Graduate Funding

As a research-extensive institution with a mission to discover, disseminate, and preserve knowledge, the University and the College are committed to cultivating excellent graduate programs. To further our graduate teaching and research goals, the College and University offer the following internal funding programs and assistance to graduate students seeking external funding.

The Graduate College offers:

  • competitive multi-year fellowships to PhD, DMA, and MFA applicants nominated by their departments;
  • competitively awarded dissertation fellowships to doctoral candidates in the humanities and social sciences; and
  • summer fellowships for students who have completed the comprehensive examination. 
  • The UI Grad Success office meets with graduate students and postdocs at Gilmore Hall or MRC to feedback on external grant and fellowship application drafts.

In addition, the Graduate College's Graduate Incentive Fellowship program provides a supplement to any Nationally Competitive Fellowship (NCF) awarded to an Iowa graduate student.

For more information on financial aid available from the Graduate College, visit grad.uiowa.edu/funding.

Opportunities offered by other UI programs, offices, and CLAS: 

Summer Foreign Language Program Scholarships — These scholarships allow students to study a language needed to meet the language requirements of a doctoral program or to complete dissertation research may be available to UI graduate students for study at another CIC institution. Applications are usually required in the February preceding the summer session. Associate Dean Helena Dettmer is the contact person for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Marcus Bach Fellowships for Graduate Students in the Humanities — These CLAS-funded fellowships support dissertations or MFA projects that focus on intercultural communications and/or the understanding of diverse philosophical and religious perspectives.

Funding Opportunities for International Study and Research — The Office of International Programs administers or offers information on numerous award programs for research and study abroad for graduate students.

Graduate Student Travel Funds — The Graduate College and Graduate Student Senate administer funds for reimbursement of travel costs for graduate students to present papers or posters at professional conferences.

Funding for the Newberry Library and Folger Library  — Support is available for those participating in a program sponsored by the Newberry Center for Renaissance Studies or the Folger Institute or those conducting research at the Newberry or Folger libraries.

Assistance Seeking External Research Funding — The Graduate College, in partnership with the Division of Sponsored Programs (DSP), provides graduate and professional students with assistance in seeking external funding to support research, dissertation, travel, and other scholarly activities. 

Obermann Center — Building on its many years of successful interdisciplinary collaboration among faculty members, the Obermann Center hosts a graduate institute to explore ways of integrating teaching, research, creative projects, and civic engagement. Each year, a different program is offered.

Underrepresented Minority Graduate Student Recruitment Funding — The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences sets aside some funds to encourage the recruitment of underrepresented minorities (URM) for positions as teaching assistants (TAs).