Graduate Fellowship Opportunities
Applying for Aid
Selection of award recipients is made on the basis of academic merit and departmental recommendations. Incoming students who wish to be considered for the university fellowships or assistantships mentioned in this section should indicate this on the application form for admission and award; no special application is required. Currently enrolled students who wish to apply to the university for awards for advanced students listed below will be nominated by the department as well; for continuing students, application by the student is required.
National, Regional, and Foundation Awards
In addition to awards available through the University, applicants are urged to compete for national and foundation awards for graduate study. The following list provides a few of the awards available.
- DOE CSGF - Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
- NASA Harriett G. Jenkins Pre-doctoral Fellowship
- NPSC (National Physical Science Consortium) Fellowship
- NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
The Duke University Office of Research Support houses a library of reference materials pertaining to research funding and graduate fellowships, publicizes grant opportunities, and holds regular seminars on grantsmanship and the availability of funding. Visit their student funding page.
Competitive Graduate School Fellowships
These competitive fellowships are offered through the Graduate School. Incoming students are nominated by their department; no direct application is necessary.
James B. Duke Fellowships: The James B. Duke One-Hundredth Anniversary Fund provides fellowships for students who wish to pursue a program leading to the Ph.D. in the Graduate School at Duke University. Its objective is to aid in attracting and developing outstanding scholars at Duke. Selection of recipients is made by a faculty committee upon nomination by the appropriate department. These fellowships provide a $4,000 stipend supplement for four years to any other award the student receives from the department, the Graduate School, or national fellowships.
University Scholars Program Fellowships: The University Scholars Program was created in 1998 with a gift from Duke University Trustee Melinda French Gates and her husband Bill Gates, through the William H. Gates Foundation. The program is designed to stimulate an interdisciplinary, intergenerational, and diverse community of scholars. Each year the University Scholars Program provides tuition and a stipend for up to six incoming graduate students, who participate in bimonthly University Scholars Program seminars, and act as informal intellectual leaders and mentors (not advisors) to the program's undergraduates. For more information, see the University Scholars Program Web site.
Competitive Graduate School Fellowships for Advanced Students
Katherine Stern Dissertation Year Fellowship: Dissertation-year fellowships are provided for advanced graduate students. See announcement for more details.
Bass Instructorships Program in Arts and Sciences: Five of these awards are provided jointly by the Graduate School or Trinity College. The student is required to teach one undergraduate course during the academic year in which they hold the award. See announcement for details.
Aleane Webb Dissertation Research Fellowships: Provides support for miscellaneous research project associated with the dissertation. See announcement for details.
Conference Travel Awards Funding: For advanced students who have passed all parts of the preliminary examination and are presenting a paper or poster at a national conference. Deadline: one month prior to the conference. For further information, see announcement or contact Ken Davis.
Graduate Awards for International Research: The Graduate School Predissertation Research Travel Awards provide funding for Ph.D. students to travel outside the continental U.S. Award amounts vary from $500 to $3,000. See announcement for details.
International Fellowship for Advanced Students: The Graduate School offers one or two research awards to students who must travel overseas. This fellowship carries a stipend of at least $13,500 for the academic year. See announcement for details.
Information on other fellowship opportunities, from both university and external sources, may be obtained from the Center for International Studies and Graduate School awards page.
Exchange Programs
The Graduate School has developed exchange programs with a number of foreign universities. Candidates for the programs below must have a study project which can be feasibly carried out at the designated university and must demonstrate a basic competence in German. For more information, contact Bertie Belvin.
Free University of Berlin: Two fellowships are available to study for 10 months in Berlin (October 1 through July 31). Students will be eligible to participate in lecture classes and seminars. The student will receive a monthly grant of DM 850 (or DM 1000 if the student holds a MA or equivalent), plus free housing provided by the Free University or a DM 350 housing allowance, a health insurance allowance of DM 560 per semester, DM 120 for student fees and a waiver of registration fees. For more information, contact Bertie Belvin.
University of Potsdam: One or two graduate students are to be selected to study during the academic year at Potsdam. Students may also apply for one semester of study or for independent study in the summer. The student will be able to participate in lecture classes and seminars. The student will receive a monthly grant of DM 850 for up to 10 months and a waiver of tuition. Students must have their own health insurance policy valid for the Republic of Germany (they may purchase the German health insurance). For more information, contact Bertie Belvin.
Departmental Fellowships, Endowments, Research and Instructional Assistantships
The majority of funding available for graduate study is provided by the student’s department. Below are listed some of the ways a student may be supported. For specific information, contact the program director of graduate studies.
Fellowships and Scholarships: Various departments offer fellowship stipends and tuition scholarships to students pursuing graduate studies. Information may be obtained from the individual departments.
Research Assistantships: Appointments are available for graduate students whose special training and qualifications enable them to serve as assistants to individual staff members in certain departments. Stipends vary depending on the nature of the assistance and the assisting time required.
Part-time Instruction: Several departments offering graduate work have exceptionally qualified graduate students work as part-time instructors, tutors, and teaching assistants. Amounts of these assistantships vary and interested applicants should contact their departments directly.
Payment of Awards
The payment of stipends for graduate assistantships starts on September 25 and is made in equal payments on the twenty-fifth day of each month thereafter. Fellowship stipends are paid on the last working day of the month, beginning in September. Under the Tax Reform Act of 1986, the only graduate student financial assistance exempt from taxation are amounts paid for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment required for course instruction. If services are required for payment of tuition and fees, then that tuition is considered income and is subject to taxation. In some cases, tuition paid to foreign students will also be taxable, depending on the tax treaty for the student's home country. The Graduate School will supply detailed information.
It is the responsibility of the student to be sure that tuition and fees are paid or that arrangements have been made with the appropriate office or department for submission of tuition payment notices to the Bursar. Graduate students should contact either the director of graduate studies in their department or the Graduate School financial aid coordinator depending upon the type of award. Faculty, senior administrative staff, employees, and eligible spouses not in degree programs should contact Benefits Administration regarding tuition benefits.
Satisfactory Progress
Graduate students are expected to make satisfactory progress in their programs in order to remain enrolled in the Graduate School or to receive financial aid.
Summer Aid
A limited amount of financial aid is available to students in summer study. Summer financial aid, determined according to demonstrated need, may consist of a departmental award, institutional grant funds, instruction, and/or low interest loans from the Stafford Student Loan program and the Carl Perkins Student Loan program. Students must be registered for summer school in order to receive summer support. The college work-study aid is determined by the financial aid office based upon the student's financial need and the availability of funds. Graduate awards are determined by departments depending on usual criteria and availability of funds.