Deadline: 30-Sep-2025
The AAUW’s International Postdoctoral Research Fellowships aim to promote education and equity for women by supporting international applicants who intend to pursue postdoctoral research in the United States. These fellowships are designed for women committed to applying their expertise, professional skills, and leadership in the context of their home countries.
Up to five additional awards are also available to members of Graduate Women International for research conducted in countries other than their own. The program prioritizes non-U.S. citizens or permanent residents who demonstrate academic excellence and a strong track record of empowering women and girls.
The fellowships are open to candidates working in natural and physical sciences, including fields such as agriculture, architecture, biology, chemistry, earth sciences, engineering, medicine, mathematics, materials science, psychology, technology, and zoology.
Each fellowship provides a stipend of $50,000, which can be used for tuition, course-related expenses, living costs such as housing and food, and childcare. However, the awarded funds cannot be used for any costs incurred outside the fellowship period.
Applicants must identify as women and must be admitted to their first postdoctoral research position by the application deadline. They should begin their program on or before September 1, 2026, and complete it no earlier than May 30, 2027.
Candidates are required to hold a doctoral degree—such as a Ph.D., Ed.D., J.D., M.D., or D.B.A.—earned in the U.S. or abroad, with a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Research must be conducted full-time at an institution accredited by the U.S. Department of Education, and fellows must reside in the U.S. or the country of research throughout the fellowship period.
Applicants intending to pursue research outside their home country or the U.S. must be members of Graduate Women International and enroll at an institution eligible under the U.S. federal student aid program. U.S. institutions’ foreign branches are considered outside of the United States.
Eligible applicants must not be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Selection is based on academic excellence, the strength and originality of the research proposal, the relevance of the project, and the applicant’s commitment to advancing women and girls.
Other factors considered include feasibility of the research timeline and budget, plans to return home after the fellowship, and whether the applicant comes from a country underrepresented among previous award recipients. Priority may also be given to those seeking their first international academic experience and those currently residing in their home country.
For more information, visit AAUW Action Fund.
