APPLY NOW! Hertz Foundation Fellowship Fully Funded 2024
Eligibility
We know the nation’s most promising talent can come in many packages, from different disciplines, backgrounds, and points of view.
To help focus our search, we’ve established the following eligibility criteria. We understand there are sometimes unique circumstances, so please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions at fellowshipinfo@hertzfoundation.org.
All eligible applicants must:
- be college seniors, first-year graduate students, or in a gap period preparing to apply to graduate school;
- intend to pursue a PhD in the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics, or engineering;
- intend to direct their studies toward understanding and solving major, near-term problems facing society; and
- be citizens or permanent residents of the United States.
We do not award fellowships to applicants pursuing professional degrees other than a PhD, such as an MD, JD, MBA, DPH, or DVM. However, we will support the PhD portion of an MD/PhD program.
Anti-Discrimination Notice: We do not discriminate against any individual on the basis of sex, race, creed, religion, color, gender, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, or any other basis protected by law.
Compensation
The Hertz Fellowship compensation package includes a cost-of-education allowance and a personal stipend valued at up to $250,000.
Fellows have two options for receiving their fellowship compensation.
Option 1: Funding from the Hertz Foundation Only
- $38,000/nine-month personal stipend
- Full tuition equivalent
- Renewable annually for up to five years
- $5,000/year stipend for fellows with dependent children
Option 2: Coordination with Another Awarding Institution
If you receive a fellowship, scholarship, or grant offer from another funding entity, we’ll coordinate with that organization or institution to make sure you can take advantage of each offer and receive the maximum possible compensation.
Example: Three year fellowship with the National Science Foundation (NSF)
- Hertz Foundation period: Full tuition equivalent and $44,000/nine-month personal stipend
- NSF period: $9,000/year supplemental stipend from Hertz Foundation
- Renewable annually for up to five years
- $5,000/year stipend for fellows with dependent children
Moral Commitment
The Hertz Foundation strongly believes that science and technology should make a positive impact on our nation.
As a public charity, we are committed to empowering young minds who will put their talents to work when it matters most. That’s why before awarding a fellowship, we require that applicants make a nonbinding moral commitment to make their skills available to the United States in times of national emergency.
Importantly, this is not a contractual obligation. We don’t tell our fellows that the nation requires their action, and we have no definition for what constitutes a national emergency.
Throughout history, science and technology have played essential roles in overcoming major challenges facing society, from creating vaccines that fight global epidemics to developing technology that predicts natural disasters. We leave it up to each fellow to determine in their eyes whether the nation faces a truly serious challenge and if they are positioned to use their knowledge and abilities to address it.
Fields of Study
The Hertz Foundation awards fellowships to graduate students pursuing a PhD in the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics, or engineering.
We do not award fellowships based on an applicant’s particular field of study; however, we do require that applicants direct their work toward understanding and solving major, near-term problems facing society. For each applicant, that could mean something different—inventing a new technology, developing a business, or applying their interests in innovative ways.
It’s up to the applicant to advocate for their specific field of study and demonstrate how it will be applied to address real-world challenges with the greatest impact.
Fellowship Timeline
After the application closes on Friday, November 1, 2024, applicants who advance beyond pre-selection will be invited to first round interviews (via Zoom) in December 2024 and January 2025. Second round interviews (in-person) for select finalists will be conducted in February 2025. Fellows will be selected in late March 2025 and announced publicly in May 2025. Funding for the selected Hertz Fellows will begin in fall 2025.
Application Deadline: November 1, 2024.