Fellowships
Named after former U.S. senator and advocate for science education Barry M. Goldwater, the Goldwater Scholarship supports undergraduates in STEM pursuing research-intensive academic and professional careers in the natural sciences, mathematics, or engineering. Colleges and universities can nominate four students each year, in addition to one transfer student and one U.S. veteran.
| ATTENTION | 9/15/26: There are technical issues with the Goldwater application portal impacting the submission of interest forms and access to the application.Please fill out Brown's Goldwater interest form to receive information on the next stage of the process.Questions? Please contact us at fellowships@brown.edu |
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Details
- What’s provided: Cost of undergraduate tuition until graduation (for sophomores, up to two years/four semesters, for juniors, up to one year/two semesters), including mandatory fees, books, and room and board, up to a maximum of $7,500 per full academic year
- Location: U.S.
- Field of Study/Work/Focus Area/Industry: STEM
- Program Type: Undergraduate funding
- Duration: One to two years depending on status as sophomore or junior
Eligibility
- U.S. Citizen or permanent resident
- Current sophomore or junior
- Must have a B average or GPA equivalency of 3.0
- Must be concentrating in STEM. Students interested in medicine are only eligible if they plan to pursue a research career (MD-PhD) rather than a clinical one.
Timeline
| Application launch | September 14, 2026 |
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| Interest Form Deadline | October 12, 2026 |
| Application Advising | October 12, 2026 to November 6, 2026 |
| Campus Deadline | November 9, 2026, 11:59 pm ET |
| National Deadline | January 29, 2027, 5:00 pm CT |
How to Apply
The Goldwater Scholarship has a two-stage application process:
- Stage one: Interested students should complete and submit an interest form by the deadline of October 12, 2026. The interest form asks for names and contact information for three research mentors, a brief description of your research experience, and demographic information.
- After submitting the interest form, students will receive an email from fellowships@brown.edu with further directions on finalizing and confirming their recommenders.
- Important: The Goldwater Scholarship requires your recommenders to be research mentors, meaning PIs and research faculty.
- Interest forms are approved on a rolling basis from September 14, 2026 until October 12, 2026.
- Stage two: Once your interest form is received, you will be granted access to our Goldwater Google Classroom and invited to begin an application in UFunds. The application consists of:
- Information on activities and accomplishments, research projects and skills, and current coursework
- A research essay of no more than 3 pages, with figures, captions and citations included
- Official transcript(s)
- Short responses on career goals/professional aspirations and research experience
- Note: MD-PhD applicants are required to submit a supplemental essay on the importance of a medical degree to achieve their research goals
- Three letters (3) of recommendation
IMPORTANT NOTE: Do not use the official Goldwater Scholarship application portal to complete your application!
Submit your complete application in UFunds by the campus deadline of 11:59pm ET on November 9, 2026 for consideration in the campus nomination process.
For one-on-one support with this fellowship, sign up for open hours.
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