National Fellowship Opportunities Supported by the Director of Scholar Development
Students are able to apply directly to the fellowship programs listed below as they do not require institutional nomination, but applicants are strongly encouraged to connect with the Director of Scholar Development and utilize available resources and support.
- Knight-Hennessy Scholars Program
- Schwarzman Scholars Program
- Gates Cambridge Scholarship - US & Global
- National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship (NDSEG)
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP)
- Paul and Daisy Soros Scholarship for New Americans
- Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellowship
- James Madison Memorial Fellowship
- Humanity in Action Fellowship - Europe & U.S.
- Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship
- Public Policy & International Affairs Fellowship
- Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
- DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
University of Iowa students and alumni should contact Kelly Thornburg, Director of Scholar Development at 319-335-1874 or kelly-thornburg@uiowa.edu as soon as they are aware of their interest. To schedule a Scholar Development Conference, click here.
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Representing the University of Iowa at the National Level:
Many national scholarship and fellowship opportunities require that prospective applicants participate in a campus nomination competition before they may be chosen and endorsed by their institution for consideration by the sponsoring funding organization. At the University of Iowa, this process is coordinated by our Director of Scholar Development and supported by the Associate Provost for Undergraduate Education and the UI Undergraduate Scholar Development Committee (USDC), a diverse group of faculty, staff, community experts, and past scholars whose relevant knowledge and experience shape selection and strengthen the preparation of our national and international fellowship nominees.
Each of the opportunities listed above requires that the University of Iowa conduct a preliminary campus nomination process to screen prospective fellowship applicants prior to making our official nominations. Interested candidates MUST work with the DSD and submit their complete campus application and in some cases, participate in practice interviews or social events to allow us to appropriately assess and support applicants. Each opportunity has its own timeline, eligibility requirements, and application components, which are outlined in greater detail by each funding organization on their websites.
Students who move forward from the first stage of applying as campus applicants to the next stage of representing the University of Iowa as institutional nominees are expected to work closely with the Director of Scholar Development and select UI USD committee members, as well as with their own community of support – including faculty or research mentors, past scholars, and professional staff – to develop their ideas, build the strongest application package possible, and prepare for interview experiences.
The Director of Scholar Development serves as the University of Iowa's nominating official for the following fellowship opportun
See the UIUG Fellowships deadline schedule for current campus and national competition dates.
Rhodes Scholarship: The Rhodes Scholarships, the oldest of the international fellowships, were initiated after the death of Cecil Rhodes in 1902, and aim to bring outstanding students from around the world to live and study at the University of Oxford. Rhodes Scholars are elected for two years of study with the possibility of renewal for a third year. The award covers all educational costs, including matriculation, tuition, laboratory and certain other fees. Each Scholar receives an additional maintenance allowance to meet necessary expenses for term-time and vacations. The Rhodes Trustees also cover the necessary costs of travel to and from Oxford, and upon application, may approve additional grants.
Marshall Scholarships finance young Americans of high ability to study for a graduate degree in the United Kingdom. Up to forty Scholars are selected each year to study at graduate level at an UK institution in any field of study. As future leaders, with a lasting understanding of British society, Marshall Scholars strengthen the enduring relationship between the British and American peoples, their governments and their institutions. Marshall Scholars are talented, independent and wide-ranging, and their time as Scholars enhances their intellectual and personal growth. Their direct engagement with Britain through its best academic programs contributes to their ultimate personal success.
Mitchell Scholarship: The Senator George J. Mitchell Scholarship Program is an initiative of the US-Ireland Alliance. The Scholarship is a nationally competitive post-graduate award for twelve Mitchell Scholars to pursue one year of study in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Winston Churchill Scholarship: The Churchill Scholarship provides funding to American students for a year of Master’s study in science, mathematics, and engineering at the University of Cambridge, based at Churchill College. The Scholarship was set up at the request of Sir Winston Churchill in order to fulfill his vision of US-UK scientific exchange with the goal of advancing science and technology on both sides of the Atlantic, helping to ensure our future prosperity and security.
Gaither Junior Fellows Program (Carnegie): The Gaither Junior Fellows Program at the Carnegie Endowment is designed to provide a substantive work experience for students who have a serious career interest in the area of international affairs. Approximately 12-14 students will be hired to work as employees at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington, DC on a full-time basis for a period of one year.
Barry M. Goldwater Scholarship: The Goldwater Scholarship Program, one of the oldest and most prestigious national scholarships in the natural sciences, engineering and mathematics in the United States, seeks to identify and support college sophomores and juniors who show exceptional promise of becoming this Nation’s next generation of research leaders in these fields. The characteristics the Foundation seeks in a Goldwater Scholar include:strong commitment to a research career in the natural sciences, mathematics and engineering, effective display of intellectual intensity in the sciences, mathematics and engineering, and potential for a significant future contribution to research in his/her chosen field.
Harry S. Truman Scholarship: The Truman is a highly competitive, merit-based award offered to U.S. citizens and U.S. nationals from Pacific Islands who want to go to graduate school in preparation for a career in public service. The scholarship offers scholars recognition of outstanding potential as a leader in public service, affirmation of values and ideals, enhanced access to highly competitive graduate institutions, access to Scholar programs such as Truman Scholars Leadership Week, the Summer Institute and various Truman Fellows Programs, membership in a community of persons devoted to helping others and to improving the world; and, up to $30,000 to apply toward graduate study in the U.S. or abroad in a wide variety of fields.
Beinecke Scholarship: The Beinecke Scholarship was created to provide substantial scholarships for the graduate education of young men and women of exceptional promise. The program seeks to encourage and enable highly motivated students to pursue opportunities available to them and to be courageous in the selection of a graduate course of study in the arts, humanities and social sciences.
Udall Scholarship: The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. In 2019, the Udall Foundation anticipates awarding 50 scholarships of up to $7,000 each. The Udall scholarship honors the legacies of Morris Udall and Stewart Udall, whose careers had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources.