Many fellowships require applicants to obtain institutional nominations or endorsement from Vanderbilt. For these awards, the Fellowships Team establishes a Priority Campus Deadline weeks or months before the funding organization’s (inter)national submission deadline.
The core mission of the Fellowships Team is to support the 40+ awards that require applicants to obtain institutional nomination or endorsement from Vanderbilt. VU has established Priority Campus Deadlines weeks or months prior to funding organization’s (inter)national submission deadlines.
Students, postdocs and alumni interested in obtaining VU institutional endorsement or nomination are required to participate in campus review processes and to meet applicable priority deadlines outlined below.
Potential applicants must attend “Exploring Fellowships” Office Hours and submit the Fellowships Interest Form* prior to priority deadlines.
Please contact the Fellowships Team at fellowships@vanderbilt.edu to request current Interest Form and award-specific preapplication links, portal login, process documents and timelines.
Postgraduate award applicants who meet Priority Deadlines will also be added to a BrightSpace course with additional information and timelines for the required [asynchronous] Summer Proposal Development Program.
InfoReady Portal
Students & Alumni Can Review Open Competitions in the InfoReady Portal.
Nomination Timelines for Academic Year 2025/26
Potential VU nominees must submit pre-applications either via InfoReady or award portals by the priority deadlines listed below.
After submitting any preapplication, you should contact the Fellowships Team to confirm next steps and deadlines in campus review for your intended award.
Awards denoted with an asterisk (*) require participation in the Postgraduate Proposal Development Bootcamp co-hosted with the Writing Studio and ELC.
Applicants interested in obtaining Rhodes nomination must complete the Proposal Development Bootcamp and obtain VU nomination for another award before being considered for VU Rhodes nomination. Due to restrictions on Rhodes+ applicants receiving assistance and to equitably support UK award applicants, all VU applicants must complete their submissions by the Rhodes Global deadline.
NSF GRFP applicants will be invited to join a Peer Review Bootcamp in September-October. [Note: the 2025 NSF GRFP application has been delayed/ deadline has not yet been announced.]
Supported Awards
The Fellowships Team maintains significant resources for awards that do not require VU endorsement or nomination. The Fellowships Team prioritizes nominated awards, but will support VU-affiliated applicants for additional awards provided that they:
- Request assistance and share application drafts at least 4 weeks prior to Priority Deadlines listed above—or at least 8 weeks prior to (inter)national deadlines for postgraduate awards.
- Provide recommenders with at least 4-6 weeks lead time to craft strong references on your behalf.
** This includes applicants pursuing fellowships that support: postgraduate research; DAAD short-term programs, UAS7 study and/or internship programs; Princeton in programs, Udall Graduate + Internship, AmScan, Erasmus Mundus, Marie Curie and related EU programs with multiple deadlines or cycles.**
This timeline permits applicants to receive multiple rounds of feedback on dossiers and ensures that recommenders have access to polished drafts before submitting final recommendations.