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Graduate School Founder’s Fellowships

The Graduate School Founder’s Excellence and Doctoral Completion Fellowships contribute to our commitment to advancing Cornell’s founding principle of “… any person … any study.”

The concept of “… any person” meant that people from all walks of life, all income levels, races, religions and genders could attend Cornell University. Similarly, “… any study” underscored the freedom to pursue academic interests wherever they lead. For more than 150 years, talented scholars representing the full, diverse spectrum of humanity have come to Cornell for a world-class educational experience unlike any other.

Founder’s Excellence Fellowship Portfolio

The Founder’s Excellence Fellowship Portfolio includes recruitment fellowships funded by the Graduate School and SUNY System, as well as others co-funded by colleges within Cornell and the Graduate School. The fellowships in the Founder’s Excellence Fellowship Portfolio are awarded on a competitive basis to nominated domestic doctoral applicants from all backgrounds applying for Fall admission. Eligible candidates include U.S. citizens, U.S. permanent residents, Indigenous peoples of Canada who qualify as domestic students under the Jay Treaty, or students with DACA status. Nominees must demonstrate excellence in their academics, leadership, and service. They must also demonstrate the potential to contribute meaningfully to Cornell’s founding principle and core values of providing a community of belonging where scholars representing different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can engage in purposeful discovery together in an environment of respect.

  • Graduate School Founder’s Excellence Fellowship — for recruitment of new research degree students across all graduate fields
  • Graduate School Founder’s Excellence McNair Fellowships — for recruitment of new research degree students who were McNair Scholars at their undergraduate institutions
  • Graduate School Founder’s Excellence Mellon Mays Fellowship — for recruitment of new research degree students who were Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellows at their undergraduate institutions
  • SUNY Graduate Diversity Fellowship—for recruitment of new research degree students in graduate fields within contract colleges (open only to U.S. citizens and permanent residents)
  • Cornell Colman, Lance R. Collins, and Robert F. Smith Fellowships (Cornell Duffield College of Engineering) — for recruitment of new research degree students in engineering related fields    
  • Cornell Bowers College of Computing and Information Science (CIS) Deans Excellence — for recruitment of new research degree students based in Ithaca in computing related fields 
  • Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) Stadtman Fellowship in Life Sciences and Romualdez Graduate Fellowship — for recruitment of new research degree students in fields affiliated with academic departments in CALS
  • Cornell College of Human Ecology Deans Excellence Fellowship — for recruitment of new research degree students fields affiliated with academic departments in CHE 
  • Cornell Tech Deans Excellence Fellowship — for recruitment of new research degree students based at Cornell Tech in computing related fields 
  • Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) Dean’s Excellence Fellowship — for recruitment of new research degree students in fields affiliated with academic departments in CVM

Applicants who wish to be considered for nomination for these fellowships must indicate their interest within the Graduate School application. Matriculating students awarded any of the fellowships within the Founder’s Excellence Fellowship Portfolio are recognized as Graduate School Dean’s Scholars and invited to participate in community and professional activities sponsored by the Graduate School and other campus partners. 

How to apply:

  • Prospective doctoral students apply for a fellowship within the Founder’s Excellence Fellowship Portfolio through the Graduate School admissions application.
  • To be considered for nomination for a fellowship within this portfolio, eligible applicants must respond “yes” to the question on the admissions application asking whether they would be interested in being considered for a Founder’s Excellence Fellowship. 
  • The director of graduate studies for the graduate field to which the applicant is applying must submit a letter of nomination and a mentoring plan to support the nominee’s transition into and progression through their graduate studies. The mentoring plan may be informed by content provided via the FAIM Resource Center.

Founder’s Doctoral Completion Fellowships 

The Graduate School Founder’s Doctoral Completion Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis and are funded by the Graduate School and SUNY System. They are available to domestic advanced Ph.D. students who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or Indigenous peoples of Canada eligible to register as domestic students under the Jay Treaty, or students with DACA status. Applicants demonstrate excellence in their academics, leadership, and service, and have made significant contributions to Cornell’s founding principle and core values of providing a community of belonging where scholars representing different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can engage in purposeful discovery together in an environment of respect.

Funding Period

For the Fall 2027 application cycle, applicants may request support for the following funding periods.  

  • Spring 2027: with or without support for Summer 2027
  • Summer 2027
  • Fall 2027: with or without support for Summer 2027
  • Spring 2028: with or without support for Summer 2028

Eligibility

To be eligible for an award, nominees must have received at least one year of support (e.g. teaching assistantship, training grant, etc.) from their graduate field or special committee chair and meet the following conditions:

  • Enrolled in a Cornell doctoral program for a minimum of three years by the time of nomination;
  • Will have passed the A exam prior to the award period for the fellowship. 
  • Be in good academic standing with a most recent Student Progress Review rating of at least Satisfactory.

Priority consideration is provided to nominees expected to complete all requirements for the doctorate within three terms (spring, summer, or fall) from the semester of nomination.

Submission Guidelines

A complete nomination consists of three separate Qualtrics survey submissions:

Student Application Form

Includes the submission of a Personal Statement and Dissertation Completion Plan. 

Personal Statement (500 words maximum) 
Cornell University was founded on the principle of being “an institution where any person can find instruction in any study” and remains committed to our core values of providing a community of belonging where scholars representing different backgrounds, perspectives, abilities, and experiences can engage in purposeful discovery together in an environment of respect. In your personal statement, please provide insight into how you have contributed to advancing Cornell’s founding principle and institutional core values. You may draw from your service, leadership, and scholarly activities that address:

  • Your ability to engage with and contribute to effective, collaborative teams.
  • How you have come to understand and value perspectives different from your own.
  • How you have demonstrated persistence in overcoming a setback or challenge.

Your statement should reflect your unique perspective and experiences while illustrating how they have shaped your ability to contribute meaningfully to Cornell’s academic and community life.

Dissertation Completion Plan
Your dissertation completion plan must be drafted in consultation with your advisor to ensure a shared understanding and agreement on your timeline and productivity expectations. A backward-planning approach can help: start with your projected completion date and then work backward to schedule key milestones and deliverables, such as data analysis and the preparation and submission of draft and final chapters.

Your dissertation completion plan should include at least the following core elements: 

  • A timeline with target dates for the completion of milestones associated with the progression of your dissertation. 
  • A high-level schedule for check-ins and feedback meetings with your advisor(s). 
  • Mutually defined expectations between your advisor and you for how and at what frequency you will communicate updates and exchange feedback. 
  • A description of how you will engage with your special committee members to present your work and to elicit their feedback at a frequency relevant for your committee and graduate field. 

Committee Chair Nomination Form

Includes confirmation of the committee chair’s approval of the dissertation completion plan submitted by the nominee. It also includes the submission of a letter of nomination with a mentoring plan detailing how the committee chair will support the nominee through the successful completion of their doctorate and help them access postgraduate opportunities. The letter should also include a funding plan detailing how the nominee has been funded to date and how they will be funded through completion if the fellowship is not awarded. The mentoring plan may be informed by the FAIM mentoring framework and toolkit.

Director of Graduate Study (DGS) Nomination Form

Includes confirmation of review and approval of the dissertation completion plan submitted by the student nominee and the mentoring and funding plans submitted by the committee chair.

Nomination Deadlines

The student application and the nomination forms from the committee chair and DGS must be submitted no later than 11:59 p.m. on October 15. (If the application deadline falls on a holiday or weekend, applications will be due the next business day.) Fellowship award decisions will be announced by mid-November.