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.

Explore CLAS-funded opportunities

UI Graduate College funding opportunities

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
  • 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 provide 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.

Opportunities offered by other UI programs and offices

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.