2017 was a great year for fellowships! With a member base of more than 60,000 fellowship seekers, ProFellow’s audience provides unique insights into the world’s most popular professional and academic fellowships. In addition to the Top 10 Most Popular Fellowships of 2017, we’ve tracked the top rising stars among fellowship programs in the U.S. and abroad. Here are the 10 trendiest fellowships of 2017, based on the total number of new favorites by our users in 2017 compared to 2016. Congrats to those who made the list!
#1 Nathan Cummings Foundation Fellowship (Favorites up 856%)
The Nathan Cummings Foundation Fellowship supports visionary leaders by giving them boundless space to turn an inspired idea in the field of social justice into a world-changing reality. The Fellowship awards three individuals up to $150,000 each to pursue an innovative project that seeks to address a challenge related to climate change or inequality – or within the intersection of these two major issues. Fellows will be thought partners informing the Foundation’s work and will have the use of a dedicated office at NCF’s New York City headquarters. Only U.S. citizens whose projects are focused on work within the U.S. are eligible for the Fellowship at this time.
#2 Foster America (Favorites up 278%)
Bringing skills from business, public health, education, marketing, technology, and public policy backgrounds, Foster America fellows provide the spark to create dramatic change and improve the lives of children. Our fellows are embedded at government or nonprofit child welfare agencies for one year, joining reform-minded colleagues and mentors to pursue better results. Prior to the start of the fellowship, fellows receive an intensive two-week training. Fellows work full-time at their placement agency, receiving an annual salary of up to $90,000, plus benefits. Candidates must have authorization to work in the U.S.
#3 NEH Summer Stipends (Favorites up 197%)
Summer Stipends support individuals pursuing advanced research that is of value to humanities scholars, general audiences, or both. Recipients usually produce articles, monographs, books, digital materials, archaeological site reports, translations or editions. Summer Stipends provide $6,000 for two consecutive months of full-time research and writing. Recipients must work full-time on their projects for these two months and may hold other research grants supporting the same project during this time. Summer Stipends normally support work carried out during the summer months, but arrangements can be made for other times of the year.
#4 Humanity in Action Fellowship (Favorites up 188%)
The HIA Fellowship programs bring together international groups of college students and recent graduates to explore national histories of discrimination and resistance, as well as examples of issues affecting different minority groups today. This 5-week summer fellowship in Europe is highly interdisciplinary, and features daily lectures and discussions with renowned academics, journalists, and activists. Eligible applicants are students and recent graduates (including international students) of universities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Poland, Ukraine and the United States. HIA covers the costs of participation and accommodation. Deadlines vary by country.
#5 VIA Global Community Fellowship (Favorites up 177%)
The Global Community Fellowship is a 13-15 month program for graduating seniors and young or established professionals. Fellows work at NGOs and schools across Asia to support community development and youth education programs. Candidates include starting and experienced professionals with a BA or BS degree. Although the fellowship is primarily aimed towards US citizens, applications are accepted from international residents who have a previous connection to VIA or a substantial US connection. The fellowship provides a living and housing stipend, medical insurance, Intra-Asia travel and language study grants.
#6 Endeavor Scholarships and Fellowships (Favorites up 173%)
The Endeavour Scholarships and Fellowships are the Australian Government’s competitive, merit-based scholarships and fellowships providing opportunities for Australians to undertake study, research or professional development overseas and for overseas citizens to do the same in Australia. For international applications, the program provides funding for an Australian Masters or PhD, short-term dissertation or post-doctoral research, or 1-4 months of professional development. There is also a Vocational Award to pursue an Australian Diploma, Advanced Diploma or Associate Degree. All recipients will receive a travel allowance, an establishment allowance, a monthly stipend, tuition remission (if applicable) and health and travel insurance.
#7 Doris Duke Fellowships for the Promotion of Child Well-Being (Favorites up 170%)
The fellowships, which include an annual stipend of up to $30,000, are designed to identify and develop a new generation of leaders interested in and capable of creating practice and policy initiatives that will enhance child development and improve the nation’s ability to prevent all forms of child maltreatment. Fellows can be doctoral students based at any academic institution in the United States and will be selected from a range of academic disciplines. Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
#8 Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program (Favorites up 168%)
The Core Fulbright Scholar Program offers over 500 teaching, research or combination teaching/research awards of 2-12 months in over 125 countries. Opportunities are available for college and university faculty and administrators as well as for professionals, artists, journalists, scientists, lawyers, independent scholars and many others. In addition to several new program models designed to meet the changing needs of U.S. academics and professionals, Fulbright is offering more opportunities for flexible, multi-country grants. Only U.S. citizens are eligible to apply.
#9 Ashoka Fellows (Favorites up 155%)
Ashoka Fellows are leading social entrepreneurs who we recognize to have innovative solutions to social problems and the potential to change patterns across society. Ashoka Fellows work in over 70 countries around the globe in every area of human need. From nomination to election as a Fellow, candidates go through an extensive series of in-depth interviews, a judging panel, and a final executive board vote. There are no age, education, class, race, or other such bars to election. The three year fellowship includes a living stipend to cover all expenses (customized for each Fellow). Applications accepted all year round on a rolling basis.
#10 Bush Fellowships (Favorites up 144%)
Bush Fellows receive a flexible grant of up to $100,000 that can be used over 12 to 24 months to pursue the education and experiences they need to become more effective leaders in their community. Bush Fellows may use the grant to pursue a self-designed leadership development plan. Fellows may not direct grant funds to another person, organization or project. They may also use the grant to start or complete a degree-seeking program, anything from an undergraduate degree to a PhD. Applicants to the Bush Fellowship Program must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident, at least 24 years old and must have lived for one continuous year immediately prior to the application deadline in Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota or one of the 23 Native nations that shares the same geographic area.
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© Victoria Johnson 2017, all rights reserved.