External Postdoctoral Fellowships
- Science Policy
AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships
Fellowship Experiences: Fellowship Focus
The Fellowship Focus e-newsletter is a publication of the AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellowships program. It is a valuable resource and it is also the place to read up on several personal Fellows' experience essays and to hear stories of where Fellows have been and exciting projects they've worked on. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, you can send your name and email address to fellowships@aaas.org. Fellows come from many different disciplines in science and engineering; they arrive from academia, industry and the non-profit sectors; and they represent a broad range of career stages, from recently graduated postdocs to mid-career professionals and faculty on sabbatical, to retired individuals. For information about the fellowship opportunities, visit AAAS Fellowship Application System.
Others
A list of other policy fellowships across a range of science and engineering fields from Discover Magazine August 2010.
- Science, Engineering and Math Research
Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship
Arnold O. Beckman Postdoctoral Fellowship in Chemical Sciences or Chemical Instrumentation Award Program provides two years of full-time fellowship support for mentored postdoctoral research in one of two tracks: Chemical Sciences or Chemical Instrumentation. The merit-based award amount varies by years of experience, providing a stipend and research support. Applicants must be: US citizens or PRs, within 3 years of receiving their PhD in Chemical Sciences and no more than one year postdoc experience. Applicants must identify a faculty mentor who will advise their proposed research, career and professional development.
Program Web site: http://www.beckman-foundation.org/programs/beckman-postdoctoral-fellows
Deadlines: Typically September
NIH National Research Service Awards
The Ruth L. Kirschstein NRSAs are awarded by the NIH to postdoctoral scholars to fund training in the biomedical sciences. Postdocs must be U.S. citizens, permanent residents or non-citizen nationals of the US to be eligible for these awards, and they cannot be supported by NRSA training grants and individual fellowships for more than 3 years.
NSF Mathematical Science Fellowships
Mathematical Sciences Postdoctoral Research Fellowships (MSPRF) The purpose of the MSPRF is to provide increased flexibility for future leaders in the mathematical sciences by facilitating their participation in postdoctoral research environments that will have maximal impact on their future scientific development. There are two options for awardees: Research Fellowship and Research Instructorship. Awards will support research in areas of the mathematical sciences, including applications to other disciplines. Award amount: 2-years, $150,000 Citizenship: US Deadline: October.
NSF Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology (PRFB)
The Directorate for Biological Sciences (BIO) awards Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Biology to recent recipients of the doctoral degree for research and training inselected areas supported by BIO and with special goals for human resource development in biology. For FY 2015 and beyond, these BIO programs are (1) Broadening Participation of Groups Under-represented in Biology, (2) Research Using Biological Collections, and (3) National Plant Genome Initiative (NPGI) Postdoctoral Research Fellowships. These areas change periodically as new scientific and infrastructure opportunities present themselves; and this solicitation will be changed as necessary to reflect the areas being funded. The fellowships are also designed to provide active mentoring of the Fellows by the sponsoring scientists who will benefit from having these talented young scientists in their research groups. The research and training plan of each fellowship must address important scientific questions within the scope of the BIO Directorate and the specific guidelines in this fellowship program solicitation. International and teaching options are also offered. Fellowships are offered only to postdoctoral scientists early in their careers and are awarded to individuals, not institutions, and are administered by the Fellows.
Deadline: First Tuesday in November.
Idaho National Laboratory Distinguished Postdoctoral Associate Program
The INL Distinguished Postdoctoral Associate Program is designed to attract, recruit, develop and inspire early career researchers who have the potential to develop into INL’s future scientific and technical leaders. These appointments are highly competitive and are intended to recognize and provide Distinguished Postdoc Associates with a competitive award, research experience, mentorship, and training to develop their capabilities. The engagement of early career research talent is critical to the success of INL’s mission areas.
Deadline: Varies
https://inl.gov/inl-initiatives/education/postdoc-program/
Postdoctoral Fellowship L'Oreal USA
The L'Oréal For Women In Science Program will award five post‐doctoral women scientists in the United States this year with grants of up to $60,000 each. The program recognizes and rewards the contributions women make in the STEM fields and identifies exceptional women researchers committed to serving as role models for younger generations. More than 2,000 women scientists in over 100 countries have been recognized since the program began in 1998. Applicants are welcome from a variety of fields, including the life and physical/material sciences, technology (including computer science), engineering and mathematics. Citizenship: American born, naturalized citizen or permanent resident.
Deadlines: Typically in the Spring each year.
NASA Fellowships
The NASA Postdoctoral Program (NPP) offers unique postdoc research opportunities to highly talented national and international individuals to engage in ongoing NASA research programs at a NASA Center, NASA Headquarters, or at a NASA-affiliated research institution. These one- to three-year Fellowship appointments are competitive and are designed to advance NASA’s missions in space science, earth science, aeronautics, space operations, exploration systems, and astrobiology. Approximately 90 Fellowships are awarded annually at NASA with three application deadlines. See https://npp.orau.org/ for details.
- March 1
- July 1
- November 1
NRC Fellowships
The National Research Council of the National Academies sponsors awards for postdoctoral and senior researchers at federal laboratories and affiliated institutions. These awards include stipends ranging from $42,000 - $75,000 per year for recent Ph.D. recipients and higher for additional experience. The awards provide the opportunity for recipients to do independent research in some of the best-equipped and staffed laboratories in the U.S. Research opportunities are open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and for some of the laboratories, foreign nationals. Detailed program information, including instructions on how to apply online and a list of participating laboratories, is available on the NRC Research Associateship Programs Web site at: www.national-academies.org/rap. Questions should be directed to the NRC at 202-334-2760 (phone) or rap@nas.edu. There are four review cycles annually. Deadlines are:
- November 1
- February 1
- May 01
- Aug 01
Applicants should contact prospective Adviser(s) at the lab(s) prior to the application deadline to discuss their research interests and funding opportunities.
Department of Energy Postdoctoral Fellowships
The EERE (Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy) Postdoctoral Fellowships support its mission in energy efficiency and renewable energy by offering recent Ph.D. recipients the opportunity to conduct applied research at universities, national laboratories, and other research facilities. More information and application materials can be found at https://www.energy.gov/eere/education/graduate-postdoctoral-opportunities
The EERE (Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy) Science and Technology Policy (STP) Fellowships will serve as the next step in the educational and professional development of scientists and engineers interested in energy efficiency and renewable energy policy. Selected applicants will be assigned to participate in policy-related projects at DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy in Washington, D.C. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis. For more information and application materials, visit https://www.energy.gov/eere/education/internships-fellowships-graduate-and-postdoctoral-opportunities
Applicants selected as Fellows may have the additional distinction of guiding the implementation of the new solar SunShot Initiative in the DOE Solar Energy Technologies Program. The SunShot Fellows will have a key leadership role in beginning new research and development programs to achieve the goal of $1/W installed photovoltaics by 2020.National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) - Qualified postdoctoral researchers and research associates have the opportunity to participate in the laboratory's research and development programs, initiate new areas of research, and establish a base for ongoing collaborations through NREL's Research Participant Program. People with new ideas and talents can be a part of research of mutual interest in NREL's research and deployment disciplines, while also contributing to the transfer of the technology resulting from that research. Deadline: Continuous. Citizenship or Residency United States.
URA Visiting Scholars Program at Fermilab
These awards provide financial support for faculty and students from URA's 85 member universities to work at Fermilab for periods of up to one year. URA makes two rounds of awards each year, in the Spring and Fall. Proposals may range from attendance at Fermilab conferences or summer schools to year-long research stays. Support from this program can include transportation costs and local lodging expenses during a series of shorter visits or salary support during a longer visit. Individual awardees may receive up to $50,000 in any 12-month period. URA has made a total of 155 awards since the beginning of 2008, including 23 awards conferred in March 2012. For details on the URA Visiting Scholars Program at Fermilab, including eligibility, application process, award administration, and the names of past award recipients, visit the URA Visiting Scholars Web site.
Deadlines: Applications are reviewed twice a year, in the Fall and the Spring.
Sandia National Laboratories Postdoctoral Research and Fellowship Programs
Sponsor: United States Department of Energy (DOE) Sandia National Laboratories, Citizenship or Residency United States
Deadline: Varies
- Social Sciences & Humanities Research
The Leakey Foundation
These grants fund research related specifically to human origins, including paleoanthropology, primate behavior, and studies of modern hunter-gatherer groups. Amount note: The majority of the grants to doctoral students are in the $3,000 to $13,500 range; however larger grants, especially to senior scientists and postdoctoral students, may be funded up to $22,000. Citizenship or residency is unrestricted. Grants are awarded twice a year.
Spring deadline, January 10
Fall deadline, July 15For more information visit The Leakey Foundation or email grants@leakeyfoundation.org.
Postdoctoral Fellowship German Historical Institute
The GHI awards short-term fellowships to German and American postdoctoral scholars in the fields of German history, the history of German-American relations, and the history of the role of Germany and the USA in international relations. These fellowships are also available to German postdoctoral scholars in the field of American history. The research projects must draw upon primary sources located in the United States. The GHI will not provide funding for preliminary research, manuscript composition or the revision of manuscripts. It will give clear priority to those postdoc projects that are designed for the "second book". GHI especially invites applications from doctoral students and postdoctoral scholars who currently do not receive funding from their home institutions. The fellowships are usually granted for periods of one to six months but, depending on the funds available, can be extended by one month. The monthly stipend is $3,200.
More info: Postdoctoral Fellowship German Historical Institute
Post PhD Resarch Grants Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropology
The Foundation supports research that demonstrates a clear link to anthropological theory and debates, and promises to make a solid contribution to advancing these ideas. There is no preference for any methodology, research location, or subfield. The Foundation particularly welcomes proposals that employ a comparative perspective, can generate innovative approaches or ideas, and/or integrate two or more subfields. Grants provide a maximum of $20,000 and the Osmundsen Initiative supplement provides up to an additional $5,000 for a maximum grant of $25,000. Grants are for research expenses. Under special circumstances grants can be renewed to support longer-term research projects. There is no time limit on the duration of the grant and funding may be requested to cover distinct research phases (for example, two summers) if this is part of the research design. Citizenship: Qualified scholars are eligible without regard to nationality, or institutional or departmental affiliation. For More Info : Post PhD Research Grants Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropology
- All Disciplinary Research
Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP)
The Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program offers opportunities for independent research or study related to Smithsonian collections, facilities, and/or research interests of the Institution and its staff. Fellowships are offered to graduate students, predoctoral students, and postdoctoral and senior researchers to conduct independent research and to utilize the resources of the Institution with members of the Smithsonian professional research staff serving as advisors and hosts.
Review the acepted fields of study and more information at: Smithsonian Institution Fellowship Program (SIFP).
Eligibility: Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and not more than seven years beyond receipt of their Ph.D. degree.
- Diversity
Burroughs Welcome Fund Diversity in Science
Applicants must have secured a postdoctoral position with funding (including support by the advisor’s existing research grants) at a degree-granting, research-intensive institution in the United States or Canada and must begin the postdoctoral position on or by the designated award commencement date. A person with more than 36 months of postdoctoral experience (in a research laboratory) at the time of application or with more than five years from his/her Ph.D. is not eligible for this award. The program targets postdoctoral fellows with Ph.Ds in the biomedical or medical sciences. Applicants must be underrepresented minorities (i.e. American Indian or Alaska Native, Black or African American, Hispanic, or Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander) and must be citizens of the United States or Canada.
More info: Diversity in Science
Postdoctoral Fellowship for faculty Diversity University of Maryland Baltimore County
The purpose of the Program is to support promising scholars who are committed to diversity in the academy and to prepare those scholars for possible tenure track appointments at UMBC. We are particularly interested in receiving applications from individuals who are members of groups that historically have been underrepresented in the professoriate. UMBC will appoint recent recipients of the Ph.D. as Postdoctoral Fellows for a two-year term, and typically accept applications every two or so years (the latest was in November 2014 for the 2015-17 class of fellows). The fellow will receive a starting stipend of $40,000, health benefits, $3,000 for conference travel and preparation of scholarly work, office space with computer, library and other privileges at the university. Applicants must be early career. See program announcement for eligibility. Preference will be given to U.S. citizens and permanent residents.
More info: Postdoctoral Fellowship
Postdoctoral Fellowship Ford Foundation
Postdoctoral fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of the Ford Foundation. Awards will be made for study in the following major disciplines and related interdisciplinary fields: American studies, anthropology, archaeology, art and theater history, astronomy, chemistry, communications, computer science, earth sciences, economics, education, engineering, ethnomusicology, geography, history, international relations, language, life sciences, linguistics, literature, mathematics, performance study, philosophy, physics, political science, psychology, religion, sociology, urban planning, and women's studies. Also eligible are interdisciplinary ethnic studies programs, such as African American studies and Native American studies, and other interdisciplinary programs, such as area studies, peace studies, and social justice.
Fellowships are awarded for full-time research at appropriate nonprofit institutions of higher education or research, normally in the United States, including universities, museums, libraries, government or national laboratories, privately sponsored nonprofit institutes, government chartered nonprofit research organizations, and centers for advanced study. Award amount: $40,000.
Citizenship: US citizen
More info: Postdoctoral Fellowship
- Non-US Citizens and Other Resources
For Non-US Citizens
See the National Postdoctoral Association's International Grant and Fellowships List of funding opportunities available to non-U.S. citizens.
Other Fellowship Resources
Stony Brook's Grad School External Funding Database
AAAS Fellowship Application System
American Bar Association Fellowships
California Science+Technology+Policy Fellowships
Community of Science Postdoctoral Fellowship
Eating Disorder Research - The Davis Foundation
Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation Entrepreneur Postdoctoral Fellowships