Scott Freitas

Tips & Tricks to Land a PhD Fellowship


Applying for PhD fellowships but unsure where to start? This is what I’ve learned from talking with previous recipients, professors, industry insiders, and first-hand experience with 8 applications, 5 rejections, and 3 awards (IBM, NSF, and Raytheon) during my machine learning PhD.

Whether you’re just starting to explore your options or are deep in the application weeds, don’t go through the process alone. In the next 4 sections, I dive into each stage of the application process—from choosing the right fellowships to apply for, to crafting a compelling personal statement. I also share common pitfalls to avoid, and tips for staying motivated throughout the process. Whether you’re an undergraduate student, early career researcher, or PhD candidate, this post is your ultimate guide to fellowship success.

For some other great perspectives, check out How to Find, Apply for, and Win a Fellowship… and Five Tips for a Successful…Application from the People who Review Them.

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TL;DR

Here are my top 5 tips for success:

  1. Know the market. There are four main categories of fellowships — university, government, industry, and private foundation — each with its own unique advantages. Check out the Table 1 below where we compare 20 prestigious PhD fellowships. 

  2. Align your research. Demonstrate the relevance of your research to the fellowship committee by aligning it with their interests and priorities. If you’re applying for an industry fellowship, discuss how your research relates to current industry trends (e.g., explainability, privacy, energy efficiency), and how it can be applied to their application domain (e.g., finance, security).

  3. Seek advice. Connect with those who have successfully navigated the process in the past. This can include past recipients, your advisor, or lab mates. They probably have valuable insights about what works, pitfalls to avoid, specific requirements, and unstated expectations. They may even be willing to share previous applications with you!

  4. Network with research teams. Connect with research teams that have fellowship slots available. Use LinkedIn or email to make connections. Ask friends and colleagues to make an introduction. Try to intern and publish a paper together. At the end of the day, fellowship decisions are made by people, so getting to know them and building relationships is crucial. 

  5. Manage expectations. While a strong application increases your odds of being selected, it’s important to remember that the competition is fierce and highly qualified candidates are frequently rejected. Keep your expectations in check and try not to put too much pressure on yourself. Even if you don’t receive the fellowship, there are other opportunities in the future.   

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Understanding the Benefits

PhD fellowships offer numerous benefits, including financial support for your research (a.k.a. research freedom), professional development opportunities through internships, and access to specialized resources (e.g., GPUs). Although the specific benefits of each fellowship vary, they usually have a few components in common:

  1. Financial support. First things first, let’s talk financial benefits. They typically cover tuition, fees, and a stipend, allowing you to focus on your research without having to worry about teaching or working on a specific research grant. This is a huge relief, as pursuing a PhD can be stressful enough without the added pressure of grading homework or working on research that doesn’t align with your dissertation. Plus, some fellowships even offer a higher monthly stipend than the school’s GRA/TA positions. Cha-ching!

  2. Internships. Many fellowships offer internships where you’ll have the opportunity to be mentored by top experts in your field, develop new skills and interests, and increase your summer income. It’s a win-win-win situation.

  3. Professional development. Many fellowships offer professional development opportunities such as workshops, seminars, and social events. These are great opportunities to network with other researchers, practice your public speaking skills, and sharpen your research abilities. Plus, they’re a great excuse to get out of the lab and have some fun.

  4. Specialized resources. Some fellowships provide access to research facilities, hardware, and data sets to help advance your research. These resources can be particularly valuable when working on complex or specialized projects.

  5. Prestige. Receiving a PhD fellowship is a major accomplishment that can provide valuable recognition and credibility (it’s like getting a gold star on your research report card). It also sets your resume apart and can enhance your reputation as a researcher.

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Comparing Fellowships

There are four main types of fellowships to consider: university, government, industry, and private foundation. Each offers its own unique advantages, so be sure to check out Table 1 where we compare 20 of the most prestigious fellowships. But first, let’s dive into the differences between each category.

University

University fellowships are awarded by departments to students they see as top talent. This is often based on your academic achievements, research statement, letters of recommendation, and the potential impact of your work. If you’re lucky enough to snag one of these, consider yourself a highly desired PhD applicant. These fellowships generally cover tuition and a stipend for a fixed number of years, and can give you more freedom in setting your research agenda. However, they’re not well recognized outside the university, so they’re not as prestigious as other fellowships. But don’t worry, they can generally be combined with government, industry, and private fellowships to create a sweet compensation package.

Government

Government fellowships are awarded by institutions like the NSF, DOD, and DOE to support individuals pursuing STEM PhDs. These are highly competitive and offer great financial benefits, but are usually restricted to U.S. citizens and require you to apply before joining a PhD program (or within your first year). If you come in with this funding, you’re a hot commodity to potential advisors since you’re essentially “free” (or at least reduced cost) to them. These sought-after fellowships can usually be combined with industry fellowships and sometimes private ones, but rarely with other government fellowships.

Industry

Industry fellowships are awarded by companies to support PhD students conducting research related to key company verticals. They’re typically aimed at mid-career PhD students who are experienced but still have time to collaborate before graduating. They can vary widely in terms of the support they offer, with some providing partial tuition assistance and no stipend, while others come with full tuition and a generous stipend for multiple years. Aside from financial support, these fellowships often come with unique opportunities for networking, mentorship, and internships.

However, landing an industry fellowship is no easy task. The application process is highly competitive, and often requires special sponsorship from the school or department. In some cases, only certain universities are invited to apply, and your advisor may need to submit on your behalf.

Private Foundation

While private foundations can be a potential source of funding for PhD students, they often have specific demographic and socioeconomic eligibility requirements. As a result, they are not the focus of this blog post. For fellowship lists that include many private foundation options, take a look at here, here, and here.


Table 1. Comparing 20 Presitgious PhD Fellowships.

Legend: type is the funding source, awards is the number of awards using the latest public data, apps is the number of applicants, years is how long the fellowship lasts, stipend is the yearly amount paid to the fellow, tuition indicates if tuition is (partially) covered, intern shows if an internship is included/required, stage is how far into your PhD you should be when applying, citizen indicates a US citizenship requirement, sponsor indicates if your school/department needs to sponsor your application, PS is personal statement, RS is research statement, CV is curriculum vitae, and LOR is letters of recommendation.
General Information Benefits Eligibility Requirements
name type awards apps years stipend tuition intern stage citizen sponsor ps rs tr gre cv lor
NSF GRFP Gov. 2.1k 12k 3 37k ✅ ❌ Early ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ 3
DOD NDSEG Gov. 159 7.9k 3 38k ✅ ✅ Early ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ 3
DOE CSGF Gov. 17 416 1-4 45k ✅ ✅ Early ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅ ❌ 3-4
SMART Gov. 482 2.5k 1-5 38k ✅ ✅ Early ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ 2-3
CSGrad4US Gov. 69 N/A 3 34k ✅ ❌ Early ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ 1
NASA Gov. 63 N/A 1-4 36k ✅ ✅ Early ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ 3
Frontera Gov. 1-3 N/A 1 34k ✅ ✅ Mid ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌ 2
Hertz Fnd. 13 650 1-5 34k ✅ ❌ Early ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ 4+
IBM Ind. 19 ~500 2 35k ✅ ✅ Mid ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ 2
Google Ind. 74 N/A 1-3 N/A ✅ ❌ Mid ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ 2-3
Meta Ind. 37 2.3k 2 42k ✅ ❌ Mid ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ 2
Microsoft Ind. 36 600 2 42k ✅ ❌ Mid ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ 2-3
Apple Ind. 15 N/A 2 40k ✅ ❌ Mid ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ 2
Norton Ind. 2-6 N/A 1 0 ✅ ✅ Mid ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ 2
NVIDIA Ind. 10 N/A 1 50k ❌ ✅ Mid ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ 2-3
Qualcomm Ind. 19 100 1 100k ❌ ❌ Mid ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ 1-2
Two Sigma Ind. 3 N/A 2 N/A ✅ ❌ Mid ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ ✅ ❌ ✅ 2
Jane Street Ind. N/A N/A 1 40k ✅ ❌ Mid ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ 1
Bloomberg Ind. 9 N/A 1-3 35k ✅ ✅ Mid ❌ ❌ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ 1
J.P. Morgan Ind. 11 N/A 1 N/A ✅ ❌ Late ❌ ✅ ❌ ✅ ❌ ❌ ✅ 2
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Application Process

Submitting an application for a fellowship typically requires one or more of the following items: (1) personal statement, (2) research proposal, (3) letters of recommendation, (4) department sponsorship, and (5) miscellaneous materials.

Personal Statement

This is your chance to shine and show the fellowship committee why you’re the best candidate on a personal level. Your statement should be a concise 1-2 page snapshot of your background, experiences, motivations to pursue a PhD, and post graduation plans. Your goal is to stand out from the crowd and provide context on why your academic and professional experiences make you the best candidate for the fellowship. Or put another way, this is your chance to humbly brag about why you’re the best thing since sliced bread. Use the following tips to craft a great personal statement:

  1. Know your audience. Consider who is reviewing your application and what they are looking for in a successful candidate. For example, government reviewers may prioritize students with strong research potential, while industry reviewers may be more interested in how your research aligns with their business goals. By understanding the specific interests of your audience, you can tailor your application to show why you are the best fit for the fellowship. Additionally, be prepared to address any concerns they may have, such as your commitment to a PhD or future career plans.

  2. Be concise. Due to the large number of applications they receive, reviewers often have limited time to spend on each one. To make a strong impression and keep their attention, be concise and focus on the most relevant information about yourself.

  3. Keep it authentic. Make yourself relatable to the reviewers to encourage them to root for you. Avoid trying to present a flawless image of yourself and instead focus on being genuine and authentic in order to make a strong impression.

  4. Make it flow. Your personal statement should be smooth and concise, allowing the reviewer to quickly grasp the most important information about you. Use simple language, and leave the technical information for your research statement.

  5. Be Persuasive. Instead of simply listing your qualifications and experiences, focus on why you are a great fit for the fellowship and how it will help you achieve your goals. The reviewers are considering investing a significant amount of money in supporting you, so show them why you are the crème de la crème.

Research statement

The research statement is a crucial component of the fellowship application, and a well-written one can make a big difference in the decision of the selection committee. The key to writing an effective research statement is to frame your research in a way that is relevant to the fellowship you are applying for. For example, if you are applying for a government fellowship like the NSF GRFP, you should discuss the intellectual merit and societal impact of your research. If you are applying for an industry fellowship, reviewers are probably more interested in how your research can advance the state-of-the-art while solving their business problems. Regardless of the fellowships you apply for, you should clearly articulate how your research aligns with their mission and objectives.

A typical research statement is 2-5 pages in length and includes a specific project proposal or an overview of your dissertation research agenda. In either case, you should provide a brief overview of the topic, the research problems you will be addressing, why you are uniquely qualified to tackle these problems, the proposed methods for conducting the research, and the expected contributions of your research. This will help the selection committee understand the scope and significance of your research and why you are the best candidate for the fellowship.

Letters of Recommendation

Most fellowships require 1-3 letters of recommendation from professors, advisors, or other individuals who can speak to your qualifications and potential as a researcher. Letters of recommendation can be incredibly powerful and have a big impact on the decision of the selection committee. To obtain the best letters of recommendation possible, follow these tips:

  1. Select carefully. Consider who can speak to your qualifications and potential as a researcher and ask them to write a letter on your behalf. Make sure to choose individuals who know you well and can provide specific examples of your abilities and potential.

  2. Give plenty of notice. Great letters of recommendation take time to prepare, so aim to provide your letter writers with at least 4 weeks of notice. This will give them time to write a thoughtful and detailed letter.

  3. Make it easy. When you ask someone to write a letter of recommendation, provide them with all the relevant information and materials they need to write the letter. This might include your CV, personal statement, research proposal, transcripts, class performance, and a summary of your research history with them. Remember, professors are busy, so the easier you make it for them to write the letter, the better the letter will be.

  4. Follow up. After you’ve identified your letter writers, follow up with them to ensure that they have the submission date, all the necessary materials, and to thank them again for their support. A gentle reminder can go a long way in ensuring that your letters of recommendation are submitted on time.

Department Sponsorship

Some industry fellowships require university sponsorship to limit the number of submissions from each department. This acts as a pre-screening process to identify the best candidates while reducing the verification, authenticity, and eligibility burden on the companies. As a result, each university department typically runs an internal selection process where professors nominate students for the fellowship slots. If you are selected internally, your advisor will submit the application on your behalf, saving you some time and effort. Keep in mind that the internal selection process can be competitive, so work closely with your advisor to showcase your qualifications and potential as a researcher.

Miscellaneous Materials

Depending on the fellowship, you may be required to submit additional materials such as writing samples, transcripts, CV, and GRE scores. It’s helpful to have these materials ready in case they’re needed for your application. If you’re unsure about which materials are required, check out Table 1 for an overview. Be sure to double check the fellowship website as this information can change quickly.

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Gaining the Edge

Knowing what the fellowship committee is looking for in an applicant is key to increasing your chances of being selected for a fellowship. While you typically need to submit a personal statement, research statement, letters of recommendation, transcripts, and CV, what the committee really wants to see is evidence of your research ability. If you can convince them that you are a talented and promising researcher, you’re going to receive more fellowships than you know what to do with. While this is easier said than done, these are the top 5 things that can give your application an edge:

  1. Strong publication record. A strong publication record is often the most important component of your fellowship application. Fellowships are highly competitive, and the committee wants to fund researchers who have already achieved some level of success. The number of conference papers or journal articles required to make your application competitive depends on the fellowship you are applying for. For pre-doctoral fellowships (e.g., government), just one good publication can be enough to set you apart. However, for industry fellowships in the middle of your PhD, the bar becomes higher.

  2. Align your research. Demonstrate the relevance of your research to the fellowship committee by aligning it with their interests and priorities. If you’re applying for an industry fellowship, discuss how your research relates to current industry trends (e.g., explainability, privacy, energy efficiency), and how it can be applied to their application domain (e.g., finance, security).

  3. Build your network. Connect with research teams that have fellowship slots available. Use LinkedIn or email to make connections, attend conferences, and ask colleagues to make an introduction. At the end of the day, fellowship decisions are made by people, so getting to know them and building relationships is crucial. 

  4. Research internships. One way to increase your chance of being selected for a fellowship is to intern with a research team that has fellowship slots available. This can provide you with an opportunity to work on a project, publish a paper, and gain valuable experience. By impressing the team and showing your potential, you can make them want to recruit you and support your fellowship application. Keep in mind that internships are competitive, so it’s important to start early and be proactive in seeking out opportunities.

  5. Seek advice. When applying to a fellowship, it can be helpful to reach out to those who have successfully navigated the process in the past. This could include past recipients of the fellowship, your academic advisor, or lab mates. They likely have valuable insights about what works, pitfalls to avoid, specific requirements, and unstated expectations. They may even be willing to share previously successful applications with you.

While preparing a strong application increases your odds of being selected, it’s important to remember that the competition is fierce and even highly qualified candidates are frequently rejected without ever knowing the reason. Therefore, it’s important to keep your expectations in check and not put too much pressure on yourself. Remember, even if you don’t receive the fellowship, there will be other opportunities in the future.