External Fellowships and Competitive Internships

See also Financial Aid & Funding Opportunities

External Fellowships

American Association of University Women (AAUW): American Fellowships | AAUW American Fellowships support women scholars who are completing dissertations, planning research leave from accredited institutions, or preparing research for publication. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of scholarly excellence; quality and originality of project design; and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.

American Association of University Women (AAUW): Career Development Grants | Career Development Grants provide funding to women who hold a bachelor’s degree and are preparing to advance or change careers or reenter the workforce. Primary consideration is given to women of color and women pursuing their first advanced degree or credentials in nontraditional fields.

American Association of University Women (AAUW): International Fellowship | International Fellowships are awarded for full-time study or research in the United States to women who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Both graduate and postgraduate studies at accredited U.S. institutions are supported.

American Planning Association (APA) Scholarships and Fellowships
Information on varied scholarship and fellowship programs sponsored by APA and other organizations.

APAICS Congressional Fellowship
The Congressional Fellowship is designed for young Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) professionals looking to increase their experience in public policy and service. The full-time, paid, nine-month long program, provides Fellows with opportunities to build their leadership skills, encourages political engagement, and fosters interests in public service careers. Fellows are placed in congressional offices and serve as part of the legislative team.

CBC Fellowship program (Citizens Budget Commission)
Through faculty member nomination only, limited to second year students in good standing with an interest in improving the performance of U.S. state and local governments. The CBC Public Policy Fellow works on a designated policy project for approximately 20 hours per week and is expected to complete a report by the end of the fellowship. 

Charles Abrams Scholarship
Graduate students are eligible who are enrolled or have been accepted for enrollment at one of the five schools at which Charles Abrams taught, including The New School. Students must be citizens of the United States. This scholarship is awarded annually to students intending to pursue careers as practicing planners and who are able to demonstrate a genuine financial need. One award of $2,000 is made. Students must be nominated by the program’s department chair; applications must be submitted through a student’s program.

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (CHCI) Graduate Fellowship Program
CHCI’s Graduate Fellowship Program is designed for exceptional emerging Latino leaders who want to immerse themselves in a specific public policy area. This paid, nine-month fellowship will provide you with valuable work experience, access to powerful Latino network, and a chance to showcase your public policy knowledge on Capitol Hill. Applicants must have completed a master’s degree or J.D. prior to the program start date (doctoral students are NOT eligible to apply).

Environmental Defense Fund Climate Corps Fellows
Since the program’s inception in 2008, nearly 1000 graduate students have been placed into more than 450 organizations spanning the U.S. and China to tackle energy-related challenges and opportunities, including setting ambitious climate targets and making global supply chains more sustainable.

Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) National Fellowship | ELP’s National Fellowship Program offers intensive leadership and skills training, national networking opportunities, and time for personal and professional reflection. Through immersive retreats, our curriculum helps emerging leaders hone their leadership styles, improve their strategy and organizational development, and strengthen their outreach to diverse constituencies. With the assistance of professional coaching and peer learning, each Fellow develops a Personal Leadership Plan.

Fellowships, Internships and Service Programs (FISP) Database
Online searchable database containing approximately 500 fellowships, internships, and other established service programs collected from Internet and print resources.

Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowships | Dissertation fellowships will be awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards will be 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.

Horowitz Foundation for Social Policy Grants
Aim and mission is to support emerging scholars through small grants; to promote scholarship with a social policy application; and to encourage projects that address contemporary issues in the social sciences. Applicants must be current PhD candidates who are working on their dissertation.

Hudson River Foundation Mark B. Bain Graduate Fellowship | Mark B. Bain Graduate Fellowships provide one-year full-time research fellowships to advanced graduate students conducting research on the Hudson River System. Doctoral students are eligible for awards up to $20,000; Master’s level students may receive up to $16,000.

Hudson River Foundation Tibor T. Polgar Fellowship | Tibor T. Polgar Fellowships provide a summertime grant ($5,000 for each fellowship) for students to conduct research on the Hudson River; open to both undergraduate and graduate students. The objectives of the program are to gather important information on all aspects of the River and to train students in conducting scientific and public policy research.

Imagining America (IA) PAGE Fellows Program (Publicly Active Graduate Education)
Imagining America invites graduate students with a demonstrated interest in public scholarship or artistic practice to apply for the PAGE Fellowship. Awardees receive a travel stipend to attend a Fellows Summit during the national conference.

Local Government Management Fellowship (LGMF)
The Local Government Management Fellowship (LGMF) is a career-development opportunity designed to attract recent MPA/MPP (or related programs) graduates to be placed in full-time management-track local government positions. 

NYC Community Planning Fellowship | Fund for the City of New York
Through faculty member nomination only, top urban planning and policy graduate students gain experience in community planning and the workings of local government and community boards.

NYSERDA Fellowships
NYSERDA is looking for the next generation of strategic leaders to help it meet the state’s nation-leading climate and energy goals, setting the state on a path to a carbon neutral economy. As full-time employees, NYSERDA Fellows will join program teams to develop and execute new market focused initiatives. 

Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program 
Thomas R. Pickering Foreign Affairs Fellowship Program is a program funded by the U.S. Department of State, administered by Howard University, that attracts and prepares outstanding young people for Foreign Service careers in the U.S. Department of State.   It welcomes the application of members of minority groups historically underrepresented in the State Department, women, and those with financial need. Based on the fundamental principle that diversity is a strength in our diplomatic efforts, the program values varied backgrounds, including ethnic, racial, social, and geographic diversity.

The Port Authority’s Leadership Fellow Program 
The Port Authority’s Leadership Fellow Program is a distinguished program for leadership and public service in the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan region. This two-year rotational program offers Port Authority Fellows invaluable on the job experience in several business functions such as planning, finance, security, facility operations, human resources, and much more.

Presidential Management Fellow Program
The PMF Program is a flagship leadership development program at the entry level for advanced degree candidates. It was created more than three decades ago by Executive Order.

ProFellow
Search more than 1,000 professional and academic fellowship programs

Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans | The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans program is intended for immigrants and children of immigrants in the United States.

White House Fellows Program
Founded in 1964 by Lyndon B. Johnson, the White House Fellows program is one of America’s most prestigious programs for leadership and public service.

Women’s Congressional Policy Institute, Congressional Fellowships on Women and Public Policy
The fellowships are extended each year to a select number of students pursuing a graduate degree or those who have recently completed a master’s, doctorate, or professional degree with a proven commitment to equity for women. 

Fastweb | Online scholarship search resource

Competitive Internships

Legislative Analyst’s Office Internship,  Sacramento, California
The LAO internship is open to individuals who: (1) have completed the first year of a two-year graduate program in public policy, public or business administration, economics, or some other program that provides both a quantitative and policy analytical curriculum, and (2) are interested in becoming full-time fiscal and policy analysts at the LAO after graduation.

MTA Internship Program
Metro-North Railroad is committed to supporting the educational goals of students interested in careers in Transportation. Metro-North offers both paid and unpaid internships.

Resources for the Future (RFF) Summer Research Internship | Candidates should display strong writing skills and a desire to understand complex environmental policy problems amenable to interdisciplinary methods. The ability to work without supervision in a careful and conscientious manner is essential. Highly motivated candidates in the social and natural sciences with training in economics and quantitative methods, or with a keen interest in public policy, are encouraged to apply.