Graduate Recruitment Fellowships

Graduate Recruitment Fellowships

Please note that the terms, benefits, timeline, and all other logistics of this fellowship are currently under review by the University Graduate School Bloomington (UGS) in consultation with campus partners. Finalized details, including the fellowship’s timeline and structure, will be communicated to all campus units promptly in Fall 2025.

As part of our Student Opportunity and Success initiative, University Graduate School’s recruitment fellowships provide financial support that enables students to focus on their research, deepen their engagement with their academic discipline, and contribute to IU’s vibrant intellectual community. Aligned with the Student Success pillar of the IU’s Strategic Plan 2030, these awards offer a competitive package that allows fellows to fully dedicate themselves to their graduate training without financial barriers.

Departments may nominate up to 4 students in total for all of the following recruitment fellowships. In nominating a student, the department commits to providing academic and research mentorship, supporting professional development, and facilitating access to funding opportunities that promote academic excellence. Additionally, recruitment funds are available to support prospective fellows’ visits to Bloomington.

We encourage departments to structure their funding as follows:

• M.F.A. students: Three-year packages.
• Ph.D. students (entering with a master’s degree): Four-year packages.
• Ph.D. students (entering with a bachelor’s degree): Five-year packages.

Early Deadline: Friday, January 16, 2026
Late Deadline: Friday, February 20, 2026

Graduate Fellowship for Academic Excellence

The Graduate Fellowship for Academic Excellence is Indiana University Bloomington’s premier multi-year funding award designed to recruit and support exceptional graduate students pursuing an M.F.A. or Ph.D. degree. This fellowship reflects IU’s commitment to academic excellence, opportunity, and student success, ensuring that the most promising scholars have the resources needed to launch and sustain their graduate education.

Fellowship Structure and Benefits

This multi-year fellowship provides a combination of direct financial support and departmental funding to ensure sustained success throughout the student’s academic journey.

• One year is fully funded by the University Graduate School Bloomington (UGS), with no service obligations beyond continued academic progress. During this year, fellows receive:
  • A stipend of $30,000.
  • Subsidized health insurance provided by UGS.
  • Tuition and fee remission provided by the department, college, or school.
• For the remaining 2–4 years, financial support is provided by the student’s home department, which may consist of:
  • Research or teaching assistantships (AIship, RAship, GAship).
  • Departmental awards, scholarships, or external research funding.
  • Tuition remission and subsidized health insurance.
• Opportunity to participate in mentoring workshops in the Graduate Mentoring Center and the Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals Program
• Possibility for expenses to be paid to attend the Institute for Teaching and Mentoring, up to 3 years.

Eligibility Criteria

• Departments may nominate students who meet the following criteria:

  1. Citizenship Requirement:

     • U.S. citizens or permanent residents.

  2. Potential for Academic Excellence:

     • A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) is preferred. However, departments are encouraged to consider a candidate’s overall academic profile—including additional coursework, curricular activities, research experiences, and other scholarly or creative endeavors—to assess their potential for academic excellence.

  3. Overcoming Societal Barriers:

     • Candidates must demonstrate that they have confronted and surmounted significant societal barriers in their pursuit of graduate education. Such barriers may include:
       • Coming from a low-income background.
       • Residing in remote or rural areas.
       • Being the first in their family to attend college.
       • Living with a disability.
       • Following a non-traditional academic trajectory (such as taking a break from formal education due to insurmountable challenges).
       • Balancing significant caregiving responsibilities.

  4. Potential Contributions to Indiana University Bloomington:

  Nominees should demonstrate strong alignment with IU’s academic community and its commitment to fostering intellectual engagement, innovation, and scholarly impact. This may include a record of collaborative research, interdisciplinary inquiry, leadership in academic or professional settings, contributions to public scholarship, or initiatives that expand knowledge in emerging or underrepresented fields.

Adam W. Herbert Ph.D. and Master's Fellowship

The Adam W. Herbert Graduate Fellowship was created through an endowment from the President’s Fund for the purpose of supporting graduate study at Indiana University for graduates of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). This endowment reflects the strong commitment of Indiana University’s 17th President, Adam W. Herbert, to enhancing opportunities for students of all backgrounds, especially in the fields of science, technology, and mathematics.

The fellowship will be awarded each year to students who demonstrate strong academic excellence, high potential for success, and a commitment to graduate study in the sciences.

Eligibility criteria:

To be eligible, nominees must:

• • Citizenship Requirement:
    • Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident (International students are not eligible).
  • Educational Background:
    • Be a graduate of a Historically Black College or University (HBCU). There are no restrictions based on race or ethnicity. Graduates of HBCUs from all backgrounds are eligible.
    • Be a new student proposing to enter a Ph.D. or master’s degree program in a science, technology, or mathematics (STEM) discipline
  • Potential for Academic Excellence:
    • A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.5 (on a 4.0 scale) is preferred. However, departments are encouraged to consider a candidate’s overall academic profile—including additional coursework, curricular activities, research experiences, and other scholarly or creative endeavors—to assess their potential for academic excellence.
  • Potential Contributions to Indiana University Bloomington:
    • Nominees should demonstrate strong alignment with IU’s academic community and its commitment to fostering intellectual engagement, innovation, and scholarly impact. This may include a record of collaborative research, interdisciplinary inquiry, leadership in academic or professional settings, contributions to public scholarship, or initiatives that expand knowledge in emerging or underrepresented fields.

PhD Fellowship

Stipend and Benefits:

A 4-year fellowship designed to guarantee the student receives a full stipend, tuition and health insurance throughout the time they are working toward their degree

• 4 years of graduate fellowship from UGS with health insurance and a stipend of $37,000

• Tuition and mandatory fees provided by nominating department/school

• Opportunity to participate in mentoring workshops in the Graduate Mentoring Center and the Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals Program

• Possibility for expenses to be paid to attend the Institute for Teaching and Mentoring, up to 3 years

• Possibility for expenses to be paid to participate in one of the semester-long activities sponsored by the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity

Master's Fellowship

Stipend and Benefits:

A 2-year fellowship designed to guarantee the student receives a stipend and tuition throughout the time they are working toward their degree.

• 2 years of fellowship from UGS with a stipend of $10,000

• Tuition and mandatory fees funded by nominating department/school

• Opportunity to participate in mentoring workshops in the Graduate Mentoring Center and the Preparing Future Faculty and Professionals Program

• Possibility for expenses to be paid to participate in one of the semester-long activities sponsored by the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity

Nomination Guidelines

Each department may nominate up to four students using the online nomination form. The University Graduate School Bloomington Fellowship Review Committee will evaluate all nominations using a uniform set of criteria to create a ranked list. Fellowships will be awarded to the highest-ranked nominees based on available funds.  

Nomination Materials

The Chair of Graduate Admissions, Director of Graduate Studies, Department Chair, or Associate Dean of Graduate Studies must complete and upload the following documents using the links on our website: 

 Online Nomination Form Link
1. A Funding Statement (using the provided template) outlining how the department plans to support the student during the years when they are not receiving fellowship funds. This should include anticipated stipend amounts for SAAs, any available funding for subsequent fellowship years, potential funding from the school or college, professional development funds, and any funding available through training or research grants. Please note that any funding the department provides must cover health insurance and fee remission. When considering funding for students in future years, develop three-year packages for incoming M.F.A. students, four-year packages for Ph.D.-seeking students entering with a master’s degree, and five-year packages for Ph.D.-seeking students entering with a bachelor’s degree. You may submit one funding outline for all nominations. Below are funding templates that can be submitted.

Funding Template for Other Schools and Colleges not in the College

a. Link to PDF 

b. Link to DOCX

Funding Template for Departments in the College of Arts and Sciences

a. Link to PDF

b. Link to DOCX

2. A Supporting Statement (no more than one page) addressing the following points:

• Why this candidate is outstanding;

• How well matched the candidate's interests are to the strengths of the department;
• How the department recruited the students (how much contact and by which faculty);
• The likelihood the candidate will choose IU over competing offers

3. A Departmental Statement on Graduate Student Recruitment and Support (no more than two pages). You may submit one statement for all nominations. The statement should include:

a. A description of current and planned initiatives to enhance graduate student recruitment and retention;

b. The department's success and challenges in attracting an inclusive pool of applicants over the past five years without relying on University Graduate School Bloomington fellowships;

c. A description of mentoring structures, research support, and academic resources available to graduate students within the department.

4. A complete copy of the student application for admission to Indiana University as a single PDF or WORD document in this order:

1. Application form
2. CV
3. Statement of purpose
4. Recommendation letters
5. Transcripts

Evaluation Criteria

The fellowships are awarded through a highly competitive selection process that prioritizes research excellence and academic promise. Applicants will be assessed on their scholarly achievements, prior research experience, external funding competitiveness, and potential for high-impact contributions in their field. The selection committee will also review the department’s nomination materials to evaluate its commitment to the student’s success, its ability to provide a strong academic environment, and its demonstrated efforts in recruiting and supporting top graduate scholars. Departments are encouraged to submit only their most outstanding candidates, as these fellowships are intended to recognize and support the highest level of academic excellence.