Nationally Competitive Scholarships

Overview: Fellows work as research assistants to Carnegie’s senior scholars during the one-year fellowship in fields relevant to political science, history, global studies and foreign policy, among others, in a full-time position that pays approximately $40,000 per year.  

Eligibility: Applicants must be graduating seniors or students who have graduated during the last academic year. Anyone who has started graduate studies is ineligible for consideration (except in cases where the student has completed the bachelor’s portion in a joint bachelor’s/master’s degree program). All applicants must also be eligible to work in the United States for a full 12 months. Fellows typically start working on August 1, following their graduation. 

Selection Criteria: Applicants should have relevant coursework experience as well as strong skills and interest in research, data collection and analysis, and program coordination and administration.  

Deadlines: The internal UAlbany deadline is in mid-November and the national deadline is generally in mid-January.  

Consult the James C. Gaither Junior Fellows website for more details. 

Overview: The Goldwater Scholarship is geared toward students who wish to pursue a research career in the fields of math, natural science or engineering. Established in 1986, this scholarship provides outstanding students a maximum of $7,500 a year for undergraduate education expenses such as tuition, mandatory fees, books, and room and board.  

Eligibility: Eligible students must be full-time sophomores or juniors pursuing a degree at a 2- or 4-year accredited institution. Applicants must be who are U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals. Eligible fields include: Chemistry, Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering, Engineering, Geosciences, Life Sciences, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, and Psychology.  

Selection Criteria: Applicants should intend to pursue a STEM research career and have a GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale.  

Deadlines: The pre-application is due in early October, the internal UAlbany deadline is mid-November and the national deadline is generally the last Friday in January.  

Consult the Goldwater Scholarship website for more details. 

Overview: Marshall Scholarships finance high achieving young Americans' study for a graduate degree in the United Kingdom. Up to 40 Scholars are selected each year to study at an UK graduate institution in any field of study.  

Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens with minimum 3.7 GPAs, who have not studied for nor held a degree from a British university to be eligible. Students must hold their first undergraduate degree from an accredited 4-year university in the US by the time they take up the scholarship.  

Selection Criteria: Marshall Scholars are talented, independent and wide-ranging, and their time as Scholars enhances their intellectual and personal growth.  

Deadlines: The internal UAlbany deadline is in early September and the national deadline is generally in early October. 

Consult the Marshall Scholarship website for more details. 

Overview: The Mitchell Scholarship Program — named to honor former U.S. Senator George Mitchell's pivotal contribution to the Northern Ireland peace process — is designed to introduce and connect generations of future American leaders to the island of Ireland, while recognizing and fostering intellectual achievement, leadership and a commitment to community and public service. It offers students one academic year of postgraduate study in any discipline offered by institutions of higher learning in Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Mitchell Scholarship provides tuition, accommodation and a stipend for living expenses and travel.  

Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens between the ages of 18 and 29 who will earn their bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university before they begin studying as a Mitchell Scholar. 

Criteria: Applicants are judged on scholarship, leadership and their sustained commitment to community and public service.  

Deadlines: The internal UAlbany deadline is in early September and the national deadline is generally in early October. 

Consult the Mitchell Scholarship website for more details. 

Overview: The Rhodes Scholarships are the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship awards in the world. The Rhodes Scholarship provides full financial support to pursue a degree or degrees at the University of Oxford in the United Kingdom.  

Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents between the ages of 18 and 24 who will earn their bachelor’s degree from an accredited U.S. college or university with a minimum GPA of 3.7 before they begin studying as a Rhodes Scholar. 

Selection Criteria: Each year, 32 U.S. students are selected as Rhodes Scholars. Rhodes Scholars demonstrate outstanding scholarly achievements, character, commitment to others and to the common good, and potential for leadership in whatever career they may choose. 

Deadlines: The internal UAlbany deadline is in early September and the national deadline is generally in early October.

Consult the Rhodes Scholarships website for more details. 

Overview: The Truman Foundation — created as a memorial to the 33rd President of the United States — offers students a scholarship up to $30,000 for graduate or professional school in the field of public service. The scholarship also offers students leadership development, networking, and internship and employment opportunities with the federal government.  

Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens or U.S. nationals who are full-time students pursuing a bachelor’s degree with either junior-level academic standing or senior-level standing in the third year of their college enrollment. Students who have already attended graduate school are not eligible for the Truman Scholarship.  

Selection Criteria: Truman Scholars demonstrate significant public service and leadership experience and have a highly competitive GPA.  

Deadlines: The internal UAlbany deadline is in early December and the national deadline is generally in early February.  

Consult the Truman Scholarship website for more details. 

Overview: The Udall Foundation awards scholarships up to $7,000 for eligible academic expenses to college sophomores and juniors who exhibit leadership, public service and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. The Udall Scholarship also provides access to the Udall Alumni Network — an association of change-makers working in Indian country and environmental fields who share innovative ideas, professional advice, and job and internship opportunities. Students also attend a five-day orientation in Arizona to network and learn valuable skills. 

Eligibility: College sophomores or juniors who are working towards positive solutions for environmental challenges or other issues affecting Indian country, who have demonstrated a commitment to these areas through public service, who inspire and motivate others to take action, and who are committed to making a difference through civility and consensus building are invited to apply. 

Selection Criteria: Applicants are judged in four categories: their academic achievements, their personal essay, their commitment he environment, health care or tribal public policy, and their personal characteristics, as evidenced by volunteerism and letters of reference. 

Deadlines: The internal UAlbany deadline is early February and the national deadline is generally in March. 

Consult the Udall Scholarship website for more details. 

Overview: The Churchill Scholarship provides funding to U.S. students for a year of master’s study in science, mathematics and engineering at Churchill College, part of the University of Cambridge. The scholarship was set up at the request of Sir Winston Churchill to fulfill his vision of a US-UK scientific exchange that would advance science and technology on both sides of the Atlantic, helping to ensure our future prosperity and security. 

Eligibility: Applicants must be a U.S. citizen in their senior year or a student who recently graduated from a participating university. 

Selection Criteria: Applicants should demonstrate outstanding academic achievement in STEM courses, proven talent in research and impressive personal qualities. 

Deadlines: The national deadline is generally in late October.  

Consult the Churchill Scholarship website for more details. 

Overview: The Fulbright UK Summer Institutes offer 3- to 4-week programs for U.S. undergraduates in which students attend classes at a U.K. university while exploring the culture, heritage and history of the United Kingdom. Depending on the Institute, students will have the opportunity to study alongside leading academics and professionals. Participants develop knowledge in specific fields, attend cultural and social event, visit cultural sites and areas of scenic beauty, receive credit they can transfer to their home institution, meet people from different backgrounds and cultures, and become an ambassador for studying in the UK, as well as for the Fulbright Commission and their host institutions. The Institute covers roundtrip airfare, tuition and fees, accommodations and, in some cases, a small daily allowance for meals.

Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens who have U.S. passports, a minimum GPA of 3.7 and at least two years of undergraduate study left to complete after returning from the Institute. Applicants must also be 18 or older at the start of the program and currently enrolled in college. 

Selection Criteria: Strong preference is given to students with little to no travel experience outside the United States. Applicants who have spent more than four weeks outside the United States in the last five years are not eligible. 

Deadlines: The national deadline is in February. 

Consult the Fulbright UK Summer Institute website for more details. 

Overview: The Gates Cambridge Scholarship offers about 80outstanding applicants from countries outside the United Kingdom full-cost scholarships to pursue a full-time postgraduate degree in any subject available at the University of Cambridge.  

Eligibility: Applicants must be citizens of any country outside of the United Kingdom and be applying for a full-time resident program — such as a PhD, MSC/MLitt or select one-year postgraduate course — at the University of Cambridge.

Selection Criteria: Scholarships are awarded based on intellectual ability, justification for the choice of degree, a commitment to improving the lives of others and leadership capacity.  

Deadlines: The national deadline is generally in early October.  

Consult the Gates Cambridge Scholarship website for more details.

Overview: The NIH Oxford-Cambridge Scholars Program is an accelerated, individualized doctoral training program for outstanding science students committed to biomedical research careers. The program is based on the British system, in which students perform doctoral research without required formal courses other than those students choose to take in relationship to their own interests. The scholarship provides tuition and stipend support for the duration of the program, which lasts about 4 years. Scholars conduct self-derived and self-driven doctoral research in NIH and UK laboratories, and also earn a DPhil or PhD from Oxford or Cambridge.  

Eligibility: U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents are eligible to apply. 

Selection Criteria: Successful applicants have high academic achievement with significant research experience, often have coauthored manuscripts in scientific journals, and receive outstanding letters of recommendation. 

Deadlines: The national deadline is generally in early December.  

Consult the NIH Oxford Cambridge Scholars Program website for more details. 

Overview: The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program provides up to three years of graduate education support to students who have demonstrated their potential for significant academic achievements in science and engineering research. 

Eligibility: Applicants must be U.S. citizens, nationals, or permanent residents who intend to enroll full-time in a research-based graduate degree program in a STEM or STEM education field of study. Students in more than 100 subdisciplines, including hard sciences, social sciences and psychology, are considered. 

Selection Criteria: The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based master's and doctoral degrees at accredited U.S. institutions.  

Deadlines: The national deadline is generally in mid- to late October.  

Consult the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program website for more details.