The Graduate College offers several internal fellowship and grant programs to support University of Illinois graduate students. Students do not apply directly for these awards. Instead, departments submit nominations according to the competition schedule shown below. Students wishing to be nominated should contact their department’s Director of Graduate Studies for details.
Major Awards:
Illinois Distinguished Fellowships
Doctoral recruitment fellowships for the University’s top incoming students.
Dean's Doctoral Fellowships
Replacing last year's Equity Doctoral Fellowships, our new Dean's Doctoral Fellowships aim to expand access to graduate education by supporting students who represent a broad array of life experiences and perspectives.
Dean's Master's Fellowships
Replacing last year's Equity Master's Fellowships, our new Dean's Master's Fellowships aim to expand access to graduate education by supporting students who represent a broad array of life experiences and perspectives.
Distinguished Graduate Fellowships in the Humanities & Arts
Doctoral recruitment fellowships for the University's top incoming students in select humanities and fine arts programs.
Travel Grants for Master’s Projects and Dissertation Research
Grants for students who need to travel off-campus to complete a master’s project or conduct dissertation research.
Dissertation Completion Fellowships
Fellowships supporting doctoral students as they finalize their dissertations.
Specialized Awards:
Conference Presentation Awards
Small grants supporting students traveling to a professional conference (or participating in an online conference) to present a paper, poster, or other creative work.
Diffenbaugh Fellowships
Fellowships supporting students from Missouri.
Marion Morse Wood Fellowships
Fellowships supporting research in interpersonal communication.
Emergency Grants
Small grants for students facing acute and unexpected financial distress.
Competition Schedule for 2026-2027
| Name of Competition | Nomination Deadline | Anticipated Notification of Results |
|---|---|---|
| Travel Grants (Fall) - Dissertation / Master's | Nov. 12, 2026 | Dec. 21, 2026 |
| Illinois Distinguished Fellowships (Rd 1) | Jan. 7, 2027 | Feb. 12, 2027 |
| Dean's Doctoral and Dean's Master's Fellowships (Rd 1) | Jan. 7, 2027 | Feb. 12, 2027 |
| Distinguished Graduate Fellowships in Humanities & Arts (Rd 1) | Jan. 7, 2027 | Feb. 12, 2027 |
| Diffenbaugh Fellowships | Jan. 28, 2027 | Feb. 26, 2027 |
| Marion Morse Wood Fellowships in Interpersonal Communication | Jan. 28, 2027 | Feb. 26, 2027 |
| Illinois Distinguished Fellowships (Rd 2) | Feb. 18, 2027 | Mar. 30, 2027 |
| Dean's Doctoral and Dean's Master's Fellowships (Rd 2) | Feb. 18, 2027 | Mar. 30, 2027 |
| Distinguished Graduate Fellowships in Humanities & Arts (Rd 2) | Feb. 18, 2027 | Mar. 30, 2027 |
| Travel Grants (Spring) - Dissertation / Master's | Mar. 25, 2027 | May 4, 2027 |
| Dissertation Completion Fellowships | Apr. 15, 2027 | May 28, 2027 |
Fellowship Board & the Selection Process
The Fellowship Board selects recipients of the Graduate College’s main grant and fellowship programs. The Board consists of faculty members from across campus. See details on the selection process and the Board’s current membership.
Contact Information
217-333-0036