A PhD fellowship is a monetary award given to a doctoral student. Departments, universities, individuals, and government or corporate entities all award fellowships. Some are simply incentives for exceptional performance, while others are used to recruit and retain highly desirable students. Other types of PhD fellowships provide funding for specific purposes, to students with specific characteristics, or with the requirement that students complete a future task in exchange for funding.
Most academic programs try to fund their doctoral students with a combination of fellowships and work as research or teaching assistants. A PhD fellowship is usually preferred over academic employment because it allows students to devote more time to their own research and studies. Fellowships confer some level of status because they show that a department, agency, or individual values a student’s work and potential.
College departments and universities frequently have funds available to award a number of fellowships at their discretion. Any student can usually receive a PhD fellowship of this type. Students may not receive such funding for more than a certain period of time, according to some rules.
Many types of PhD fellowships are funded individuals or organizations outside of academia with the goal of advancing a specific agenda. A family may establish a fellowship in honor of a deceased loved one, instructing those in charge of awarding it to choose a candidate who resembles the man or woman commemorated the fellowship. Corporations frequently endow fellowships to encourage talented researchers to work in fields relevant to their businesses. Governments frequently fund research in areas where they believe it will benefit national security.
A PhD fellowship can also be used to provide educational opportunities to students from demographic groups that are underrepresented in academia. Fellowships for members of specific ethnic groups are common, and successful members of those ethnic groups frequently fund them. Many schools offer fellowships to women and minorities in order to attract more students from these groups.
Some types of PhD fellowships require that the funds awarded be used for a specific purpose. For example, the prestigious Fulbright-Hayes program was created to support scholars conducting research or studying abroad. A recipient of such a fellowship is frequently required to provide feedback and research to the government or agency that funded his or her travel. In the sciences, fellowships may require the submission of work in a specific field.