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Internal Fellowships

About

Financial support for graduate study at UC Davis is available in the form of fellowships, teaching and research assistantships, and financial aid. Graduate Studies administers several campus-based fellowship programs, including awards to support campus diversity.

UC Davis uses a variety of internal fellowship funds to support academic graduate students. Internal fellowships can provide financial support in the form of a stipend (or "living allowance"), Tuition & Fee, Nonresident Supplemental Tuition (NRST), research, travel or any combination of these. The value of the fellowships varies from $1,000 to as much as a $50,000/year award. Internal fellowships are paid in a single academic year (October through June) unless otherwise noted.

Contact

For College of Agriculture & Environmental Sciences, the College of Engineering, the School of Medicine, or the School of Veterinary Medicine and the Provost First Year Fellowship, Diversity Fellowships, and UC-HBCU Fellowship: Lauren McDiarmid

For College of Letters & Sciences, the College of Biological Sciences, the School of Nursing, the School of Education and the DDGF and Bilinski Fellowship: contact Heidi West

Apply

Prospective graduate students apply for internal fellowships via the application for admission. Continuing graduate students apply via our Annual Internal Fellowship Competition for Continuing Graduate Students page. A "continuing student" is a student who has already been officially admitted to UC Davis, is registered and enrolled in classes during the current academic year, and will be registered and enrolled during the academic year in which the funding will be paid.

Eligibility

Awards are a mark of honor, primarily on the basis of scholarship and promise of outstanding academic and professional contribution. In evaluating applications, consideration is given to the extent and quality of previous undergraduate and graduate work, evidence of ability in research or other creative accomplishment, evidence of intellectual capacity, and promise of productive scholarship. Items to be included in this evaluation are: graduate grade-point average (GPA), academic transcripts, statement of purpose essay, personal history statement essay, three letters of recommendation, and other documentation such as publications and awards. Students must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 in order to be considered for fellowships.

In order to be paid a fellowship, graduate students must have an eligible citizenship status (US Citizen, Permanent Resident, F1 or J1 Visa, California AB 540). Fellowship offers made to students without an eligible citizenship status will be void.

Students in self-supporting degree programs (Clinical Research, Business Analytics, Forensic Science, International Commercial Law, Master of Laws, Master's Entry Program in Nursing, Doctor of Nursing Practice — Family Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant Studies, Professional Accountancy, and Maternal and Child Nutrition) are not eligible. Education Credential/MA students are only eligible once they have been awarded the credential and have begun their master's year of study. Students in the professional degree programs in Medicine (MD), Veterinary Medicine (DVM), Law (JD), Educational Leadership (CANDEL) EdD, and Management (MBA) are also not eligible.

Notification of Decision

Official notification of UC Davis internal fellowship offers are sent directly to students via the online application system . The first round of notifications will be e-mailed approximately 60 days after your fellowship deadline. Prospective student awardees are not required to accept fellowships offers prior to April 15. Because fellowship offers are made in multiple rounds through October 1, you will not be notified if your application was unsuccessful.

Graduate Program Fellowship Allocation Funds

Each graduate program may offer eligible students fellowship support, including a stipend (or "living allowance"), and/or Tuition & Fees, and/or nonresident supplemental tuition. To be considered for this award you must let your program know that you are interested in being considered and obtain the correct application instructions from your program.

U.S. citizens and permanent residents who are not legal residents of California are only eligible for a nonresident supplemental tuition fellowship in their first year. They can, and are expected to, establish residency. International students' eligibility for a nonresident supplemental tuition fellowship is not restricted to the first year. See information on establishing California residence for tuition purposes.

Fellowships to Support Campus Diversity

The Vice Provost – Graduate Education and Dean – Graduate Studies at the University of California Davis is committed to supporting the diversity of the graduate student body and promoting equal opportunity in higher education.  This commitment furthers the educational mission to serve the increasingly diverse population and educational needs of California and the nation. Both the Dean of Graduate Studies and the University of California community affirms that diversity is critical to promoting lively intellectual exchange and the variety of ideas and perspectives essential to advancing research. Our graduate students form the pool of future scholars and academic leaders, thus high value is placed on achieving a diverse graduate student body to support the University of California’s academic excellence.

Eligibility Criteria:

To be eligible for a fellowship that promotes diversity, applicants must have an interest in an academic career in teaching and research, be a United States Citizen, Permanent Resident, or qualify for California AB 540, and meet one or more of the following criteria:

  • Demonstrate potential to bring to their academic research the perspective that comes from their understanding of the experiences of groups historically underrepresented in higher education or underserved by academic research generally.
  • Provide evidence of academic achievement while overcoming barriers such as economic, social or educational disadvantage.
  • Demonstrate potential to contribute to higher education through the understanding of the barriers facing women, domestic minorities, students with disabilities, and members of other groups underrepresented in higher education careers, as evidenced by life experiences and educational background. Examples include, but are not limited to:
    • attendance at a minority serving institution;
    • ability to articulate the barriers facing women, racial minorities and other groups in fields where they are underrepresented;
    • participation in higher education pipeline programs, such as Puente, MESA, Summer Research Opportunity Programs or McNair Scholars.
    • Exhibit a record of service to advance equitable access to higher education for women, racial minorities, and other groups in fields where they are underrepresented.
  • Exhibit a record of leadership or significant experience teaching and mentoring students from groups that have been historically underrepresented in higher education.
  • Express a commitment to research focusing on historically underserved populations and understanding issues of racial or gender inequalities. For example:
    • research that addresses issues such as race, gender, diversity, and inclusion;
    • research that addresses topics such as health disparities, educational access and achievement, political engagement, economic justice, social mobility, civil and human rights, and other questions of interest to historically underrepresented groups;
    • artistic expression and cultural production that reflects culturally diverse communities or voices not well represented in the arts and humanities.