Deadline: September 30, 2025
Applications are open for the American Association of University Women (AAUW) Selected Professions Fellowship Program 2026. Selected Professions Fellowships support women who are pursuing their first full-time master’s or professional degree in fields with historically low female participation, particularly in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) disciplines, at accredited U.S. institutions.
Selected Professions Fellowships are available for the master’s and professional degree programs in the following discipline areas:
- Architecture
- Natural and Physical Science
- Technology
- Engineering
- Mathematics
- Medicine
Benefits
- Selected Professionals Fellowships carry a stipend of $20,000. Stipends are payable to fellows only and are disbursed in two equal payments at the beginning and the midpoint of the fellowship term.
Eligibility
- Applicants must identify as a woman.
- Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Applicants must be pursuing a full-time program at an institution:
- Accredited in the United States, or
- An international institution recognized as eligible to participate in U.S. federal student aid programs, as listed on the Federal Student Aid Participating Schools list.
- Applicants must have an academic degree (earned in the U.S. or abroad) that is equivalent to a U.S. bachelor’s degree. Applicants enrolled in a joint-degree program may apply for support if they plan to pursue full-time coursework during the entire fellowship year in one of the approved degree programs below. Coursework in other fields, even if part of a joint-degree program, is not supported.
- Applicants must apply for a fellowship in a single specific discipline (e.g., Architecture, Natural and Physical Science, Engineering, Mathematics, or Medicine).
- Applicants must not already hold a master’s or professional degree.
- Applicants must begin their program on or before September 1, 2026, and complete it on or after April 30, 2027.
Selection Criteria
- Academic excellence, as demonstrated by academic records and achievements, recognition from peers, professors, and/or institutions, and other forms of distinction
- Well-defined career goals in a STEM field and demonstrated passion and commitment to a career in the chosen profession
- Demonstrated passion and commitment to STEM through sustained academic focus, active participation in STEM-related extracurricular activities, and potential to apply knowledge and experience to improve equity or contribute to societal advancement in STEM
- Demonstrated commitment to supporting other women and girls through service in their communities or professions
- Special consideration will be given to applicants who demonstrate their intent to professionally serve under resourced populations and communities or to pursue public interest areas
- Applicants who have demonstrated resilience in overcoming life challenges beyond their control, such as socioeconomic status, discrimination, limited academic resources or opportunities, or other adverse circumstances (Preferred)
- Applicants who were the first in their family to attain a bachelor’s degree (Preferred)
- Applicants who hail from single parent households (Preferred)
Application
For more information, visit Selected Professions Fellowship.
