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For Graduate Students

UCLA Humanities offers an annual competitive cycle for graduate student fellowships and awards to support research, travel and dissertation work. Awards range between $2,000 and $8,000, and are generously funded by individual donors and foundations.

Graduate students may search for additional funding sources on the GRAPES database, which is hosted by the UCLA Division of Graduate Education, or on websites hosted by the various UCLA centers that support research, travel or work based in specific areas of study.

Opportunities in current grant cycle

The Andrew Vincent White and Florence Wales White Scholarship will be awarded to two regularly-enrolled, full-time UC graduate students working in appropriate fields. The award is intended to help students complete the writing of their dissertations by providing a monthly stipend over up to nine months from September 1 to May 31 that supports living expenses, and research-related costs.

The White scholarship is intended to help students complete the writing of their dissertations, and is designed to release fellows from teaching a course or serving as a teaching assistant for the duration of the award period. Please note that the amount will NOT cover fees and tuition; the host campus is expected to supplement the difference between the scholarship amount and the student’s regular support, as well as to cover fees and tuition. The student will be based at his or her home campus; the scholarship is not a residency at UCHRI, and it is not renewable.

Eligibility

UC Ph.D. students in the humanities and humanistic social sciences in good standing working on a medicine-focused dissertation project who will have advanced to candidacy by June 30, 2026.

Maximum award

Up to $27,000

Application deadline

January 19, 2026

Award announced

April 2026

Complete information and link to application

Visit the scholarship webpage on the UC Humanities Research Institute website.

The Graduate Student Dissertation Support grant offers funds to support dissertation work for UC Ph.D. candidates in the humanities and humanistic social sciences. Support may include travel expenses for dissertation research, supplies such as books or copies directly related to the dissertation topic, and fees for summer institutes likely to advance the dissertation (such as language or theory programs).

Funds may not be requested for rent or other regular living expenses. Please note that grant funds may only be used for projects taking place between July 1, 2026, and December 31, 2027; plan your research travel accordingly.

Eligibility

UC humanities and humanistic social science Ph.D. students in good standing who have advanced to candidacy and have completed at least one chapter of their dissertation.

Maximum award

Up to $1,500

Application deadline

January 19, 2026

Award announced

April 2026

Complete information and link to application

Visit the scholarship webpage on the UC Humanities Research Institute website.

These fellowships are intended to support graduate students from across the humanities to advance their research during one quarter of their pre-dissertation year. To clarify, this is the year prior to their Dissertation Year Award. These funds may be used for stipend support for one academic quarter and/or may provide support for legitimate research and travel expenses.

Fellowships will be for up to $10,000. In normal circumstances, the quarter in question will fall during the regular academic year, since the intent of this program is to free students from the demands of working as a TA during a portion of the academic year preceding their dissertation year.

Please note that the Division will allow recipients of the award to work up to 25% the quarter they are on this fellowship. Nevertheless, applications for summer support will be considered, though such applications should also include a note from the student’s advisor or department chair, explaining (a) why support for a summer fellowship is preferable, and (b) what the student’s support package will involve (TA-ship, RA-ship, fellowship, etc.) during AY 26-2y.  Please note, the department will be responsible for the quarterly fees if the applicant is selected for the fellowship.

Eligibility

  • Enrolled graduate student in the Division of Humanities.
  • Each department may nominate one student only
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA

Applications Materials to be submitted in one PDF document

  1. CV;
  2. Two-page (maximum) description of the student’s proposed use of funding, including a budget. Budget items may include any legitimate research expense, including (but not limited to) travel. Stipend support for up to one academic quarter is also allowable;
  3. Letter of recommendation from the student’s dissertation director or other suitable faculty member.

Please consult with your individual department student affairs officer on the process for being nominated for this fellowship.

The application deadline for students to submit their materials to their department for AY 26-27 will be set by their department. Please contact your department Student Affairs Advisor to learn more. The Department deadline for submission to the dean’s office is March 6, 2026.

These fellowships provide funds for travel and living expenses for UCLA graduate students in the Humanities to conduct research in foreign countries. Awards typically range from $2,000 to $6,000 each, depending on the extent of the research proposed. Awards can cover a period ranging from three months to one year.

These fellowships are meant for research only and are not to be used for activities such as enrolling in foreign institutions or paying tuition at UCLA. Projects should be new proposals that have not been previously funded through a Division of Humanities travel award.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be graduate students in the Division of Humanities.
  • Each department may nominate one student.
  • Applicants must have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Applications materials to be submitted in one PDF document

  1. CV;
  2. Two-page (maximum) description of the student’s proposed project including the following details: a budget breakdown that specifies the length of time to be spent abroad, explanation of the need to travel abroad, information about the archival holdings and locations the student needs to visit, and evidence substantiating that the project can be carried out, such as supporting letters from archives abroad;
  3. Letter of recommendation from the student’s dissertation director or other suitable faculty member.

Please consult with your individual department’s student affairs officer on the process for being nominated for this fellowship.

The application deadline for students to submit their materials to their department for AY 26-27 will be set by their department. Please contact your department’s student affairs advisor to learn more.

Departments must submit nominations to the dean’s office by March 6, 2026.

This fellowship supports a humanities graduate student research that utilizes digital tools with a preference for interdisciplinary research in the Digital Humanities. This fellowship provides $6,000 for a student to conduct research during summer 2025. Research may or may not be related to a student’s dissertation. Award period covers three months, July – September.

Eligibility

  • Enrolled graduate student in the Division of Humanities
  • Minimum 3.0 GPA

Applications Materials

Please submit the following three items in a single PDF document:

  1. Research proposal no longer than four pages, double spaced, 12 pt. type, 1-inch margins. Please include short abstract of this proposal no longer than 250 words
  2. CV
  3. Budget, including (but not limited to) travel and living expenses

In a separate document, each applicant should email a letter of recommendation from a faculty mentor supporting the research project.

All application materials should be sent directly to Barbara Van Nostrand, bvannost@humnet.ucla.edu.

Deadline

Deadline for nominations is March 6, 2026. Please submit your self-nomination to Barbara Van Nostrand at bvannost@humnet.ucla.edu.

These fellowships provide funds for travel and living expenses for UCLA graduate students in the Humanities to conduct research in foreign countries. Awards typically range from $2,000 to $8,000 each, depending on the extent of the research proposed.

Awards can cover a period ranging from three months to one year. These fellowships are meant for research only and are not to be used for activities such as enrolling in foreign institutions. Projects should be new proposals that have not been previously funded through a Division of Humanities travel award.

Eligibility

  • Applicants must be graduate students in the Division of Humanities.
  • Each department may nominate one student.
  • Nominees must have at least a 3.0 GPA.

Application materials to be submitted in one PDF document

  1. CV;
  2. Two-page (maximum) description of the student’s proposed project including the following details: a budget breakdown that specifies the length of time to be spent abroad, explanation of the need to travel abroad, information about the archival holdings and locations the student needs to visit, and evidence substantiating that the project can be carried out, such as supporting letters from archives abroad;
  3. Letter of recommendation from the student’s dissertation director or other suitable faculty member.

Please consult with your individual department’s student affairs officer on the process for being nominated for this fellowship.

The application deadline for students to submit their materials to their department for AY 26-27 will be set by individual departments. Please contact your department’s student affairs advisor to learn more.

Departments must submit nominations to the dean’s office by March 6, 2026.

Opportunities in next grant cycle

Please note the following information is from 2025. Please watch for updated information and new deadlines for 2026.

This fellowship is intended to support one graduate student each year from across the humanities or social sciences who has an approved dissertation topic focusing on Persian/Iranian studies. The fellowship provides $30,000 in direct support and may not be used to cover fees or tuition. The fellowship recipient will be permitted to apply for a second year of support, but the second year is not guaranteed. The recipient will be required to provide a letter outlining progress during the fellowship year and any notable accomplishments produced as a result of the fellowship.

Eligibility

  • Enrolled at UCLA full-time and having completed the course work for a Ph.D. program within the Divisions of Humanities or Social Sciences
  • An approved dissertation topic focusing on Persian/Iranian studies
  • Minimum GPA of 3.0 throughout Ph.D. studies
  • Demonstrated strong interest and excellence in Persian/Iranian studies

Application Materials to be submitted in one PDF document

  1. Curriculum Vitae
  2. Two-page (maximum) description of the student’s dissertation work that also outlines how the fellowship year will support progress toward the Ph.D.
  3. Letter of recommendation from the student’s dissertation director or other suitable faculty member.
  4. Letter or email from your department student affairs officer/admin confirming support of fees for the AY 25-26.

The call for nominations each academic year is sent through the department Student Affairs Officers. A committee comprised of faculty representatives from humanities and social sciences will review and rank applicants and award notifications will be sent to departments.

The deadline to submit nominations is March 3, 2025. Please submit your self nomination to Barbara Van Nostrand at bvannost@humnet.ucla.edu. A committee comprised of faculty representatives from humanities and social sciences will review and rank applicants and award notifications will be sent to departments and candidates no later than May 2025.