Research and travel abroad can be a key part of graduate studies. This section of the Handbook is meant to offer some suggestions and ideas for applying for external funding to make this kind of experience possible.

A few general points:

  • Fellowship applications are typically due the fall before the year you will travel. This means you must begin planning the spring before the fall you apply, or almost 18 months before you will leave.
  • This application schedule means many applications (especially the Fulbright, which has a very early deadline) are due at the very start of the semester. Your faculty must know in advance if they are going to write for you effectively.
  • A corollary of the above: don’t assume you will be able to get letters or prompt feedback on your proposal during the summer.
  • Many fellowships require you to be ABD before applying; plan accordingly.

Identifying fellowships to which to apply can be a challenge; the list below is simply meant to get you started.

Students in search of external grants and fellowships may wish to begin with the list compiled by the Office of Graduate Studies and the calendar available from the American Historical Association: https://www.historians.org/awards-and-grants/awards-and-fellowships-calendar

General Fellowship and Grant Opportunities

Fellowship and Grant Opportunities for US History

Fellowship and Grant Opportunities for Medieval, Early Modern and Modern European History