Nationally Competitive Awards Directory
Research is the key to finding a scholarship or fellowship opportunity that fits you and your situation, and it is worth noting that most application processes require you to plan at least six months in advance. We encourage you to explore the opportunities below focusing first on eligibility requirements and next on scholar profiles and details of the award to evaluate the feasibility of your candidacy.
*The awards below denoted with an asterisk require campus nomination. Potential applicants must complete the Iowa State University Application for Nationally Competitive Awards prior to the campus deadline for full consideration and are encouraged to schedule an appointment with the Assistant Director for Nationally Competitive Awards prior to beginning the application process.
Didn't find what you're looking for below? Utilize these additional resources to continue your search.
- ProFellow (highly recommended that students create an account)
- Prestige Scholarships for College
- Institute for International Education
- University of South Carolina National Fellowship Search Tool
Looking for a summer "REU" (research opportunity for undergraduates)? Check out the Iowa State Undergraduate Research website for a listing of opportunities and much more.
Award Categories
STEM-Based
Summer Research Early Identification Program (sophomores/juniors targeting PhD or MD/PhD)
Summer Research Opportunities Program (freshmen-juniors : minority/first generation applicants)
The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering & Medicine Fellowships
Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (freshmen/sophomores)
Cargill Global Scholars Program (freshmen/sophomores)
*Goldwater Scholarship (sophomores/juniors): Campus Application due 3rd Monday in October
*Udall Scholarship (sophomores/juniors): Campus Application due 3rd Monday in November
Natl. Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin Hollings Scholarship (sophomores/juniors)
DAAD RISE Program (Germany)
National Defence Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Brooke Owens Fellowship for Women in Aerospace
Geological and Atmospheric Sciences Fellowships
National Institutes of Health Postbac Intramural Research Training Award
Foreign Affairs IT Fellowship (undergraduates and graduates)
Data Science for Social Good Summer Fellowship (undergraduates, graduates, recent alum)
Women in Aerospace Scholarship (juniors and seniors)
Graduate School
Gates-Cambridge Scholarship (UK)
*Rhodes Scholarship for U.S. Students & for International Students (UK): Campus Application due 3rd Monday in August
*Truman Scholarship: Campus Application due 1st Monday in November
*Marshall Scholarship (UK): Campus Application due 3rd Monday in August
Mitchell Scholarship (Ireland)
Schwartzman Scholars (China)
Knight-Hennessy Scholars (Stanford)
National Defence Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship
Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship
Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship
James C. Gaither Junior Fellows Program
James Madison Memorial Fellowship (social studies education)
Study/Research/Language Abroad
*Fulbright: Campus Application due 2nd Monday in September
Killam Fellowship/Fulbright Canada
Foreign Affairs IT Fellowship (undergraduates and graduates)
MENAR Fellowship Program (Middle East)
DAAD RISE Program (Germany - contact Mark Rectanus at mwr@iastate.edu)
CBYX (Germany)
Gilman Scholarship (contact Anne Grevstad-Nordbrock in the Study Abroad Center at annegn@iastate.edu)
*See the Iowa State University Study Abroad Center scholarship listing for further opportunities.
Public Service & Foreign Affairs
Emerson National Hunger Fellowship (seniors and graduate students)
Leland International Hunger Fellowship (seniors and graduate students)
Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship
Newman Civic Fellowship (freshmen-juniors: contact nationalawards@iastate.edu)
Rangel International Affairs Program
Payne International Development Fellowship
Foreign Affairs IT Fellowship (undergraduates and graduates)
MENAR Fellowship Program (Middle East)
FAO Schwarz Fellowship (graduating seniors/recent grads - non-profit sector/social justice)
Lead for America (graduating students - public service, grassroots movements)
Summer, GAP & Experiential
Summer Research Early Identification Program (sophomores/juniors targeting PhD or MD/PhD)
Emerson National Hunger Fellowship (seniors and graduate students)
Leland International Hunger Fellowship (seniors and graduate students)
Davis Fellows for Peace (undergraduates)
Lynette Pohlman Museum Fellowship (ISU undergraduates, any major)
Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (freshmen/sophomores)
DAAD RISE Program (Germany)
Fulbright UK Summer Institute (freshmen/sophomores)
Humanity in Action (undergraduates & recent grads)
Rangel Summer Enrichment Program (sophomores/juniors)
National Institutes of Health Postbac Intramural Research Training Award
Natl. Oceanic & Atmospheric Admin Hollings Scholarship (sophomores/juniors)
Brooke Owens Fellowship for Women in Aerospace
Project Horseshoe Farm (GAP Year: leadership, community health, social entrepreneurship)
Princeton in Latin American (GAP Year: Spanish and NGO work open to seniors/recent graduates)
Hertog Fellowship for Political Studies (Summer program open to undergrads/recent graduates)
Public Policy & International Affairs Junior Summer Institute (juniors)
Fulbright Canada MITACS Global Link Summer Research Program (freshmen-juniors)
FAO Schwarz Fellowship (graduating seniors/recent grads - non-profit sector/social justice)
Lead for America (graduating students - public service, grassroots movements)
Data Science for Social Good Summer Fellowship (undergraduates, graduates, recent alum)
Uncommon Schools Summer Teaching Fellowship (juniors in education with social justice focus)
Break Through Collaborative Teaching Fellowship (undergraduates from all majors interested in teaching/social justice)
Awards for Multicultural Students
Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (freshmen/sophomores)
Summer Research Opportunities Program (freshmen-juniors)
Rangel Summer Enrichment Program (sophomores/juniors)
Humanity in Action (undergraduates & recent grads)
Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship
Payne International Development Fellowship
Eisenhower Transportation Fellowship
Uncommon Schools Summer Teaching Fellowship (juniors in education with social justice focus)
Break Through Collaborative Teaching Fellowship (undergraduates from all majors interested in teaching/social justice)
Institute for the Recruitment of Teachers (juniors/seniors and graduate students interested in education/higher education admin)
The iSchool Inclusion Institute (undergraduates from all fields/research and leadership development)
Trials Summer Pre-Law Prep Program (undergrads/grads from underrepresented groups: NYU and Harvard sponsored)
