External Funding
External Funding
UCF Graduate Studies External Funding Resources
Are you looking for funding for your graduate education? If so, you might consider applying for one of the national fellowships described in the External Funding section. “External” awards are sponsored by government agencies, private foundations, corporations, and other organizations outside the university. Some of the most well-known external awards are offered by the National Science Foundation, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, and Fulbright. These programs and a few others are described in this section.
As merit-based awards, these external fellowship programs target academic excellence and scholarship, usually focusing on research and intensive graduate study. The application takes some time to prepare and must be submitted by the agency’s deadline. For a competitive application, students should begin planning about three to four months prior to the submission deadline.
Additional funding opportunities, many of which are external awards, are given in the Other Funding Resources page, so be sure to check there as well. This page does not include an exhaustive list of available fellowships. Search the databases listed on this page for even more funding options.
Funding Search Databases
- Pivot – a comprehensive source of funding.
- Grapes – a database of over 500 private and publicly funded awards, grants, and fellowships of interest to prospective and current graduate students, students working on a master’s thesis or doctoral dissertation, and postdoctoral scholars.
- Grant Forward – over 25,000 private, federal, foundational funding opportunities.
- Zintellect – listing of internships, experiential learning opportunities, academic fellowships and scholarships funded by government and private sector organizations. These programs are administered by ORAU and the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE).
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship
The NSF GRFP provides three years of financial support for beginning graduate study leading to a research-based degree in biological sciences, computer sciences, chemistry, engineering, geosciences, information science, social sciences, life sciences, mathematics, psychology, physics & astronomy, or STEM Education. Benefits include a three-year annual stipend of $37,000, a $16,000 annual cost-of-education allowance, international research and professional development opportunities and access to TeraGrid supercomputing facilities. About 1,500-2,000 fellowships are offered annually.
For additional information regarding the NSF GRFP, please refer to the following resources:
NSF GRFP Application Information
Attend the upcoming NSF GRFP information session on Wednesday, October 15 hosted by the Office of Prestigious Awards at UCF. Registration is required.
Join the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship LinkedIn group at NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Group
NASA Fellowships
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) offers several different awards for graduate study. See NASA’s Fellowship page for more information.
NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium Fellowships
The NASA Florida Space Grant Consortium (FSGC) plans to award Master’s Thesis and Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Fellowships in areas of space science and engineering as well as a Master’s Fellowship Program.
NDSEG Fellowship
The National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship is a highly competitive fellowship that is awarded to U.S. citizens and nationals who intend to pursue a doctoral degree in one of the supported disciplines. The goal of the program is to increase the number and quality of our nation’s scientists and engineers.
Department of Energy Fellowships
NNSA Graduate Fellowship Program
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) Graduate Fellowship Program (NGFP) identifies and develops the next generation of exceptional national security leaders to achieve the NNSA mission: Strengthening our nation through nuclear security. NGFP is administered by Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and sponsored by the NNSA to provide students with training and practical experience that achieve the NNSA mission.
Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program
The SCGSR program provides supplemental funds for U.S. graduate awardees (U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents) to conduct part of their PhD thesis research at a host DOE laboratory/facility in collaboration with a DOE National Laboratory scientist within a defined award period. Collaborating DOE National Laboratory scientists may be from any of the participating DOE National Laboratories and User Facilities. The award period for the proposed research project may range from 3 to 12 consecutive months.
Computational Science Graduate Fellowship
The Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) provides outstanding opportunities to students pursuing doctoral degrees in fields that use high-performance computing to solve complex science and engineering problems. The program fosters a community of energetic and committed Ph.D. students, alumni, DOE laboratory staff and scientists who want to have an impact on the nation while advancing their research.
SMART Scholarship
Part of the National Defense Education Program, the Science, Mathematics, and Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program is an opportunity for students pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines to receive a full scholarship and be gainfully employed upon degree completion.
The SMART Program aims to increase the number of scientists and engineers in the Department of Defense (DoD). The program is particularly interested in supporting individuals who demonstrate an aptitude and interest in conducting theoretical and applied research. As such, the program primarily targets “hand-on-the-bench” researchers and engineers. Individuals applying to the program should have a strong interest in working for the DoD as a civilian research scientist or engineer.
GEM Fellowship
GEM invests in America’s workforce by recruiting students looking to pursue Master’s and Doctoral degrees in applied science and engineering, and matches their specific skills to the specific technical needs of GEM employer partners. The GEM Fellowship page provides additional information about the application process and fellowship benefits.
Google Fellowships
The Google PhD Fellowship Program was created to recognize outstanding graduate students doing exceptional and innovative research in areas relevant to computer science and related fields. Fellowships support promising PhD candidates of all backgrounds who seek to influence the future of technology. This fellowship requires students to be nominated by their university. Deadlines are usually in April or May of each year. Check back for more information about the 2026 application deadline.