Student Application Deadline: October 19, 2026
Reference Letter of Support Deadline: October 26, 2026
Department Nomination Deadline: November 2, 2026
Herman B Wells, who was beloved by countless individuals in Indiana and far beyond, is renowned as a great leader of American higher education in the twentieth century. He led by word and deed, devoting his life to making Indiana University an academic and cultural institution of international stature.
He enrolled at Indiana University as an undergraduate in 1921, joined the faculty of the Department of Economics in 1930, was appointed Dean of the School of Business Administration in 1935, and began his legendary 25-year presidency of the university in 1937. Upon his retirement in 1962, he was named University Chancellor, a position he held until his death in 2000.
Through his legacy, Chancellor Wells continues to support Indiana University. In his estate, he provided for an annual graduate fellowship. The fellowship will be awarded each year to students who demonstrate the qualities for which Chancellor Wells was renowned: leadership abilities, academic excellence, character, social consciousness, and generosity of spirit. One fellowship will be awarded each year, although more than one award may be possible during a given year.
Wells Fellowship Award
This is a single-year award valued at $42,000, in addition to student health insurance. The nominating school is strongly encouraged to provide a fee remission.
Note: The award must be used for the year it is awarded. A recipient cannot place this award into a "reserve status" because of receiving another award. The awardee of the Wells Graduate Fellowship may not accept financial assistance from another source during the award year.
Eligibility
Doctoral nominees must be at least in the second year of graduate studies. The nominee may be a candidate for a doctoral degree.
MFA nominees must be at least in the first year of graduate studies at any Indiana University campus and a regularly enrolled student during the award year.
A committee of faculty members will make the final selection of the awardee.
Application and Nomination Process
- Students who wish to be considered for nomination must complete and submit the online application by the published deadline.
- After the application deadline, all completed applications will be forwarded to the applicant's academic department for review. Each degree-granting program may nominate one student for consideration.
- Departments will receive an email with instructions for reviewing applications and submitting their nomination through the online system.
- Once departmental nominations have been submitted, the nominated applications will be forwarded to a review committee for final review and selection.
Visit the application portal for more information about this competition.
Launch Application Portal
Wells Fellowship Recipients
2026-2027: Adriana Abreu, Department of Anthropology
2024-2025: Iryna Voloshyna, Department of Folklore and Ethnomusicology
2022-2023: Muna Adem, Department of Sociology
2021-2022: Bharaj Pavneet, Department of Curriculum and Instruction
