AAUW International Fellowships in USA for Women

Funding

• Master’s/first professional degree: $20,000
• Doctoral: $25,000
• Postdoctoral: $50,000
• Opens: August 1 every year
• Deadline: November 15 every year

Since 1917, AAUW International Fellowships have been helping women from all over the world pursue full-time graduate or postdoctoral study in the United States or abroad. Together with Graduate Women International, the Fellowships support women seeking to deepen their knowledge and gain valuable skills that can help them lead in business, government, academia, community activism, and the arts or scientific fields. While a limited number of awards are available for study outside of the U.S., most support is provided for study at accredited American institutions.

The program is open to applicants who have earned the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree and have applied to their proposed institutions of study. Recipients are selected based on their academic achievement and their demonstrated commitment to helping women and girls.

Timelines

1. Application opens on August 1, 2023

2. Deadline for online submission of application, recommendations, and supporting documents is November 15, 2023, by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time

3. Notification of decisions emailed to all applicants on April 15, 2024, and AAUW is not able to honor requests for earlier notification

4. Fellowship year is from July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025

5. If date falls on a weekend or holiday, the date will be observed on the following business day

Eligibility

• International Fellowships are not open to previous recipients of any AAUW national fellowship or grant (not including branch or local awards or Community Action Grants).
• Members of the AAUW board of directors, committees, panels, task forces and staff, including current interns, are not eligible to apply for AAUW’s fellowships and grants. A person holding a current award is eligible for election or appointment to boards, committees, panels and task forces.
• International Fellowships are open to women, including people who identify as women, in all fields of study at an accredited institution of higher education or, for postdoctoral fellows, research. AAUW will make final decisions about what constitutes eligible institutions.
• Unsuccessful applicants may reapply.
• To be eligible for an International Fellowship, applicants must have citizenship in a country other than the U.S. or possession of a nonimmigrant visa if residing in the U.S. Women who are currently, or expect to be during the fellowship year, a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or dual citizen with the U.S. and another country are not eligible.
• Applicant must hold an academic degree (earned in the U.S. or abroad) equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree completed by the application deadline.
• Applicant must intend to devote themselves full-time to the proposed academic plan during the fellowship year.
• Applicant must intend to return to their home country to pursue a professional career upon completion of their studies.
• Applicant must be proficient in English and confirm proficiency by submitting one of the Required Components (see below), which include certain English proficiency exams, transcripts from English-speaking institutions, or a written statement verifying English is the applicant’s native language.
• Master’s/first professional degree and doctoral applicants must have applied by the AAUW application deadline, to an accredited institution of study for the period of the fellowship year and must indicate the name of the institution in the International Fellowship application.
• While acceptance is not required at the time of application, fellows must provide official confirmation from the institution with their award acceptance materials.
• Master’s/first professional degree fellowships are intended for master’s or professional degree-level programs such as J.D., M.F.A., L.L.M., M.Arch., or medical degrees such as M.D., D.D.S., etc.
• Doctoral Fellowships are intended for a doctorate degrees classified as research degrees, such as Ph.D. or Ed.D.
• Postdoctoral applicants must provide proof of their doctorate degree; hold a doctorate classified as a research degree (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D., D.B.A., D.M.) or an M.F.A., and indicate where they will conduct the research.
• Master’s/ first professional degree and doctoral applicants must be enrolled in a U.S.-accredited institution located in the U.S. during the fellowship year.
• A limited number of awards are available to Graduate Women International members for study or research in any country other than their own.
• Applicants can apply for the fellowship for any year of their program but must be conducting a full year of study or research
• Distance learning/online programs are not eligible
• AAUW will accept applications from applicants who are temporarily studying remotely due to COVID-19 precautions at their institution.

Regulations

International Fellowship Funds Available for:

• Educational expenses
• Living expenses
• Dependent child care
• Travel to professional meetings, conferences, or seminars that do not exceed 10% of the fellowship total

International Fellowship Funds Not Available for:

• Purchase of equipment
• Indirect costs
• Research assistants
• Previous expenditures, deficits, or repayment of loans
• Publication costs
• Institutional (overhead) costs
• Tuition for dependent’s education
• Grants-in-aid for less than a full academic year or travel grants
• Travel to or from a fellow’s home country
• Travel to or from the fellow’s research location, if abroad (does not apply to fellows who are GWI members with AAUW approval to study or research in a country other than their own)

AAUW Contractual Requirements for International Fellows:

• Sign a contract as an acceptance of the award
• Pursue project full-time during the fellowship year (July 1–June 30)
• Provide prior written notification of changes to AAUW
• Spend up to two months traveling abroad for research related to their project plan with prior written approval of AAUW
• No pursuit of a degree for postdoctoral fellows
• Up to five International Master’s/First Professional Degree Fellowships which are renewable for a second year
• Stipends made payable to fellows, not to institutions
• Up to 14-30% taxable amount
• Securing visas and other documents solely the responsibility of fellow

Criteria for Selection

• Panel meets once a year to review applications for funding and make recommendations, subject to final approval by AAUW
• Fellowship will be awarded on a competitive basis according to funds available in a given fiscal year
• AAUW will not comment on deliberations of award panels, nor provide evaluations of applications
• No provisions exist for reconsideration of fellowship proposals
• Applications and supporting documents become the sole property of AAUW and will not be returned
• Special consideration given to applicants residing in their home country, from emerging countries, or from an underrepresented group
• Criteria for awarding fellowships:
  • Position on return to home country
  • Academic and/or professional qualifications
  • Demonstrated commitment to advancing women an girls in home country
  • Proposed time schedule
  • Quality and feasibility of proposed plan of study or research
  • Demonstrated evidence of prior civic/community service in home country
  • Country’s need for specialized knowledge or skill
  • Financial need
  • Motivation for graduate study or research

How to Apply

• Start the application process by clicking the Apply Now button below to access the application and create an account through our vendor site.
• Complete all required components in the following areas: Background, Proposal, Recommendations, Documents & Review.
• Provide two recommendations from professors or professional colleagues familiar with the applicant, their work, and their academic background.
• Upload transcripts from the college or university where the highest degree (not a certificate) was obtained.
• For currently enrolled applicants, upload transcripts/lists of courses/institution letters from the college or university in which the applicant is currently enrolled.
• For postdoctoral applicants, upload transcripts showing degree and date received, or an official letter from institution where degree was received, or a copy of diploma showing date degree was received.
• Upload one of the following to verify English proficiency: official report of an acceptable and valid TOEFL, IELTS or Cambridge assessment score; or written statement verifying the applicant’s native language is English; or academic transcript or diploma confirming one semester of full-time study in the applicant’s discipline at an English-speaking institution between November 2021 and November 2023.
• If documents are provided in a foreign language, a certified English translation is required.