Fellowships enable students to pursue unique opportunities, whether during their undergraduate education or long after it, by providing funding for further education, supporting intensive research, covering travel and accommodations, and/or helping forge community across distance. If you can dream it, a fellowship can help you achieve it. Additionally, the process of applying for a fellowship can help you discover new interests, clarify your goals, and prepare materials that can be used to apply for future opportunities like graduate study.

You should! There is a fellowship out there for everyone. Make sure to carefully review fellowship eligibility: some opportunities present broad criteria, while some opportunities are limited to class year, discipline/field of study, or other qualifications. 

The earlier the better. Eligibility for many national and international fellowships typically begins in the summer before your sophomore year. Starting early helps put opportunities on your radar. Additionally, many fellowship deadlines are a full year prior to the term of the award.

National and international fellowships are competitive. While degree of competitiveness varies, it is important to bring a realistic perspective to the application process: there are often many excellent candidates for an opportunity, and selection criteria are ultimately subject to the interpretation of selection committees. It’s best to think in terms of what the process of applying will yield for you in terms of your personal development. You have a very strong chance of learning more about yourself and your academic and/or professional goals by applying. And of course, you can only receive a fellowship if you apply for it!

You can apply for as many fellowships as you would like; there is no limit, and applying for multiple awards does not hurt your chances of receiving one. In fact, some fellowships offer similar opportunities, so it makes sense to apply for any and all fellowships that relate to your interests. However, it is important to recognize that applying to a fellowship is a time commitment: it takes time to craft an application that is both tailored to the unique identity of the fellowship and representative of you. Determine your goals, plan ahead, and apply accordingly.

We always advise starting first with your own writing before looking at examples. Once you have started the process of applying and have created drafts, contact us at fellowships@brown.edu to inquire about looking at an example from a past recipient.

The best practice is to reach out to us at fellowships@brown.edu to put you in contact with a past recipient. Alumni who have received fellowships often return to campus to share their experiences with prospective applicants. Check the Fellowships at Brown calendar for all fellowship-related events.

More time is always best, but always give your recommenders at least a month’s notice from the fellowship deadline. This will allow ample time for your recommender to compose their letter and submit it. 

Every fellowship has different requirements for recommenders, with some requiring academic references (professors, PIs) and others professional (supervisors, managers). The best rule to follow: ask someone you know who can best speak to your candidacy for the kind of opportunity you are pursuing. If you are pursuing a research-intensive fellowship, you will want to have recommenders who can speak to you as a researcher and who have observed you conducting the same kind of work.