The HHMI International Student Research Fellowships are designed to facilitate the research training of outstanding international predoctoral students in the biomedical and related sciences, including physical and mathematical sciences. This fellowship program supports outstanding international predoctoral students studying in the United States who are ineligible for fellowships or training grants through U.S. federal agencies. Participation is by invitation only.
Nominated students must be in their second or third year of study to apply for the fellowship. To activate the fellowship, students must be in the third or fourth year of a PhD program at one of the designated institutions. Students in the first, second, or fifth year of their PhD programs cannot activate the fellowship. In no case will support be provided past year five of a PhD program. Students invited to participate in this program are eligible for a fellowship to support years three, four, and five of a PhD program. Eligible fields of study include biology, chemistry, physics, math, computer science, engineering, and plant biology—as well as interdisciplinary research.
Study Subject:
Fellowships are awarded in the biomedical and related sciences, including physical and mathematical sciences.
Eligibility:
HHMI will award three-year fellowships to students while they are engaged in their doctoral dissertation research. U.S. institutions designated by HHMI will nominate students who -have demonstrated exceptional talent and innovation in research,
- are currently in the second (or third) year of graduate study at a designated U.S. institution,
- have entered a laboratory in which they will conduct their dissertation research, and
- are not U.S. citizens, non-citizen nationals, or permanent residents of the United States should govern participation of the fellow in such activities.
Scholarship Duration:
The term of the fellowship will be three years. Continuation of support beyond the initial year will be contingent on annual demonstration to HHMI that the fellow has made appropriate research and academic progress in the previous year. The term must be for three consecutive years unless an approved leave of absence is granted by the fellowship institution and HHMI. In no case will more than three years of support be provided, nor will support be provided beyond year five of a student’s doctoral program.
Scholarship Value:
For the 2014–2015 fellowship year, HHMI will provide each International Student Research Fellow with an annual stipend of $30,000, which will be administered and distributed by the host institution. The stipend may be supplemented by the host institution in accordance with its usual policies for comparable graduate students. However, fellows are not generally allowed to be employed, engage in consulting activities for pay, or receive funds from another external fellowship, scholarship, or similar award. In addition, HHMI will provide an annual fellow’s allowance of $3,000, which may be used for health insurance, health care expenses, books and supplies, journal subscriptions, computer-related expenses, travel to scientific meetings, professional fees or dues, tuition for special courses, and other purposes relevant to a fellow’s study. The fellow’s allowance may not be used by the institution to pay for any institutional fees or research costs. HHMI will also provide an annual institutional allowance of $10,000 in lieu of all tuition and fees. Fellowship institutions must agree that fellows are exempt from paying tuition and fees normally charged to graduate students of similar academic standing, even if tuition and fees exceed the amount provided by HHMI.
Selection Criteria:
Fellows will be chosen based on their promise as a scientific investigator. Many factors will be assessed. The most influential will be the candidate’s summary of his or her proposed thesis research and the level of innovation and creativity demonstrated by the student. Also important will be recommendation letters, which give evidence of the candidate’s exceptional talent as a scientific leader and innovator. Candidates must provide an unofficial graduate transcript.
How to Apply?
Applications will be submitted online using HHMI’s Web-based competition Submission of all application material including graduate transcripts and reference letters must be made using the HHMI online system. Applicants will upload graduate transcripts directly into the competition system. HHMI will verify graduate transcripts with the nominating institution. A complete application will consist of the following:
- Applicant information, including name, contact information, and email address.
- Graduate degree information, including name of department/program, date of entry into the graduate program, and name and email address of the dissertation advisor(s).
- List and description, if any other funding, the applicant is receiving to include: funding from the home institution, from the government of his/her home country, and other external awards.
- Description of intended dissertation research, including a brief discussion of the significance and innovation of the intended research project, a limited bibliography of key references.
- A list of publications and presentations with an applicant’s role in the publication described.
- Essay describing a recent scientific discovery, why it was innovative, and how it contributed to the field.
- Letters of reference (three are required, four are permitted). One letter must be from the applicant’s dissertation advisor. If the applicant has two advisors, both should submit letters. Other letters should be from those who can speak better to the applicant’s potential as a researcher. These letters must be uploaded into the competition system by the reference writer. Instructions will be provided to each individual selected as a reference.
- Educational history, including names of all colleges and universities attended, dates of attendance, and degrees obtained.
- Unofficial graduate transcripts (to be uploaded by the applicant).
Applications Deadline:
Institutional nomination deadline is November 25, 2013 and online application deadline is February 6, 2014.
For further information: HHMI International Student Research Fellowships
