What are fellowships?

Fellowships are funded opportunities that come in all shapes and sizes and have a variety of goals. Some are for international experiences and others support activities here at home, such as research, study, service, mentoring, networking, or other professional experiences. Some fund students in particular fields of study or professional paths; others target special populations such as underrepresented racial or ethnic groups, women, LGBTQ students, or those with financial need. Yet others are open to anyone with vision and talent. They vary in how competitive they are, though generally, larger or more prestigious awards receive more applications and thus are more selective. 
 
What they have in common is that these are all programs funded by sources outside the university, such as charitable foundations or professional associations, and they are nationally or internationally competitive, meaning there is usually a large applicant pool drawn from all over the US (and sometimes the world). Our office supports Drexel students and alumni in their pursuit of fellowships.

What kind of support is available?

We work most directly and intensively with those applying for our Core and Priority Awards, displayed in grey at the top of our fellowships database.Core awards require a university nomination or endorsement process, which is managed by our office. Priority awards do not require an internal nomination/endorsement but are often of interest to or a good fit for Drexel students. For these awards, we support students throughout the entire application process. To learn more about the advising and support we offer, visit our Fellowships Advising page linked below.

In addition to the Core and Priority awards, we encourage you to search through our full database in addition to these other fellowship databases as there are many other awards you might apply for. Advising resources are limited by staff availability and priority is given to applicants for Core and Priority awards. However, we do our best to support every applicant we can. Please reach out and let us know you are applying. We encourage you to read the program websites very carefully and seek outside readers for feedback and to utilize the general application resources on our SharePoint Resource Site.

How do I get started?

If you are ready to start exploring the exciting opportunities available through fellowships, we’ve assembled several resources to help you get started. First, check out our series of Fellowships 101 videos, which provide basic information on the kinds of opportunities available, how to look for programs that are a good fit, how to plan your application process, and common elements of fellowships applications. 

Next, we recommend checking out our fellowships database, which includes many opportunities relevant to Drexel students. There are also numerous external databases you can use to expand your search. These are especially useful for finding opportunities specific to your field or particular kinds of opportunities.