GSAS Distinguished Fellowships FAQ

You can apply for only one. We highly recommend discussing your academic progress with your advisor to determine which fellowship best aligns with your academic goals for the current year.

Yes, you are eligible. However, please note that you can be awarded a maximum of two distinguished fellowships (ADF, RF, and STF) during your time at Fordham. This limit is meant to ensure that our limited funding is distributed to support a diverse group of students.

Yes, if you are awarded and hold either the RF or STF within your funded years, that year of institutional funding is replaced by the DF fellowship. Once the fellowship ends, your funding is extended by one additional year (paid at the TF rate). Please note this replacement happens only once. Even if you receive more than one Continuing Student Distinguished Fellowship, you will still only receive a single additional year of institutional funding.

Example 1: Your admissions letter guarantees four years of funding. You applied for an RF in your third year and held it in your fourth year. The RF will replace your institutional funding in year 4; as a result, you receive a final year of institutional funding in year 5. 

Example 2: Your admissions letter guarantees six years of funding. You received an RF in your fourth year and an STF in your sixth year. In each case, the fellowship award replaced your institutional funding for that year. You would be eligible to receive one year of additional funding at the TF rate (year 7), not two. If you continue into an eighth year, you will be eligible to apply for the Teaching Associate position.

Yes, the ADF is the last of the internally administered prestigious awards for advanced doctoral students. It is intended for those who are nearing the completion of their degree and planning to graduate. Once you have received an ADF, you will no longer be eligible for other GSAS academic-year awards, including Graduate Assistantships, Research Assistantships, Teaching Fellowships, Research Fellowships, Teaching Associate positions, or Senior Teaching Fellowships.

Yes, you can (and should)! We strongly encourage students to apply for external fellowships, as they provide valuable opportunities and recognition for your academic achievements. These fellowships include awards from external funding organizations and institutions such as Fulbright, National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institute of Health (NIH) grants, as well as American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) fellowships. 

Please visit the Office of Fellowship Advising to consult about your options. Note that you may also be eligible for fellowships specific to your discipline. Please consult your department about those that may be relevant for your particular research project.

Yes, you can. However, students can not simultaneously hold an academic year, merit-based funding award concurrent with a Summer Fellowship. If you receive a continuing student distinguished fellowship, you will need to decline the summer research fellowship. For detailed information on payment coverage timelines, please visit the Fellowship and Summer Assistantship page. 

You can only apply for one Summer Fellowship each year. Please note that you can not be awarded more than two summer fellowships within any five-year period. Be sure to discuss your application plans with your advisor to determine the best fit for and timing of your research.

You can apply for a DF, which, if awarded, you would hold in your 7th year. Since you did not hold the DF within your funded years, you would not be eligible for an additional year of funding.

No, the number of awards is not tied to the number of applications. It primarily depends on the budget allocated for these awards in a given year.

Your advisor within your department should write the recommendation letter for your fellowship application.

The selection process begins with departmental review and nominations. Following these nominations, GSAS DF committee members review all applications and then submit their recommendations to the Vice Dean for Graduate Education.

The committee is composed of GSAS faculty members. To ensure fairness, members do not review or rate applications from their own departments.

Yes. You should always consult with your DGS about summer funding options in your program. Some programs, such as IPED, Economics, and Biology, have summer funding available. Students in these programs should check with their DGS to learn how to access department's resources. Applying for local resources first helps ensure that the GSAS Summer Fellowship is available to other students who do not have other sources of summer funding.