Application Opens: September 16
Deadline for Submission: November 15
Application Deadlines
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American Fellowships
The American Fellowship program began in 1888, a time when women were discouraged from pursuing an education. It is AAUW’s largest fellowship program and the oldest non-institutional source of graduate funding for women in the United States.
These fellowships support women scholars pursuing full-time study to complete dissertations, conduct postdoctoral research, or prepare research for publication over eight consecutive weeks. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Candidates are evaluated on scholarly excellence, project quality and originality, and their commitment to advancing women and girls through community service, their professions, or research fields.
![2019-20 Career Development Grantee Samentha Gunn](/app/uploads/2020/02/CDG_2019-20_Gunn_Samentha.jpg)
Career Development Grants
Career Development Grants supports the career progression of women by funding to women preparing to advance or change careers or re-enter the workforce. Primary consideration is given to women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in education, health and medicine, science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and social sciences. Grants are available to support full-time or part-time coursework such as a second bachelor’s or first master’s degree, a certification program, or specialized training in these fields.
![2018-19 Community Action Grantee Marisa Madison](/app/uploads/2020/02/CAG-2018-19_Madison_Marisa.jpg)
Community Action Grants
Community Action Grants provide funding to AAUW branches and AAUW state organizations as well as community-based nonprofits for programs that promote education and equity for women and girls.
Since 1972, AAUW has provided support to hundreds of communities across the United States.
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International Fellowships
AAUW’s International Fellowship Program promotes education and equity for women by investing in international applicants who will be pursuing postgraduate studies in the U.S., with the intention of applying their expertise, professional skills and leadership in the context of their home countries. In addition, up to 6 awards are available to Graduate Women International (see the list of GWI affiliates) members for study in any country other than their own. The International Fellowship Program is specifically designed for women who are non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents, with a track record of academic excellence and empowering other women and girls. The Program has been supporting international women pursuing full-time postgraduate studies in the United States since 1917.
![Woman in lab coat and gloves works at microscope in lab.](/app/uploads/2020/03/Sanduja_S_IF-2010-2011-Work-Action-Photo-scaled.jpg)
International Project Grants
AAUW International Fellows continue their commitment to empowering women and girls even after completing their U.S. education — and often still need financial support.
To foster lasting impact, AAUW awards grants to International Fellowship alumnae who return home. These grants help alumnae apply their academic knowledge to community-based projects that improve the lives of women and girls.
Our International Fellowship and Project Grant alumnae directly address women’s equity issues, from securing property rights for widows to creating safe workspaces for cassava production, supporting vulnerable yet resilient community members.
![2019-20 Selected Professions Fellow Jenny Trieu](/app/uploads/2020/02/SPF_2019-20_Trieu_Jenny.jpg)
Selected Professions Fellowships
Selected Professions Fellowships support women pursuing full-time study in designated fields with historically low female participation at accredited U.S. institutions. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
Established in 1970 with a $25,000 grant from the Max C. Fleischmann Foundation, these fellowships initially focused on opening opportunities for women in law and medicine. Over time, the focus expanded to science and technology due to the increasing demand for a skilled, yet underrepresented, female workforce.
Fellowships are awarded for master’s programs in:
- Architecture
- Computer/Information Sciences
- Engineering
- Mathematics/Statistics
Meet an Alumna
Melissa Harris-Perry, an American writer, professor, TV host and political commentator, explains how her AAUW Fellowship helped enable her stellar career.
Tips for Getting Educational Funding
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3 Questions for Esther Ngumbi
The current statistics — that women make up only 30% of scientists — must change. We need to have laboratories in schools where young girls can experience the magic of science.
Serve on a Review Panel
![2018-19 American Fellow Jaime Coon](https://www.aauw.org/app/uploads/2020/03/AF-2018-19_Coon_Jaime-2-scaled_707x552_acf_cropped.jpg)