What is a Fellowship?
Many of us have heard the word “fellowship” at one point or another. That may have been in Peter Jackson’s “The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring,” in a social context as a synonym to camaraderie or friendship, or perhaps in an academic setting.
This article will focus on:
1) What a “fellowship” is in a non-medical, academic sense
2) Why any designer should at least consider graduate education/applying for a fellowship
3) A few popular and prestigious fellowships worth applying to
4) Tips on applying
What a fellowship is
Simply put, a fellowship is a distinguished honor accompanied by a monetary award “that graduate students or postgraduate scholars typically compete for, and fellows are selected based on their potential to make a positive, long-lasting contribution to their academic discipline” [1]. Many academic disciplines do not offer funding for graduate students, so applying for a fellowship can greatly reduce, or even eliminate, the cost of graduate school. For disciplines that do cover tuition and provide a living stipend, such as PhD engineering programs (and some master’s programs), a prestigious fellowship can provide a significantly higher amount of personal funding and an additional sum for research-related expenses.
Why a designer should consider graduate school and fellowships
While everyone in my opinion has the desire to create something extraordinary (e.g. a family, a beautiful backyard, a book, etc.), I feel that designers continually think how to create extraordinary things. Usually, designers gravitate toward one area of expertise and focus their design energy in this space - this could be in art, mechanical design, software development, or any other area. There are hundreds, if not thousands, of graduate programs throughout the world that offer designers the opportunity to dive deep into their field and produce exceptional designs. However, graduate students are not always able to choose which projects they want to work on. This is typically due to the nature of the research group and/or what projects are currently being funded. This may feel like a restriction to certain designers.
However, this is where a fellowship comes in! A fellowship allows you to propose research that you’re interested in and receive funding for multiple years as the principal investigator on the project. Not only will you be able to research and design what motivates you, but you will be much more likely to enter a graduate program of your choice (professors usually welcome hardworking, funded students!). Fellowships may also open additional doors in your graduate journey or career (for example, see the graduate research internship program for fellows of the NSF GRFP).
A few popular and prestigious fellowships
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Website: https://www.nsfgrfp.org/
Award: 3 years of financial support | $34,000 annual stipend | $12,000 annually to the institution (think tuition)
Who can apply: US citizens, US nationals, or permanent residents; those who have completed no more than one academic year of full-time graduate study (or the equivalent); be enrolled in an eligible program at an accredited United States graduate institution, with a US campus, by fall.*
Deadline: Third week of October (varies by discipline)
Hertz Fellowship
Website: https://www.hertzfoundation.org/the-fellowship/apply-for-fellowship/
Award: 5 years of financial support | $34,000/nine-month stipend | full-tuition | $5,000/year additional stipend for fellows with dependent children
Who can apply: US citizens or permanent residents; college seniors, first-year graduate students, or in a gap year preparing to apply to graduate school
Deadline: October 23, 2020
Ford Fellowship
Website: https://sites.nationalacademies.org/PGA/FordFellowships/index.htm
Award: 3 years of financial support | $27,000 annual stipend
Who can apply: U.S. citizens, U.S. nationals, and U.S. permanent residents; individuals granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program; Indigenous individuals exercising rights associated with the Jay Treaty of 1794; political asylees; refugees
Deadline: December 17, 2020 (predoctoral)
These are only three of many different fellowships! Check out their websites for more information and also look on your school’s website for additional fellowship opportunities. Universities frequently have a page dedicated to helping students learn about different fellowships. Also, pro tip if you are applying to Stanford this fall: make sure to apply to the Knight-Hennessy Scholarship here by October 14th.
Tips on Applying
Start early on your personal statement and research proposals - the more time you have to get feedback the better! Design your personal statement using good design process
Ask professors, friends, family, and academic advisors to read your proposal; your proposal should be written so people from a broad range of scientific backgrounds can understand it
Review winning proposals from previous years
Make sure to include citations (5-12 should be good) in your research proposal; make them small at the end to save as much room as you can for your actual proposal
Ask those who are familiar with your research abilities (e.g. research advisors) to write you a letter of recommendation (avoid only getting 2 letters unless absolutely necessary, shoot for 3!) - see John Salmon’s article “Letters of Recommendation” for more tips.
Be honest and make it your own!
I wish you all the best as you pursue graduate school and a fellowship! I truly believe graduate school can help you become the “expert designer” that we all want to be.
*Second year graduate students may not apply if they already applied once as a graduate student. Undergraduate students who did not receive funding when they applied as a senior may apply again as a first or second year graduate student.
