Through its Fellowship Programs, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.
Ford Foundation Fellowship awards are offered at the Predoctoral, Dissertation and Postdoctoral levels. Fellowships are awarded in a national competition. Awards are made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.
To be eligible for a Ford Foundation Fellowship award you must be a citizen of the United States, demonstrate evidence of superior academic achievement (such as grade point average, class rank, honors or other designations), and be committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level. Awards will be made for study in research-based Ph.D. or Sc.D. programs; practice oriented degree programs are not eligible for support.
In addition to the fellowship award, Ford Fellows are eligible to attend the Conference of Ford Fellows, a unique national conference of a select group of high-achieving scholars committed to diversifying the professoriate and using diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.
Specific Eligibility Criteria
In addition to the general eligibility requirements, eligibility to apply for a predoctoral fellowship is limited to:
- All citizens or nationals* of the United States regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation (must have become a U.S. citizen by November of the year of application),
- Individuals with evidence of superior academic achievement (such as grade point average, class rank, honors or other designations,
- Individuals committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level,
- Individuals enrolled in or planning to enroll in an eligible research-based program leading to a Ph.D. or Sc.D. degree at a U.S. educational institution, and
- Individuals who have not earned a doctoral degree at any time, in any field.
*The term “national of the United States” designates a citizen of the United States or a native resident of a possession of the United States. It does not refer to a U.S. permanent resident who is a citizen of another country.