Fellowships Requiring UMD Nomination

The 2027 Schmidt Science Postdoctoral Fellowship Foundation nominations process is now open. The Univerisity of Maryland College Park is invited to nominate up to 3 candidates. Please view Schmidt Science Fellows Call for Applications. To be considered for nomination, please contact Robyn Kotzker at rkotzker@umd.edu for more details before May 1, 2026.

Eligible candidates are intellectually first-rate PhD students working across any of the natural sciences (astronomy, biology, chemistry, physics, and earth sciences), engineering, mathematics or computing. Candidates must be expected to complete all the requirements for their PhD between May 1, 2026 and June 30, 2027.

Candidate considerations:

Candidates should already have a strong track record of scientific achievement from their PhD studies, combined with a clear intellectual curiosity and desire to drive future discoveries.
Candidates should have the commitment and character to engage with society and global challenges to make a lasting difference in the world.
Candidates should have a collaborative spirit with the experience and desire to work with diverse teams and across scientific disciplines.

Information Sessions for Prospective Candidates: The Schmidt Science Foundation offered two information sessions for prospective candidates on March 23 and 24, 2026. Recordings are below:

Session 1 (Q&A starts at 26:20)
Passcode: RDDN!7u

Session 2 (Q&A starts at 23:40)
Passcode: 2!d5&61H

UMD Internal Selection Process: To be considered for nomination, applicants must work with their program. Programs are asked to submit the materials below to the Graduate School by close of business on May 1, 2026.

1. This cover sheet.

2. The applicant's letter of interest (2 pages). This letter should 1) provide evidence of extraordinary academic achievement and demonstrated collaborative spirit, 2) describe ambition to make a lasting impact in science and in society, and 3) express your interest in undertaking an interdisciplinary research pivot during a postdoctoral placement.

3. The applicant's C.V.

4. A recommendation letter from the applicant's academic advisor.

Programs, please submit materials to Robyn Kotzker at rkotzker@umd.edu by May 1, 2026. A campus committee will select three candidates to nominate for this program.

Key Dates:

UMD Internal Selection Submission Deadlline: May 1, 2026
Institutional nominations due: May 15, 2026
Application opens: May 19, 2026
Preliminary details due: June 1, 2026
Application deadline: July 13, 2026

The National Institute of Social Sciences (NISS) invites nominations for its 2026 Dissertation Grants Program. NISS Dissertation Grants are designed to support outstanding Ph.D. students who need resources to complete doctoral work that promises to significantly advance their fields of study. Any accredited U.S. university that awards doctoral degrees in the social sciences is eligible to nominate a graduate student for an NISS Dissertation Grant.

For 2026, NISS seeks nominations in the fields of Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology. Interdisciplinary projects that include one or more of these fields as a major component may also be considered.

University of Maryland can nominate 2 students. To be considered for nomination, students must work with their program to assemble a full nomination package as outlined on the NISS website. Each programs may submit one candidate. Nomination packages must be sent to Robyn Kotzker (rkotzker@umd.edu) by Friday April 10, 2026. The Graduate School will assemble a review panel to select the two nominees.

Deadline: Programs must send nomination package to Robyn Kotzker by Friday, April 10, 2026.

The Google PhD Fellowship directly supports graduate students doing exceptional and innovative research in computer science and related fields as they pursue their PhD. Fellowships also provide a unique gateway to connect with Google researchers and a global community of peers, enabling long-term partnerships that catalyze scientific advancement.

For the 2026 cycle, Google is accepting applications in the following research areas:

Algorithms and Optimization
Computer Architecture
Health Research
Human-Computer Interaction
Machine Learning and ML Foundations
Machine Perception
Natural Language Processing
Privacy, Safety, and Security
Quantum Computing
Software Engineering and Programming Languages
Systems, Networking, and Cloud Computing

Please view the Google FAQs for additional information about eligibiliy and application requirements.

University of Maryland may nominate up to four (4) eligible students

Programs must send complete applications to Robyn Kotzker (rkotzker@umd.edu) by Friday, April 10, 2026. Programs may submit up to 3 applications. The Graduate School will assemble a faculty panel to review the applications and make recommendations to the Dean of the Graduate School.

Required Materials for all applicants:

Student CV with links to website and publications (if available)
Research/dissertation proposal (maximum 3 pages, excluding references)

Required Materials for Canada, East Asia, and the United States applicants:

Cover sheet signed by the Department Chair confirming the student passes eligibility requirements. (See FAQ "What are the eligibility requirements for students?")
Short (1-page) CV of the student's primary advisor
2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee's work (at least one from the thesis advisor)
Student essay response (350-word limit) to: "Describe the desired impact your research will make on the field and society, and why this is important to you. Include any personal, educational and/or professional experiences that have motivated your research interests."
Student essay response (350-word limit) to: "Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time. (A leadership role can mean more than just a title...)"
Transcripts of current and previous academic records

UMD's internal deadline to be considered for is April 10, 2026. Please email Robyn Kotzker at rkotzker@umd.edu if you have additional questions.

Regeneron Science Education is pleased to recognize and honor Creativity and Innovation by graduate students and postdoctoral fellows in the Biomedical Sciences. Prize details: Two (2) applicants are selected to receive the Regeneron Prize for Creative Innovation each year. These applicants must be either current PhD Graduate Students or Postdoctoral Fellows. Univeristy of Maryland College Park is limited to nominating 2 phD students and 2 postoctoral researchers. To be considered for UMD nomination, please submit your materials to Program Director Robyn Kotzker (rkotzker@umd.edu) by February 20, 2026.

Regeneron Prize Announcement
2026 Dream Project Guidelines
2026 Endorsement Fillable Form

The AI/ML PhD Fellowship was created as part of the Apple Scholars program to support the work of outstanding Ph.D. students from around the world who are pursuing cutting-edge research in machine learning and artificial intelligence. Eligible candidates are Ph.D. students in Computer Science and related areas who are pursuing research in artificial intelligence and machine learning, with a unique focus on work related to Apple’s core values. Students must be enrolled full-time at an invited university.

The University of Maryland has been invited to nominate three students. The nomination cycle is typically in Summer. The 2025 application cycle has ended.

Apple Scholars in AI/MI 2025 PhD Fellowship Nomination Guidelines (password: 2026applescholars)
Grad School Nomination Cover Sheet

The IBM Ph.D. Fellowship Awards Program is an intensely competitive worldwide program which honors exceptional Ph.D. students who want to make their mark in promising and disruptive technologies. Please carefully review the IBM Ph.D. Fellowship website and their FAQ's for more information. Eligible candidates must 1) be enrolled full-time in a Ph.D. program over the two consecutive academic years of the award or forfeit the fellowship, 2) have three years remaining in their program at the time of nomination so the fellowship can be applied to the last two years of study, and 3) stay in the same program at the same institution for the award duration.

During an active year, the University of Maryland is invited to nominate four students. The nomination cycle is typically in Summer. The 2025 nomination cycle has ended.

The U21 Awards are designed to recognise, reward, celebrate and publicise the achievements of individuals or teams whose work has upheld and has furthered the network's principles of internationalisation.
Nominate now in the U21 Awards and Leaders of the Future Awards

Key dates
- Voting is open until Friday 16 January 2026
- Winners will be announced at the U21 Annual Network Meeting & Presidential Symposium at The University of Glasgow in April 2026, with the news disseminated via our channels shortly after

Types of Awards
The U21 Award: Celebrate the achievements of individuals or teams showing great impact in internationalisation and/or education or research in higher education. This year's themes are Climate Action, and Inclusive Global Engagement. U21 Awards Nomination Criteria

Leaders of the Future Award: Celebrate the achievements of either current students or recent alumni at U21 member universities who show great promise or impact in internationalisation.
Leaders of the Future Nomination Criteria

Further information can be found on the U21 Awards website.
For any additional queries relating to the U21 Awards processes, please email u21@universitas21.com

The Newcombe Fellowship application process has been streamlined to help reduce the overall workload for students and their recommenders. The process begins with the Open Submission Stage. At this stage, the applicant are not required to submit a full proposal, nor are applicants required to submit letters of recommendation. The nomination cycle occurs in phases. This year's deadline for applications has passed. The portal will accept applications again in November 2026.

First phase: The Open Submission Stage allows any eligible student to apply by November 1, 2025. Go to the Newcombe Online Portal to apply.
Second phase: The Newcombe Program Officer reviews all applications for alignment with the program and other criteria, including eligibility.
Third Phase: UMD will receive a list of eligible applicants from Newcombe by November 15, 2025.
Fourth Phase: UMD will review the applications and select one candidate to submit to Newcombe as the UMD Finalist by January 14, 2026.
Fifth phase: UMD Finalist will submit full proposal and recommendation letters to Newcombe by February 13, 2026. Newcombe Fellowship decisions will be made in April 2026.

This national competition is open to graduate students with outstanding character and ability, who hold promise for achievement and distinction in their chosen field of study, and who demonstrate a need for financial assistance. The Liebmann Fellowship covers the cost of tuition and provides an annual $18,000 stipend for living expenses. For more information about the Fellowship, please click on this link. Graduate students at the University of Maryland who are U.S. citizens are eligible to apply.

The University of Maryland Graduate School may nominate up to three candidates. Graduate students wishing to be considered for nomination must submit their complete application package to the Graduate School (to rkotzker@umd.edu) by Wednesday, January 7, 2026. UMD application process and the application materials can be found here. The 2026 deadline has passed.