Since 1917, there have been international fellowship programs. Women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents and who want to return to their native country to pursue a professional career are given support for their full-time graduate or postdoctoral study through this fellowship program. Women who are members of Graduate Women International (see the list of GWI affiliates) may be eligible for a small number of prizes for study abroad (excluding the applicant’s home country).
By the application deadline, applicants must have completed coursework equal to a U.S. bachelor’s degree and submit applications to the schools they intend to attend. Also, academic excellence and a clear commitment to supporting women and girls are considered while choosing recipients.
The fellowship program is for different levels with awards and they are?:
Award Amount
Master’s/first professional degree: $20,000
Doctoral: $25,000
Postdoctoral: $50,000
Eligibility
- Previous recipients of any AAUW national fellowship or grant (except branch or local awards or Community Action Grants) are not eligible for international fellowships.
- All current interns as well as members of the AAUW board of directors, committees, panels, task forces, and staff are ineligible to apply for fellowships and grants from the organization.
- Women, including those who identify as women, are eligible for international fellowships in all fields of study at approved institutions of higher learning or, for postdoctoral fellows, in research. The final determination of what institutions qualify as eligible institutions rests with AAUW.
Note: You can reapply if unsuccessful
Eligibility for International Fellowship Program
To be eligible for an International Fellowship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
- Possess a nonimmigrant visa if residing in the US or having citizenship in a nation other than the US. Women who presently have the status of U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or dual citizen of the U.S. and another nation, or who anticipate doing so during the fellowship year, are ineligible.
- Hold an academic degree (earned in the U.S. or abroad) equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree completed by November 15, 2023.
- Intend to devote themselves full-time to the proposed academic plan during the fellowship year.
- Intend to return to their home country to pursue a professional career upon completion of their studies.
- Be able to communicate effectively in English and demonstrate this ability by providing one of the Required Components (see below), which may include specific English proficiency tests, transcripts from institutions that speak English, or a written declaration stating that English is the applicant’s first language. Candidates should prepare for and take the exam as soon as feasible if they intend to take one of the recognized English proficiency tests. Please contact the exam provider with any inquiries you may have.
- Doctoral and master’s applicants must have submitted applications by November 15, 2022, to approved institutions of higher learning for the fellowship year and must include the institution’s name in the international fellowship application. Although it is not necessary to accept an award at the time of application, fellows must include official confirmation from the school with their award acceptance paperwork.
- Master’s/first professional degree fellowships are intended for masters 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. Certificates, associate degrees, and undergraduate degrees are ineligible.
- Doctoral fellowships are intended for doctorate degrees classified as research degrees, such as Ph.D. or Ed.D.
Postdoctoral applicants must provide proof of their doctorate; hold a doctorate classified as a research degree (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D., D.B.A., D.M.) or an M.F.A. by November 15, 2022; and indicate where they will conduct their 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.
Graduate Women International members may be eligible for a small number of prizes for study or research abroad in any nation. Keep in mind that international divisions of American institutions are regarded as being located abroad. - Although candidates must be pursuing a full year of study or research, they may apply for the fellowship in any program year. No partial year of study or research is financially supported by an international fellowship. Programs that wrap up before the fellowship year’s April are not eligible.
- Master’s/first professional degree and doctorate fellowships support conventional classroom-based study at colleges or universities through distance learning/online programs. The financing for online or distance learning programs, as well as degrees that heavily rely on remote learning, is not available through this fellowship program. AAUW will have the last say on what qualifies as distant learning for these fellowships.
Note: Applications from candidates who are momentarily studying remotely because of COVID-19 safeguards at their institution will be accepted by AAUW.
Read more: Full Grant Lists for African American Students, 2023/2024
Criteria for Selection and Application Review:
Note: Applications and supporting documentation are not returned or kept for a second year; they become the sole property of AAUW.
- Special consideration will be given to applicants living in their home country at the time of application, from developing or emerging nations, or who belong to an underrepresented group in any region.
- Position on return to home country.
- Academic and/or professional qualifications.
- Demonstrated commitment to the advancement of women and girls in the home country.
- Proposed schedule.
- Quality and feasibility of the proposed plan of study or research.
- Demonstrated evidence of prior community and/or civic service in the home country.
- Applicant’s country’s need for specialized knowledge or skill.
- Financial need.
- Motivation for graduate study or research.
Regulations
International Fellowship funds are 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 are 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).
Terms Regarding Acceptance Into AAUW Fellowship Program:
- A contract must be signed by each winner of an international fellowship to accept the grant. If the applicant is given a fellowship, keep these instructions since they will be included in the fellowship contract.
An International Fellow is expected to pursue their project full-time during the fellowship year (July 1–June 30). No partial fellowships are awarded. Fellowships may not be deferred. - Except for tuition or fee waivers, sabbatical support, or assistance from a program that provides the functional equivalent of sabbatical leave, the International Fellowship dollar amount must be greater than any other single award or paying position received during the fellowship year and must be acknowledged as the major award. Accepting concurrent money that is smaller than the AAUW award is allowed but needs the organization’s prior written consent.
- Plans for the fellowship year cannot be changed without AAUW’s prior written consent. Any modification in an application’s status brought on by the acceptance of another award must be promptly reported to AAUW.
With the previous written consent of AAUW, fellows may spend up to two months conducting research relating to their project plan overseas.
Fellows may work up to 20 hours a week or teach one course, with prior written approval of AAUW. - Postdoctoral fellows cannot pursue a degree during the fellowship year.
The first year of up to five international master’s/first professional degree fellowships is renewable. During their fellowship year, fellows will get information on how to apply to this competitive program. - Stipends are made payable to fellows, not to institutions.
Note: The fellowship stipend is taxable at a rate of 14 or 30 percent, with some exceptions based on applicable tax statuses and treaties. To pay the Internal Revenue Service, AAUW will withhold these amounts.
Required Components
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.
- Start
- Background
- Proposal
- Recommendations, Documents & Review
Recommendations:
Provide three references from academics or professional peers who are familiar with the applicant’s work, academic background, and career aspirations. When possible, recommenders should be academics or professional peers from the applicant’s home country who can speak to the applicant’s qualifications and the need for the particular knowledge or skill that their intended study or research will help them obtain in their home country.
Fellowship Program Documents:
1. Proof of highest degree: Upload transcripts from the college or university where the highest degree (not a certificate) was obtained.
2. Transcripts must include a list of courses taken and grades received.
3. Do not upload copies of additional certificates or other documents the applicant may have received during their education.
4. Proof of current enrollment (currently enrolled applicants only): Upload transcripts/lists of courses/institution letters from the college or university in which the applicant is currently enrolled if enrolled.
5. Transcripts must include a list of courses taken and grades received.
6. Many transcripts do not include current coursework. If fall 2023 semester grades are not available and are not on your transcript, a list of courses taken that semester must be provided by the institution’s Office of the Registrar.
7. If the institution does not provide a transcript or a list of courses taken and grades received or the degree did not require coursework, an “official letter” from the institution where the degree was received that includes the degree completion date must be uploaded.
8. Proof of a doctorate or M.F.A. degree (postdoctoral applicants only): Upload any one of the following:
9. Transcript showing degree and date received (must be on or before November 15, 2022).
10. Official letter from the institution where the degree was received that includes the degree completion date.
11. Copy of the diploma showing the date degree was received (must be on or before November 15, 2022).
12. Proof of English proficiency: Upload one of the following:
13. Official report of an acceptable and valid TOEFL or IELTS score. Scores are valid for two years.
Note: Minimum acceptable scores are as follows:
- TOEFL iBT (Internet-Based Test): 79
- TOEFL Essentials: 8.5
- Revised TOEFL Paper-Delivered Test: 60
- IELTS: 6.5
14. Written statement verifying the applicant’s native language is English.
Academic transcript or diploma confirming one of the following:
- Secondary diploma or undergraduate degree is from an English-speaking institution.
- One semester of full-time study in the applicant’s discipline at an English-speaking institution between November 2020 and November 2022.
15. A certified English translation is required for all components provided in a foreign language. Translations must bear a mark of certification or official signature that the translation is true and complete.
All transcripts provided must include the applicant’s full name, the school’s name, all courses, and all grades, as well as any other information requested in the application instructions.
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