AAUW Selected Professions Fellowship Program ($20,000 Stipend)

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About AAUW Selected Professions Fellowship Program

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

 

 

• Sponsor Organisation: American Association of University Women (AAUW)

Benefits of AAUW Selected Professions Fellowship Program

• 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.

AAUW Selected Professions Fellowship Program Requirements

• 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. 

The following are not eligible for consideration:     

• Members of the AAUW Board of Directors  
• Employees of AAUW, including paid or unpaid, part-time or temporary employees, consultants, interns and contract employees
• Review Panelists
• Immediate families (i.e., spouses and dependent children) of individuals described in the points above
• Applicants for another national AAUW fellowship or grant, in the same year
• Previous national AAUW fellowship or grant recipients (excluding Community Action Grants or branch or local AAUW awards)

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 Date and Process

• Application Submission Period: August 1, 2025 – September 30, 2025
• Fellowship Award Status Notification: April 15, 2026
• First Stipend Disbursed: July 2026
• Fellowship Term: July 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027
• Interim Report: December 15, 2026
• Second Stipend Disbursed: January 2027
• Final Report: July 31, 2027

In addition to a narrative application, all applicants are required to submit the following:   

• Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must provide two letters of recommendation from advisors, professors, colleagues, or others who are academically or professionally familiar with the applicant, their work, professional qualifications, and academic background.  
  • Please provide a professional email address for the recommenders, rather than a personal one.  
  • It is the applicants’ responsibility to remind their recommender of the application deadline in order for the application to be completed on time. An application will not be considered complete until the recommendations have been submitted.

Note: AAUW does not accept references from dossier services, such as Parment or Interfolio, and standardized or form-letter recommendations are discouraged.  

• Proof of Degree: Copy of all degrees earned to date. 
  • Applicants must hold a degree equivalent to at least a U.S. bachelor’s degree. 
  • Applicants must upload copies of all diplomas/degree certificates for programs from which they have received a degree.  
  • Applicants with an equivalent of a bachelor’s degree (particularly if the transcript or degree certification does not explicitly state it is a bachelor’s degree) must provide an official explanation from the academic institution or governing body, or submit a credential evaluation report form service like WES or ECE that clarifies the equivalency of your qualification to a bachelor’s degree. 
  • The documents provided must correspond to the programs and institutions listed in the application and must include the applicant’s full name, the institution name, and the degree conferred.  
  • If the original is not in English, applicants are required to submit certified translation.  

• Transcripts: Official transcripts confirming conferral of all degrees received.   
  • Applicants must upload copies of all official academic transcripts from all programs from which they have received a degree.  
  • The transcripts provided must correspond to the programs and institutions listed in the application. 
  • All transcripts must include the applicant’s full name, the institution’s name, the degree conferred, and the list of courses taken, and grades received. Transcripts must also include the name of coursework and grades from transfer courses, if applicable. If transcripts reflect transfer courses without grades, a transcript from the institution where courses were taken is required. 
  • If a transcript is not written in English, a certified translation must be provided by applicant. 
  •  Applicants who studied at an institution that does not provide a transcript, or a list of courses taken, and grades received, or the degree did not require coursework, must provide an institutional letter affirming the same as well as the degree completion date.  

• Design Projects (Architecture Students Only): 4-6 reproductions of applicant’s design projects, no larger than 8 X 10” in size, demonstrating applicant’s range of architectural design work. Applicants should ensure their name appears on all pages.  

A certified English translation is required for all materials provided in a foreign language. Translations must bear a mark of certification or official signature that the translation is true and complete.  

If you have immediate questions or concerns, please contact their team at [email protected]. 

Application Deadline

30 September, 2025

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