AAUW 2023 International Fellowships

International Fellowships have been in existence since 1917. The program provides support for women pursuing full-time graduate or postdoctoral study in the United States to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents, and who intend to return to their home country to pursue a professional career. A limited number of awards are available for study outside of the U.S. (excluding the applicant’s home country) to women who are members of Graduate Women International (see the list of GWI affiliates). Both graduate and postgraduate studies at accredited U.S. institutions are supported.

Applicants must have earned the equivalent of a U.S. bachelor’s degree by the application deadline and must have applied to their proposed institutions of study by the time of the application. Recipients are selected for academic achievement and demonstrated commitment to women and girls. 

Recipients return to their home countries to become leaders in business, government, academia, community activism, and the arts or scientific fields. 

• Table of Content
• About American Association of University Women (AAUW)
• International Fellowships
• Aim and Benefits of International Fellowships
• Requirements for International Fellowships Qualification
• Interview date, Process and Venue for International Fellowships
• Application Deadline
• How to Apply

About American Association of University Women (AAUW)

We are tenacious and trailblazing — advocating for women and girls since 1881 and into the future!

International Fellowships

Aim and Benefits of International Fellowships

International Fellowship funds are available for:

• Educational expenses.
• Living expenses. Dependent child care. 
• Travel to professional meetings, conferences, or seminars that do not exceed 10% of the fellowship total. 

Requirements for International Fellowships Qualification

• International Fellowships are not open to previous recipients of any AAUW national fellowship or grant (not including branch or local awards or Community Action Grants).
• Members of the AAUW board of directors, committees, panels, task forces and staff, including current interns, are not eligible to apply for AAUW’s fellowships and grants. A person holding a current award is eligible for election or appointment to boards, committees, panels and task forces.
• International Fellowships are open to women, including people who identify as women, in all fields of study at an accredited institution of higher education or, for postdoctoral fellows, research. AAUW will make final decisions about what constitutes eligible institutions.
• Unsuccessful applicants may reapply.
• To be eligible for an International Fellowship, applicants must meet the following criteria:
  • Have citizenship in a country other than the U.S. or possession of a nonimmigrant visa if residing in the U.S. Women who are currently, or expect to be during the fellowship year, a U.S. citizen, U.S. permanent resident, or dual citizen with the U.S. and another country are not eligible.
  • Hold an academic degree (earned in the U.S. or abroad) equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree completed by the application deadline. 
  • Intend to devote themselves full-time to the proposed academic plan during the fellowship year.
  • Intend to return to their home country to pursue a professional career upon completion of their studies. 
  • Be proficient in English and confirm proficiency by submitting one of the Required Components (see below), which include certain English proficiency exams, transcripts from English-speaking institutions, or a written statement verifying English is the applicant’s native language. Applicants planning to take one of the accepted English proficiency exams should plan for and take the test as early as possible. Please direct questions about the tests to the test provider.
  • Master’s/first professional degree and doctoral applicants must have applied by the AAUW application deadline, to an accredited institution of study for the period of the fellowship year and must indicate the name of the institution in the International Fellowship application. While acceptance is not required at the time of application, fellows must provide official confirmation from the institution with their award acceptance materials. 
• Master’s/first professional degree fellowships are intended for master’s or professional degree-level programs such as J.D., M.F.A., L.L.M., M.Arch., or medical degrees such as M.D., D.D.S., etc. Certificates, associate degrees, and undergraduate degrees are ineligible.
• Doctoral fellowships are intended for doctorate degrees classified as research degrees, such as Ph.D. or Ed.D.
• Postdoctoral applicants must provide proof of their doctorate degree; hold a doctorate classified as a research degree (e.g., Ph.D., Ed.D., D.B.A., D.M.) or an M.F.A. by the application deadline; and indicate where they will conduct their research. 
• Master’s/first professional degree and doctoral applicants must be enrolled in a U.S.-accredited institution located in the U.S. during the fellowship year. 
• A limited number of awards are available to Graduate Women International members for study or research in any country other than their own. Note that foreign branches of U.S. institutions are considered outside of the U.S.
• Applicants can apply for the fellowship for any year of their program but must be conducting a full year of study or research. International Fellowships do not provide funding for a partial year of study or research. Programs ending prior to April of the fellowship year are not eligible.
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• Distance learning/online programs: Master’s/first professional degree and doctoral fellowships support traditional classroom-based courses of study at colleges or universities. This fellowship program does not provide funding for distance-learning or online programs or for degrees heavily dependent on distance-learning components. Final decisions about what constitutes distance learning under these fellowships will be made by AAUW. AAUW will accept applications from applicants who are temporarily studying remotely due to COVID-19 precautions at their institution.

Interview date, Process and Venue for International Fellowships

Timeline

August 1, 2023
Application opens.

November 15, 2023, by 11:59 p.m. Pacific Standard Time
Deadline for online submission of application, recommendations, and supporting documents.

April 15, 2024
Notification of decisions emailed to all applicants. AAUW is not able to honor requests for earlier notification.

July 1, 2024–June 30, 2025
Fellowship year

When a date falls on a weekend or holiday, the date will be observed on the following business day.

Application Deadline

How to Apply

For more details, visit AAUW website.