To promote diversity, access, and equity in the graduate community, the School of Graduate Studies awards a substantial portfolio of fellowships to incoming students in all disciplines. We are committed to providing students not only with the academic resources and mentoring they need to excel but also with the financial resources they need to thrive. Incoming students, especially in STEM, may benefit from discipline-specific federal training grants to promote diversity. We are excited about our new Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) training grant to fund new graduate students in the biomedical sciences.
Our commitment to your financial support continues throughout your time at Rutgers. Available to all SGS students, the GradFund Office provides an extensive searchable database of external funding opportunities and GradFund’s Peer Mentoring Fellowship Advising Service supports students as they craft competitive applications for external fellowships and grants.
Dean’s Fellowships to Broaden Participation
To promote inclusive excellence and grow a diverse graduate community, the School of Graduate Studies awards a sizable number of competitive Dean’s Fellowships to Broaden Participation to incoming graduate students. Awardees span all disciplines and departments, with roughly equivalent representation among STEM, social sciences, and humanities. These fellowships support the School of Graduate Studies’ objective to be a national leader in increasing the pool of future PhDs who will become tomorrow’s academic leaders and the innovators of tomorrow’s workforce.
Graduate Program Directors nominate candidates for the Dean’s Fellowships, documenting how the individual contributes to diversity in both the graduate program and the overall graduate community and outlining a mentorship plan. Awardees receive a standard offer of admission from the graduate program and a fellowship award notification from SGS with details of the funding package.
In addition to funding and prestige, Dean’s Fellows benefit from cohort professional development and social activities designed to support a diverse, multi-disciplinary community.
SUPER-Grad Fellowships
The SUPER-Grad (Summer Undergraduate Pipeline to Excellence at Rutgers Graduate) program awards prestigious fellowships to outstanding alumni of our summer undergraduate research programs who return to Rutgers for graduate school. Candidates for these fellowships include participants from the RISE at Rutgers program, partner REU sites, and other diversity-focused summer programs who are admitted to Rutgers doctoral programs. Many of these individuals are underrepresented in their disciplines or are the first in their families to pursue a 4-year degree.
SUPER-Grad builds on Rutgers’ strength, growth, and investment in summer research programs and leverages our success in garnering federal grants to support summer experiences for undergraduates from diverse backgrounds. SUPER-Grad is funded by the Chancellor-New Brunswick with matches from participating units.
SUPER-Grad Fellows join the Dean’s Fellows and IMSD Trainees for cohort professional development and social activities designed to support a diverse, multi-disciplinary community.
Learn more and view profiles of past and current SUPER-Grad Fellows
IMSD Training Grant
The Initiative for Maximizing Student Development (IMSD) @ Rutgers-New Brunswick training program provides financial support, mentorship, an exciting interdisciplinary environment for scientific training, and professional development. We provide active preparation for a career in the biomedical field through the Rutgers iJOBS Program, and we build a community that fosters the success of all trainees. Since 1996, we have supported the training of more than 100 Ph.D. students.
Bridge to the Doctorate
The articulated Masters./Ph.D. Bridge program (also called Doctoral Track Masters) provides a supportive transitional pathway for students who may be underprepared in the proposed field of study. Bridge Fellows initially matriculate as Masters students with funding and follow a flexible curriculum while benefiting from dedicated mentoring and academic support. The structure and support of the Bridge program promote seamless progression to Ph.D. candidacy. Since students receive fellowships and tuition remission throughout the Masters phase, the Bridge promotes access for individuals from low-income and underserved backgrounds.
The Bridge model has been highly effective at Rutgers. Over 15 years, 80% of Fellows have completed or are currently on track to complete their PhDs; another 15% opted for terminal Masters’ degrees and field-specific employment.
Consortium Fellowships
National GEM Consortium Fellowship
As a member of the National GEM Consortium, Rutgers offers prospective and current STEM graduate students from historically under-represented backgrounds the opportunity to apply for fellowships for both doctoral and Masters’ studies. In addition, GEM Fellows are offered paid internships at closely matched corporate partners. Fellows also benefit from mentoring and comprehensive programming to ensure successful degree completion and preparation for advanced careers in industry, academia, and government agencies. If you are planning to apply to a Rutgers Masters or PhD science or engineering program or are a current Rutgers graduate student, contact us to learn more about how Rutgers can support you through GEM.
Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP)
Based on Rutgers status as a legacy member of the NSF Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP), faculty in the mathematical and physical sciences may apply for supplements to NSF grants to fund stipend, tuition, and benefits for their underrepresented graduate students. Prospective or current students planning to do research with NSF-funded Principal Investigators in the mathematical or physical sciences should contact us for more information about this opportunity.
Presidential Fellowships
The Office of the EVPAA will continue to award Presidential Graduate Fellowships for AY 2025-26.
These fellowships are designed to provide supplementary support and are often used as a recruitment tool for our top pool of potential graduate students. Fellowships will be funded through the OEVPAA for up to three years only. Deans or chancellors/provosts may choose to provide funds for any additional years to create a five-year package.
Rutgers–New Brunswick has been allocated 12 Presidential Graduate Fellowship.
Guidelines for Presidential Graduate Fellowships:
- Fellowships are available for doctoral students and will be awarded at $10,000 per student annually for up to 3 years. Note that these are intended as supplements for appointments such as primary AY TA or GA, or to smaller, less competitive fellowships. These Presidential Fellowships do not provide tuition remission or health insurance.
- The Presidential Fellowship Award is supplementary and funds 3 years per student, assuming the student is making satisfactory progress. Although OEVPAA funds do not extend beyond 3 years, deans or chancellors/provosts may choose to extend funding for years 4 and 5.
- Presidential Fellowships CAN be held simultaneously with other fellowships, or with TA or GA appointments. Presidential Fellowships can also be used for summer supplementation for students on AY appointments.
- A faculty committee comprised of both graduate programs and professional schools will rank nominees; rankings will be sent to the Office of the EVPAA and the EVPAA will approve final selections.
Please send your questions about the competition or application process, to SGS_Awards@grad.rutgers.edu.