Doctoral students in the Physical Sciences Division are strongly encouraged to apply for fellowships during their graduate student careers in order to practice the process of identifying, applying for, and securing funding—an integral part of the academic enterprise.
Identification of Funding Opportunities
Additionally, students should speak with faculty for recommendations. Many departments have a faculty member dedicated to graduate student support. Postdocs can also be a valuable source of information.
Applying for Funding
- Nomination: Some high-profile fellowships involve a nomination process. Examples include the HHMI International Student Research Fellowship and the PSD Harper Dissertation Fellowship.
- Direct Application: In most cases, students can apply directly to fellowship competitions.
Application Support
UChicagoGRAD provides fellowship advising and writing resources for Master's students and PhD students.
The department/program and division work with UChicagoGRAD and other campus partners to sponsor workshops specifically for PSD students. The department/program student affairs staff person will keep students informed of these kinds of events.
Awards
Students who receive a financial award from a non-University of Chicago source are normally expected to accept it, and to notify the Division. The Division reserves the right to make adjustments to a student’s UChicago award if they receive a substantial award from outside the University.