Central Campus Fellowships

Fellowship Support

Funds are awarded on the basis of merit and promise of productive scholarship. Types of university awards and funding sources include centrally administered fellowships, department and campus gift and endowment funds, and departmental block grants. Fellowship funds could provide payment of any of the following: tuition and fees, health insurance, non-resident supplemental tuition, and stipend. A fellowship is any payment to a student that is not salary or direct reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses such as travel costs. All fellowships must be processed and disbursed by the Graduate Division.

Except for a selection of continuing fellowships (listed below), graduate students do not apply directly for central campus fellowships. Central fellowship awards are based on nomination by departments and selection by a central faculty fellowship committee. Departments may also award department-specific fellowships to incoming students based on their application materials or to continuing students based on nomination. Please contact your department’s graduate program assistant or graduate advisor for information about fellowships available to you.

For other fellowship opportunities, see Extramural Funding or Other UCSB Fellowships and Funding, as well as the International Doctoral Recruitment Fellowship (IDRF) for international students. 

Central Awards Applications

Continuing graduate students may apply directly to these fellowships by clicking the DocuSign forms in the links below. Please note for reference, a PDF version of the form is available to the right of each DocuSign link. Applications for the below fellowships are due via Docusign no later than March 8, 2024.

Broida-Hirschfelder Fellowship

The UCSB Affiliates (formerly the UCSB Shoreliners and Faculty Women’s Club), with matching support from Graduate Division, will make two awards from the Broida-Hirschfelder Endowment. This award provides a total stipend of $10,834 for Fall 2024 to domestic and/or international students from the following departments: Biomolecular Science and Engineering; Chemical Engineering; Chemistry and Biochemistry; Computer Science; Earth Science (Geological Sciences); Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology; Electrical and Computer Engineering; Environmental Science and Management; Geography; Marine Science; Materials; Mathematics; Mechanical and Environmental Engineering; Molecular, Cellular and Developmental Biology; Physics; Psychology (only physiological or experimental emphasis are eligible); and Statistics and Applied Probability

Broida-Hirschfelder Fellowship DocuSign PowerForm  |  Reference Copy of Form

Brython Davis Graduate Fellowship

The Brython Davis Endowment Graduate Fellowship is designated for children of regular members of the U.S. Navy or Marine Corps. It provides one-quarter of fellowship support for a continuing graduate student.

Brython Davis Graduate Fellowship DocuSign PowerForm  |  Reference Copy of Form

Olivia Long Converse Graduate Fellowship

The Converse Fellowship supports graduate research on terrestrial plants in Mexico. Fellowships will be granted for field-oriented studies. Both research and research-related travel expenses are appropriate. Awards may be made for one quarter (maximum stipend $10,834) or for one academic year (maximum stipend $32,500) and may be received more than once.

Olivia Long Converse Graduate Fellowship DocuSign PowerForm  |  Reference Copy of Form

James D. Kline Fund for International Studies Award

This award is intended to support top caliber Masters thesis or doctoral dissertation research by UC Santa Barbara graduate students engaged in programs of study that promote international understanding and world peace. This fund is dedicated to James D. Kline, who was active in the Fulbright Program and the Education Abroad Program and devoted a lifetime to international education. 

James D. Kline Fund for International Studies Award DocuSign PowerForm  |  Reference Copy of Form

Humanities and Social Sciences Research Grant

This award is given to assist talented graduate students in education, social sciences, fine arts, and humanities to pursue original research. Since these disciplines traditionally have limited access to extramural funds, this program's purpose is to help redress an imbalance in funding for graduate research. Doctoral or MFA domestic and international students may apply. 

Humanities and Social Sciences Research Grant DocuSign PowerForm  |  Reference Copy of Form

Continuing graduate students may be approached by their department to provide materials for the below department-nominated fellowships.

Graduate Division Dissertation Fellowship

The Graduate Division Dissertation Fellowship is a one-quarter award intended for doctoral students from all academic disciplines who have advanced to candidacy and who are in the final stages of completing their dissertation. The Graduate Division Dissertation Fellowship is available to both domestic and international students. Financial need is a critical component. The Dissertation Fellowship is intended to free the awardee from TA or non-academic employment obligations, enabling full attention to dissertation writing. Students receiving this award are not allowed to have student employment during the quarter in which they receive the Dissertation Fellowship. Students who have not had regular support, such as GSR positions, for dissertation research will be given priority. This is a one-time, non-renewable award and is expected to be the final award before the degree is conferred. Award recipients will not be considered for further central fellowship awards. Nomination materials include a description of research project, Curriculum Vitae, and letter of recommendation from the student’s faculty mentor.

Graduate Opportunity Fellowship/Graduate Research Mentorship Program

The award provides an academic year fellowship for a continuing graduate student. It is intended to assist recipients in acquiring and developing sophisticated research skills under faculty mentorship. The fellowship’s goal is to increase the number of students who contribute to the diversity mission of the university, who persist towards the doctoral degree and show promise as candidates for faculty appointments. This award is particularly appropriate for support in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th or 5th year of studies.

Graduate Humanities Research Fellowship

The Graduate Humanities Research Fellowship is intended for doctoral students from the humanities or fine arts, or who are conducting research of a humanistic nature. This award is intended to free the student from employment obligations, enabling full attention to research.

President’s Dissertation Year Fellowship

The UC President’s Dissertation Year Fellowship provides financial resources to allow fellows to devote full attention to completing the dissertation in a twelve-month period. The fellowship’s goal is to increase the number of students who contribute to the diversity mission of the university.  The award requires a clearly defined, vital mentor relationship between the student and their dissertation advisor that will encourage completion of the doctoral degree during the tenure of this fellowship. Ultimately, this program aims to improve the rate at which award recipients complete their degrees and to improve the quality of their research training and scholarly output. This Dissertation Fellowship is intended to free the awardee from TA or non-academic employment obligations, enabling full attention to dissertation writing. Students receiving this award are not allowed to have student employment during the year in which they receive the fellowship.