Fellowships for Current Students

Student must be in good academic standing (a minimum GPA of 3.0 and not on academic probation) and must be enrolled full-time (a minimum of nine hours in long semesters or a minimum of three hours in the summer) in courses that credit toward their LBJ School degree, and must meet the criteria and eligibility of the fellowship for which they are applying, in order to be considered for any fellowships.

LBJ School Fellowships

Barbara Jordan Professional Development Fund

The Barbara Jordan Professional Development Fund is available to all full-time, attending, degree-seeking LBJ School students in good academic standing. These fellowship awards can be used to offset costs associated with academic and professional experiences, such as traveling to a conference or an interview. Apply using the common Current Student Endowed Fellowship Application form.

Barbara Jordan Baines Report Fellowship Fund

The Barbara Jordan Baines Report Fellowship Fund is available to students interested in gaining skills in policy writing and storytelling, as well as exercising leadership through managing the student-run publication, The Baines Report. Students are eligible to receive up to $750 per semester. Both the fall and spring fellowship awards also provide $500 toward travel funds to the Journal of Public and International Affairs reading weekend at Princeton University, contingent on JPIA's invitation. More information is available in the fellowship eligibility and criteria document below. Apply using the common Current Student Endowed Fellowship Application form.

Barbara Jordan Excellence Fund

The Barbara Jordan Excellence Fund is available to full-time master's students in good academic standing. Awards from this endowment can be used to supplement any available Barbara Jordan Professional Development Funds to assist students in covering the costs associated with exceptional opportunities to develop policy and governing skills. For example, these funds may aid students who are selected to present research at a major conference, testify before a legislative body, or similar opportunities. Apply using the common Current Student Endowed Fellowship Application form.

William & Judith Bollinger International Student Enrichment Fund

The William and Judith Bollinger International Student Enrichment Fund was established to enable international students studying at the LBJ School to pursue educational and cultural interests, within the United States, both at and away from The University of Texas at Austin. The funds are meant to elevate the experiences of international students by expanding their knowledge and inspiring them to share that knowledge with their peers, friends and family back home. Apply using the common Current Student Endowed Fellowship Application form.

William and Judith Bollinger also fund a group trip, within the United States, once a year for "all" international students in attendance full-time at the LBJ School during the semester the trip occurs. A meeting time notification to discuss the group trip will be posted to lbjschool@utlists.utexas.edu. The location and details to plan the group trip is discussed during this meeting. 

UT Graduate School Professional Development Funds

The University of Texas at Austin Graduate School provides support for Ph.D. students to attend major professional meetings at which they will present original research. Awards range from $100 to $1,000. The LBJ Fellowship Committee will nominate students for these awards, which are then approved and administered by the Graduate School. Students seeking these awards should submit a completed application to the LBJ Fellowships Office, who will then work with the LBJ Fellowship Committee to nominate the student through the UT Graduate School. Apply using the PhD Professional Development and Dissertation Support Funds Application and UT Graduate School’s Professional Development Awards Student Application form.

PhD Professional Development Award

The Ph.D. Professional Development (PD) Award is available to all full-time, attending, degree-seeking LBJ School Ph.D. students in good academic standing. This fellowship is to support Ph.D. students at the LBJ School in pursuing their professional goals via educational and professional development opportunities. Apply using the PhD Professional Development and Dissertation Support Funds Application.

PhD Dissertation Support Fellowship

The Ph.D. Dissertation Support Fellowship is available to all full-time, attending, degree-seeking LBJ School Ph.D. students in good academic standing who have passed the Qualifying Paper milestone. This fellowship is to support Ph.D. students at the LBJ School with the costs that they may incur when completing their dissertation research. Apply using the PhD Professional Development and Dissertation Support Funds Application.

2nd Year Enrolled Student Fellowships: Deans Graduate Fellowships, Excellence in Public Service Fellowship, Rostow Fellowship

The Dean’s Graduate Fellowships and Excellence in Public Service Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis to degree-seeking second-year master's students who have demonstrated excellence in their first year of study.

Dean’s Fellowships recognize students who have proven academic merit while pursuing a degree at the LBJ School. Beyond the classroom, extracurricular contributions that impact the school, university, or community and further the mission of the LBJ School may be considered. Funding that has already been committed will also be taken into consideration. Financial need will be taken into consideration for the Dean's Fellowships and is required for the Excellence in Public Service Fellowships.

The Elspeth D. Rostow Memorial Graduate Fellowship annually recognizes students who actively engage in opportunities to serve the public while pursuing an LBJ Master’s degree. The fellowship is awarded on a competitive basis to one second-year student who has demonstrated a superior commitment to public service through his or her work (campus leadership, volunteer work, internship, and employment) in communities – local, domestic, and abroad.

  • Eligible Students: Second-year master's students
  • Application Opens: April 2024
  • Deadline: May 2024
Student Emergency Fund

The LBJ School Student Emergency Fund was created with the mission of supporting students who encounter emergencies that may make it hard to make ends meet. Emergency funds we can provide can help students get back on a path of success. Funds provided in these emergency cases shall not exceed  $500 and are granted at the discretion of the LBJ Fellowship Committee. Apply using the 2023 LBJ Emergency Fund Application form, located here

Other Fellowships

Brumley Next Generation Graduate Fellows

The Strauss Center's Brumley Next Generation Graduate Fellows program is open to Ph.D. and master's students with an interest in international affairs. The mission of the program is to provide a transformative experience for UT graduate students from an array of disciplines, accelerating their path toward career success with an emphasis on building professional and scholarly skills and networks. Fellows will receive academic and professional mentorship, opportunities for individual research and networking, and a monetary stipend for the academic year.

Cybersecurity Graduate Fellows Program

The Strauss Center's Cybersecurity Fellows Program is open to Ph.D. and master's students with an interest in the interdisciplinary study of cybersecurity issues. The Strauss Center established the Cybersecurity Graduate Fellows Program to encourage graduate students from all departments who have an interest in cybersecurity to take relevant courses from outside their home department, to reward students who pursue this approach with formal recognition, to generate a cross-campus community of interest featuring a speaker series and mentoring, and to provide financial support for cybersecurity-related research, conference attendance, and the like.

Graduate Archer Fellowship Program

The Graduate Archer Fellowship Program was established in 2010 by The University of Texas System as a way to bring graduate and medical students interested in policy and politics to our nation's capital to learn about the federal government and public service. Graduate Archer Fellows live, learn and work in the heart of Washington, DC during the summer. Selection is based on a competitive process and is offered to highly motivated graduate and medical students of The University of Texas System. Archer Fellows make and maintain social and professional contacts that can help lead to continued professional opportunities post-graduation. Learn more about the selection process and available scholarships, including the Texas National Security Network Scholarship, by visiting The Archer Center website.

Clements Center Graduate Fellows Program

The Clements Graduate Fellows program aims to create a sense of community and intellectual exchange among doctoral students in history, political science, area studies and public affairs. Students in these fields, too often isolated from one another by artificial disciplinary boundaries, have much to learn from one another in the study of foreign policy and national security. Above all, the Fellows program encourages students aiming for academic jobs to consider the policy implications of their work and students aiming for policy careers to draw skillfully on academic knowledge, especially history. Fellows have received short-term research grants from the Clements Center to visit the National Archives, the Library of Congress, various presidential libraries and other archives in the United States and overseas. Learn more by visiting the Clements Center Graduate Fellows Program website. 

  • Eligible Students: Ph.D. students      
  • Deadline: See Website
Clements Center Grants in History, Strategy and Statecraft for Graduate Students

The Clements Center provides research funding for UT scholars and students. Funding is available on a competitive basis to support the research and publication of articles and books. Past sponsorship has included research trips to presidential libraries and support for paper presentations at academic conferences. This program is offered throughout the academic year. Strong preference will be given to proposals from students who have demonstrated involvement with the Clements Center, such as through regular attendance at Clements Center events, participation in the Graduate Fellows program, and/or enrollment in the Portfolio in Security Studies. Learn more by visiting the Clements Center Grants in History, Strategy, and Statecraft for Graduate Students website. 

  • Eligible Students: Ph.D. and master's students      
  • Deadline: See Website
Center for the Study of Race and Democracy Student Fellows

CSRD Student Fellows expand the Center's range of research and engagement across UT's campus and within the local community. Through exploration and research for independent and group projects, Fellows aid in creating a database of relevant research to serve as a launchpad for further research and social justice-oriented work. This yearlong fellowship pairs research skills development and hands-on research. Mentored by CSRD Director Dr. Peniel Joseph, CSRD Faculty Fellows and CSRD team members, Student Fellows collaborate to conduct research on key subjects that sit at the intersections of race, democracy and social justice. In addition, Student Fellows participate in CSRD events (held virtually for Fall 2020) and act as ambassadors on behalf of the CSRD, the LBJ School of Public Affairs and The University of Texas at Austin. Graduate Fellows will receive a $500 stipend and will have the option to enroll in PA 389 Conference Course in Policy Analysis with Dr. Joseph. Learn more about the program and apply at the CSRD Student Fellows Program website. 

  • Eligible Students: Ph.D. and master's students      
  • Deadline: See Website
Graduate Student Fieldwork Grants on Human Rights & Inequality

As part of the Inequality & Human Rights project, The Bernard and Audre Rapoport Center For Human Rights and Justice offers grants to support fieldwork by UT graduate students exploring the relationship between human rights and economic inequality. Learn more about the selection and award process by visiting The Bernard and Audre Rapoprt Center for Human Rights and Justice website.

Graduate Summer Fellowships at the Rapoport Center

Fellowships are available for law and graduate students to work at the Rapoport Center over the summer and help with projects, publications, events and research. Summer fellows advance the Center's mission and ensure that Center projects reflect and incorporate the diverse perspectives and expertise of a multidisciplinary UT academic community. The Center is particularly interested in candidates with some knowledge of or experience in human rights, and in candidates with experience or serious interest in scholarly publications and publication/graphic design. Fellows will receive a stipend between $2,500 and $5,000, depending on the time they spend at the Center (which is based on their specific assignments). Learn more about the application and selection process by visiting The Bernard and Audre Rapoprt Center for Human Rights and Justice website.

CREEES Professional Development Funding

CREEES Professional Development Awards are available to students in ANY major at UT Austin who are interested in professional development in the realm of Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies. Applications to participate in professional development activities MUST be somehow related to the CREEES region, namely: the former Soviet sphere of influence, Central/Eastern Europe, Southeast Europe/former Ottoman Empire, Central Asia, the Caucasus, etc. Awards are meant to help cover travel costs associated with competitive internships, job interviews, research/fieldwork or presenting at academic conferences. Up to $1,000 per student will be awarded to cover international travel costs or $500 per student for domestic travel costs. Learn more about the application and selection process by visiting the CREEES website. 

  • Eligible Students: Ph.D. and master's students      
  • Deadline: See Website
Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowships

FLAS Fellowships are funded by the U.S. Department of Education (DoED) through its Title VI grant and are awarded to graduate students studying an approved foreign language. FLAS Fellowships can be for an academic year or summer program and are competitively awarded. The Fellowship is interdisciplinary and open to students from ANY department / school at UT. There are five FLAS-granting centers at UT Austin. Learn more about the application and selection process by visiting the FLAS websites for the FLAS-granting centers at UT Austin: Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies (CREEES)Center for European StudiesSouth Asia InstituteMiddle Eastern Studies and Latin American Studies. 

  • Eligible Students: Ph.D. and master's students      
  • Deadline: See Website(s)
Clarence E. Ridley Scholarship

In 1956, Clarence E. Ridley retired after serving 27 years as executive director of the International City/County Management Association. The Clarence E. Ridley Scholarship, sponsored by the Texas City Management Association, was established later that year to honor him. The scholarship is an educational fellowship that provides a $3,500 award to graduate students at a Texas university each academic year. Preference is given to graduate students pursuing a degree in public affairs who have demonstrated a serious commitment to pursuing a career in local government. Learn more about the award and access the application on the TCMA website.

  • Eligible Students: Ph.D. and master's students      
  • Deadline: See Website

Connect With Us


Office of Student Affairs and Admissions - Fellowships

Location  
SRH 3.104

Phone  
512-471-4292

Email  
lbjfellowships@austin.utexas.edu