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Financial Opportunities
Fellowships
Capital Fellows Program
The Capital Fellows Program consist of four individual fellowships:
- California Senate Fellows
- Executive Fellowship Program
- Jesse M. Unruh Assembly Fellowship Program
- Judicial Administration Fellowship Program
The Capital Fellows Programs are nationally recognized public policy fellowships offering unique experiences in policy-making and development in each branch of California state government. Fellows work for 10-11 months as full-time, paid staff members in the State Assembly, State Senate, Executive Branch or the Judiciary. The fellowships are administered by the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento, and are an outstanding opportunity for college graduates to engage in public service and prepare for future careers.
- Fellows receive a monthly stipend of $2,627;
- Medical, dental and vision benefits;
- Student loan deferments;
- 6 graduate units in Political Science or Public Policy and Administration from Sacramento State; and
- A graduate certificate in Applied Policy and Government upon completion of the fellowship.
Prospective Capital Fellows must have a bachelor’s degree (in any major) by September 1, 2018 and a demonstrated interest in public service, public policy, and California state government. Applicants may apply to one or more of the programs that meet their interests and qualifications. Recent graduates, graduate, postgraduate and mid-career applicants are welcome to apply.
Visit for more information contact the Center for California Studies at (916) 278-6906.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected February 2020 (date not yet set).
Capital Fellows / Center for California Studies
Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program
These fellowships, offered through the National Academy of Sciences, are designed to engage graduate science, engineering, medical, veterinary, business, public policy, and law students in the analytical process that informs the creation of national policy-making with a science/technology element. Eligibility is open to graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, and those who have completed graduate studies or postdoctoral research within the last five years. Fellows spend 12 weeks at the National Academies working under a senior National Academies staff member mentor on substantive projects on science and technology policy analysis. The stipend amount is $8,000.
Application Deadline: September 6, 2019.
Mirzayan Science Policy Fellowship
Coastal Management Fellowship Program
Agency: U.S. Department of Commerce
Any student completing a master's, doctoral or professional degree program in natural resource management or environmental-related studies at a US university is eligible. Students from a broad range of environmental programs are encouraged to apply. Program matches students with state coastal zone programs to work on projects proposed by the state & selected by the fellowship sponsor.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected January 2020 (date not yet set).
Graduate Equity Fellowship Program
A $1,500 award for students who have experienced economic and educational disadvantages. Students must meet financial and academic requirements and be classified or conditionally classified in a graduate program at Sacramento State.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected April 2020 (date not yet set).
Graduate Fellowships in the Physical Sciences
This program, offered through the National Physical Science Consortium, supports graduate work at any NPSC member institution in any field of the physical sciences. It supports the first two or three years of graduate school, depending on the employer who is sponsoring the fellowship, with the possibility of continuation for several more years, for a maximum of six years and over $200,000 total (including stipend, tuition, fees, and salary for two summers). Special emphasis is on underrepresented minorities and women, but all qualified students are welcome to apply.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected November 2019 (date not yet set).
Minority Fellowship Program in Sociology of Mental Health
This program, offered through the American Sociological Association, supports students who have strong interests in the sociology of mental health. The program seeks to attract talented minority students who are interested in mental health issues and to facilitate their placement, work and success in graduate programs. The program funds up to 10 one-year fellowships with an annual stipend of up to $20, 772.
Application Deadline: January 31, 2020.
National Science Foundation - Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
The National Science Foundation aims to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States and to reinforce its diversity by offering approximately 1,100 graduate fellowships in this competition. The Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based masters or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are in the early stages of their graduate study. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) invests in graduate education for a cadre of diverse individuals who demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation.
Application Deadline: October 21-25, 2019 (depending on field of study).
National Nuclear Security Administration Graduate Program
Offered through the National Nuclear Security Administration, this program supports graduate students interested in exploring a career in international security and nonproliferation. This program is new for 2013 and combines the previous Nonproliferation Graduate Fellowship Program and Future Leaders Program.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected October 2019 (date not yet set).
Office of Water Programs Graduate Research Fellowship Program
The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) provides an opportunity for one or two Sacramento State students to fulfill their master’s project/thesis requirement by completing a research-based project in collaboration with the Office of Water Programs (OWP). All projects will be consistent with OWP’s mission of providing cost-effective solutions for protecting and enhancing water resources, public health, and the environment through training, scientific research, and public education. Fellows will work alongside faculty and research staff, and will be reimbursed for part-time tuition plus a one-time continuation fee (if needed) upon successful completion of the project.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected May 2020 (date not yet set).
Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowship for New Americans
This program is to provide opportunities (up to $36,000) for continuing generations of able and accomplished New Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields. The Program is established in recognition of the contributions New Americans have made to American life and in gratitude for the opportunities the United States has afforded the donors and their family.
Application Deadline: November 1, 2019.
Smithsonian Fellowship Program
Graduate-level, Pre-Doc, Post-Doc and Senior fellowships support research at the Smithsonian in the following areas: anthropology, archaeology, astrophysics & astronomy, earth sciences, ecology, behavioral and environmental sciences, evolutionary & systematic biology, history of science & technology, art history, and social & cultural history of the U.S. The stipend and length of fellowship vary. Other graduate-level/undergraduate-level internships are also available.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary by program. Visit web site for details.
Truman Library Institute Dissertation-Year Fellowships
These fellowships, offered through the Truman (Harry S.) Library, provide $16,000 to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars conducting research on Truman's life or foreign policy from the Truman years.
Application Deadline: February 1, 2020.
Internships
Applied Social Issues Internship Program
Offered through the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, this program provides awards ranging from $300 to $2,500 to college seniors, graduate students, and first-year postdoctoral researchers in psychology, applied social science, and related areas, for social issues research in cooperation with a community or government organization, public interest group, or other not-for-profit organization that will benefit from the project. Eligibility is limited to SPSSI members. Cost sharing is desirable.
Other awards are available with different deadlines. Please see web site for details.
Application Deadline: March 15, 2020.
Dow Jones Newspaper Fund Summer Internships in Editing & Reporting
This fund supports annual summer internships in business reporting and newspaper copy editing. Free pre-internship training seminars are held on college campuses and weekly salaries start at $350 for a minimum of 10 weeks. Interns who return to college full-time the following fall will also receive $1,000 scholarships from the fund. The application process includes completion of a copy-editing or business reporting exam.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected November 2019 (date not yet set).
ETS Summer Internship Program
Offered through Educational Testing Services, this program provides research internships for full-time doctoral students.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected February 2020 (date not yet set).
FLETC College Intern Program
Offered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, this program supports 12-week residential internships at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) for U.S. graduate students or senior-year undergraduates who are majoring in criminal justice, criminology, or a related field, and are planning to pursue federal law enforcement careers. Interns are assigned a mentor and spend 50 percent time on an FLETC project and 50 percent on studies and training.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary by program and session. Please check website for details.
Native American Congressional Internships
Offered through the Morris K. Udall Foundation, this program provides 12 Native American students (members of recognized Tribes) with $1,200 plus airfare, dormitory lodging and a daily allowance to learn about the Federal Government. Participants will also receive practical experience in the legislative process and governmental proceedings. Dissertation support is also available for individuals working in environmental policy/conflict resolution.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected January 2020 (date not yet set).
Panetta Institute Congressional Internship
Each year, the Panetta Institute invites CSU presidents to nominate an outstanding undergraduate (junior or senior) student leader from each campus to participate in the fall semester Congressional Internship in Washington D.C. The fall semester program runs from August 2017 through November 2017. The program is fully funded to allow participation by any qualified student. Student benefits for the semester include: a two-week orientation at the Panetta Institute in Monterey Bay; an 11- week congressional internship in Washington D.C.; academic program and unit accrual; the cost of academic fees and tuition; food and housing; a living stipend; academic materials; and air and ground transportation.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected February 2020 (date not yet set).
Summer Student Science Internships at the National Science Foundation
Offered through the Quality Education for Minorities (QEM) Network, this program is a ten-week summer internship that will take place May 25 July 31, 2009 at the National Science Foundation in Arlington, VA. Students majoring in the following areas are encouraged to apply: Computer science (Junior or Senior with experience in Java programming and/or database), Geosciences/ Environmental science, Biology (at least 5 needed), Atmospheric science/Meteorology, Mathematics, Chemical/mechanical/electrical/biomedical engineering, Political science, Journalism (someone with creative writing experience, with a science background), Social science, Science education.
Each internship will provide round-trip airfare, assistance with local transportation costs, summer housing on a local college campus, and a stipend ($3,000 for undergraduate students and $4,000 for graduate students), payable in three installments.
To be eligible for science internships at NSF, an applicant must be a citizen or national of the United States and must be a rising junior or senior, or a graduate student, currently enrolled in a science or engineering degree program at a minority-serving institution or at a non-minority institution with a track record in producing science and/or engineering graduates from underrepresented groups.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected March 2020 (date not yet set).
Grants
California Pre-Doctoral Program $3,000
Designed to increase the pool of potential university faculty by supporting the doctoral aspirations of individuals who are current upper division or graduate students in the CSU system, economically and educationally disadvantaged, and U.S. citizens or permanent residents. The grant provides up to $3,000 for students to use for exposure to research in their chosen fields, visits to doctoral-granting institutions, national symposiums or professional meetings, membership in professional organizations, journal subscriptions, graduate school application fees, test fees, and books and materials.
Visit http://www.calstate.edu/PreDoc/ for more information.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected February 2020 (date not yet set).
Clara Mayo Grants for Research on Sexism, Racism or Prejudice
Offered through the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues, this program supports master's theses or pre-dissertation research on aspects of sexism, racism, or prejudice, with preference given to students enrolled in a terminal master's program. Studies of the application of theory or the design of interventions or treatments to address these problems are welcome. Up to four awards of $1,000 each are made per year. Proposals that include a college or university agreement to match the amount requested are favored.
Visit http://www.spssi.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=page.viewpage&pageid=727 for more information.
Application Deadline:
Fall 2020 Session - October 10, 2019.
Spring 2021 Session - May 15, 2020.
People, Prosperity, and the Planet Grant (P3)
The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will award as many as 50 grants up to $10,000 each to student teams. The money will be used to research and develop sustainable solutions during the academic year. In the following Spring, the teams will be invited to bring their designs to Washington , D.C. to compete for EPA's P3 Award, which includes an additional award worth up to $75,000 to further develop and implement the project in the field.
Visit http://epa.gov/ncer/p3/ for more information.
Application Deadline: Deadlines vary. Please check website for more information.
Truman Library Institute Research Grants
These grants, offered through the Truman (Harry S.) Library, provide up to $2,500 to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars conducting research on Truman's life or foreign policy from the Truman years.
Visit http://trumanlibraryinstitute.org/research-grants/research-grants/ for more information.
Application Deadlines:
Loans
Forgivable Loan/Doctoral Incentive Program $30,000
Designed to increase the diversity of persons qualified to fill instructional faculty positions at campuses in the CSU system. This is a competitive program directed by the CSU system, but it is open to doctoral students at accredited universities across the country. Provides loans of up to $10,000 per year and up to a total of $30,000 within five years for sponsorship from a CSU faculty member, and have aspirations of returning to teach in the CSUS system.
Visit https://www2.calstate.edu/csu-system/faculty-staff/cdip for more information.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected February 2020 (date not yet set).
Scholarships
Environmental Research Scholarship Program
Offered through the Environmental Research and Education Foundation, this program recognizes excellence in master's (up to $5,000 per year for two years) and doctoral and postdoctoral (up to $12,000 per year for three years) waste management research and education. Recipients are chosen based on academic performance, professional experience, relevance of one's work to the advancement of solid waste management science, and potential for success.
Visit https://erefdn.org/scholarship-program/ for more information.
Application Deadline: Deadline varies. Please check website for details.
Healthline Stronger Scholarship Program
These $10,000 scholarships will be awarded to two (2) students each year, who are enrolled in Graduate level programs and are interested in impacting the field of health. Each year's scholarship program will focus on a different health theme, with the 2017 program theme being Type 2 Diabetes.
Visit http://www.healthline.com/health/scholarship-program for more information.
Application Deadline: Next deadline expected May 2020 (date not yet set).
Additional Opportunities
Fulbright U.S. Student Program
This program, offered through the Institute of International Education, gives recent BS/BA graduates, master's and doctoral candidates, and young professionals/artists opportunities for personal development and international experience in over 140 countries. Most grantees plan their own programs. Awards vary from country to country.
Visit https://us.fulbrightonline.org for more information.
Application Deadline: October 8, 2019.
Truman Library Institute Scholar's Awards
These awards, offered through the Truman (Harry S.) Library, provide $30,000 to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars conducting research on Truman's life or foreign policy from the Truman years.
Visit http://trumanlibraryinstitute.org/research-grants/scholars-award/ for more information.
Application Deadlines:
- December 15, 2019 (only available in odd-numbered years)