’s or stand-alone master’s degree from a California Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI), or:
  • Have transferred from a California Community College designated as an HSI and completed at least 24 semester units (or equivalent).
• Demonstrate exceptional academic and research achievement.
• Have a record of advancing equity and inclusion and a commitment to continuing these efforts throughout their career.
• Demonstrate potential and interest in pursuing a career in the professoriate.

Preference is given to students who are not expected to graduate before the end of the fellowship year.

Note: UC San Diego alumni who earned a bachelor's or master's degree at UC San Diego are eligible, as UC San Diego is recognized as an HSI for this fellowship program.

Application Materials

• Curriculum Vitae (CV) (maximum 3 pages)
• Student Statement (maximum 1 page) describing:
  • Contributions to equity and inclusion
  • Commitment to advancing these efforts throughout their career
• Two Faculty Letters of Support
  • One letter must be from the faculty advisor
  • Letters should address:
    • Academic performance and research potential
    • Likelihood of pursuing a faculty or professoriate career
• Department Attestation Form