• The College of the Environment’s Hall Conservation Genetics Research Fund and Integral Big Data Research Fund are specifically for graduate students working in the field of conservation genetics and big data, respectively. Proposals for awards are limited to $10,000 for Hall Conservation Genetics Research Fund and $4,000 for Integral Big Data Research Fund.
  • The Office of Graduate Student Equity & Excellence (GSEE) has limited funding for students whose individual experiences and/or academic interests will bring diversity to scholarly perspectives and endeavors, and to the academic community. Students must be nominated by their department.

Outside funding opportunities

Many graduate students receive funding outside of UW to support their research. If you’re not sure where to start, there are several funding opportunities that College of the Environment graduate students commonly apply to, including:

The Graduate School Office of Fellowships and Awards administers a variety of fellowships and provides a list of UW and outside fellowships and a funding calendar.

The Graduate Funding Information Service (GFIS) works with current and admitted UW graduate students, helping them identify and locate funding opportunities for graduate school-related expenses including tuition, research, conference and research travel.

Listed below are some opportunities that may be especially helpful if you’re looking for outside funding or travel support.

Fellowship Funding Amount
Duration Target Audience
Amelia Earhart Fellowship $10,000 1 year Women of any nationality pursuing a Ph.D./doctoral degree in any aerospace-related discipline
AAUW American Dissertation Fellowship $8,000-$50,000 1 year Women in final year of dissertation
AAUW International Fellowship $20,000–$50,000 1 year Women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents
AAUW Selected Professions Fellowship $20,000 1 year Women in STEM or architecture
AISES A.T. Anderson Memorial Scholarship $2,000 1 year American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians who are current AISES members
AISES Exxon Mobil Scholarship $3,000 1 year American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians who are current AISES members and accepted into field camp
AISES Indigenous Peoples Education Fund Scholarship $5,000 1 year American Indians, Alaskan Natives and Native Hawaiians who are current AISES members
American Indian Graduate Center Graduate Fellowship $5,000 1 year Graduate & professional students who are enrolled members of a US federally-recognized American Indian tribe or Alaska native group
American Meteorological Society Fellowship $5,000-$26,000 9 months Incoming students in atmospheric, oceanic or hydrologic sciences
Blue Waters Grad Fellowship $38,000 stipend + $12,000 tuition 1 year Graduate students in second year or later
Bullitt Fellowship $50,000 2 years Students currently enrolled in a graduate candidate program, not restricted to environmental studies
Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship $11,000 12 weeks Current grad/professional students and recent alumni
Gilman-DAAD Scholarships Varies by scholarship Varies by scholarship Study abroad in Germany for research
Dept. of Defense SMART $30,000–$46,000 + tuition 1-5 years based on expected degree completion date Incoming or current graduate students. Must be a US citizen.
Dept. of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship $45,000 + tuition up to 4 years Incoming and first year master’s or Ph.D. students
Dept. of Energy Office of Science Graduate Student Research Program $3,600/month 3-12 months Ph.D. candidates interested in doing research in residence at DoE laboratory. Must be US citizen.
The Exploration Fund Grant $2,500-$5,000 Graduate, post-graduate, doctorate and early career post-doctoral students
ExxonMobil/LOFT Fellowship $1,000 Hispanic students studying engineering, geology, chemistry or physics
Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship $28,000  1 year Must plan to complete dissertation within two years
Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program (NOAA) up to $42,000 including stipend and tuition up to 2 years for master’s, up to 4 for Ph.D.
Incoming or current master’s or Ph.D. students
Fulbright US Student Program Varies Current or incoming master’s or Ph.D. student. Must be US citizen.
Geological Society of America Varies Master’s and doctoral student members of GSA
Gertrude M. Cox Scholarship $1,000  1 year Women in statistics-oriented graduate programs. Must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States or Canada
Gloria Barron Wilderness Society Scholarship $25,000 1 year Graduate students focusing on:

  1. Conservation on and management of Bureau of Land Management lands
  2. Conservation of Old Growth Forests
  3. Conservation in the Arctic.
Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity $20,000 3-6 years All graduate students who can work two summers of paid internship; emphasis on diverse applicant pool
Herb Society of America up to $10,000 1 year Students engaged in research on the horticultural, scientific and/or social applications or use of herbs throughout history
Hertz Foundation fellowships $38,000 + tuition** 5 years Incoming and first year Ph.D. students
Laura Bassi Scholarship $750-$2,500   Master’s and doctoral candidates
Link Foundation Fellowships & Grants in Energy $35,000 2 years Ph.D. students working in energy-related field, including biofuels and ocean engineering
L’Oreal USA for Women in Science Fellowship $60,000 1 year Women with Ph.D. who have started postdoctoral position by application deadline.
NARST Ph.D. scholarships varies 1 year Graduate students; students or institution must be NARST members
NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship Incoming or current student; Master’s or Ph.D.
National Association for Black Geoscientists Minority students enrolled full-time in graduate geoscience program
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship $43,200 + tuition 3 years Incoming, first and second year graduate students. Must be a US citizen or US national.
National Organization of Gay and Lesbian Scientists and Technical Professionals $2,000-$5,000  1 year Any LGBTQ or LGBTQ-supporting students in a STEM field
Native Fish Foundation Scholarship $1,000  1 year BIPOC students studying fisheries science, conservation or policy.
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program $37,000 + tuition 3 years

Incoming, first and second year Master’s or Ph.D. students. Must be a US citizen, US national or permanent resident.

Best practices

Pacific Northwest Shell Club Scholarship Award $750 1 year Currently enrolled graduate student or Postdoctoral research focused on PNW mollusks.
Padilla Bay Foundation Graduate Research Award in Estuarine and Natural Resource Science $6000 1 year Graduate or advanced undergraduate students conducting research that is relevant for management of coastal and estuarine ecosystems.
Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans $25,000 and 50% tuition 2 years Must be an immigrant to the US, a child of immigrants, DACA. Master’s or Ph.D.
Phillips Exeter Dissertation Year Fellowship $23,500 stipend 1 year Ph.D. students who have completed their research and are in the completion stage of their dissertation; all disciplines eligible
Rafe Sagarin Fund for Innovative Ecology up to $2,500 1 year Full time graduate student or postdoctoral scholar. Membership in the Western Society of Naturalists required during year of application.
Graduate Women in Science Fellowships up to $10,000 1 year Women in science (graduate students and assistant professors)
Smithsonian Fellowships $45,000 1 year Graduate students conducting research at Smithsonian
Society of Women Engineers Varies Varies
University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (UCAR) Next Generation Fellowships
$20,000/year and paid research trip 2 years Graduate students from underrepresented populations are strongly encouraged to apply for the three tracks: Earth Science track, Diversity & Inclusion track and Public Policy track.
Washington Sea Grant Keystone Fellowship Program
$65,000
1 year
Graduate students who have recently graduated from Washington universities, pursuing a degree in a marine related field, DACA and underrepresented students are encouraged to apply
Travel Scholarships
Carl Storm Underrepresented Minority (CSURM) Fellowship Varies. Stipend for travel to Gordon Research Conference Underrepresented minority graduate students attending their first Gordon Research Conference
Fisheries Society of the British Isles (FSBI) Travel Award £1000 for travel to international meetings or research/training visit Early career scientists studying fish biology or fisheries science. Must become a member of FSBI 4 weeks prior to applying for travel award.
Graduate School Conference Presentation Awards $300/$500 for domestic/international travel – potential for matching from department UW graduate students presenting at a conference
UW Environment Travel Award $1,000/$1,500 for domestic/international travel Undergraduates, graduate students, postdocs in the College of the Environment
UW GPSS Travel Grant $300/$500 for domestic/international travel UW graduate and professional students presenting at a conference