Fellowships and Awards
PhD Funding
Join a community of scholars and researchers working together to solve pressing global problems.
We are committed to recruiting the very best PhD students and preparing doctoral students for career success. UB features:
- World-class faculty experts mentor PhD students in a dynamic research and learning environment. Students can focus on their research and scholarship alongside renowned faculty while preparing for the careers and professions that await them after graduation.
- A city on the rise. Buffalo, N.Y. offers affordable housing, arts, culture and community. Learn more about Buffalo.
PhD Funding Opportunities
- Academic year stipends of $23,000 and a full tuition waiver for all full-time, funded PhD students on 10-month academic teaching assistant, research assistant, or graduate assistant appointments.
- UB’s stipend levels are competitive among public Association of American Universities (AAU) member institutions.
- Additional Fellowship Opportunities:
- Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship Program: Candidates are required to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and must demonstrate how they have overcome a disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education. Candidates must also demonstrate a commitment to contributing to the diversity of the student body by facilitating and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in their academic programs and campus activities. Even though financial need is not a requirement for program eligibility, applicants may utilize economic disadvantage as a basis for eligibility. This scholarship program is open to any and all prospective candidates regardless of race, color, national origin, or sex, and is consistent with all current governing federal and state nondiscrimination law. All application submissions will be assessed and evaluated in accordance with the required eligibility criteria. Students may apply for the Schomburg Fellowship on the UB graduate application for their program.
- Presidential Fellowships: To be eligible for Presidential Fellowships, candidates must meet the criteria listed on the Presidential Fellowship page. Both domestic and international students are eligible, if they meet these criteria. For any questions regarding funding for academic year 2025–2026, contact the director of graduate studies or department chair.
- Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship Program: Candidates are required to be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and must demonstrate how they have overcome a disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education. Candidates must also demonstrate a commitment to contributing to the diversity of the student body by facilitating and enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in their academic programs and campus activities. Even though financial need is not a requirement for program eligibility, applicants may utilize economic disadvantage as a basis for eligibility. This scholarship program is open to any and all prospective candidates regardless of race, color, national origin, or sex, and is consistent with all current governing federal and state nondiscrimination law. All application submissions will be assessed and evaluated in accordance with the required eligibility criteria. Students may apply for the Schomburg Fellowship on the UB graduate application for their program.
All PhD applicants for full-time study are automatically considered for departmental financial support. These awards are based on academic merit, not financial need. We offer long-term fellowship support for four years, with a possible fifth year, and the holder of a fellowship can be assured of keeping that fellowship, provided that he or she is making normal progress toward the degree and is in good academic standing.
As of 1994, all state-supported graduate assistants are unionized through the Graduate Student Employees Union, which negotiates such issues as health-care insurance, salary increases, and grievance and arbitration procedures.
In addition to departmental Teaching Assistantships, outstanding applicants to the PhD program in Comparative Literature at UB may be considered for special university-based fellowships. Nominations for these fellowships will be made by the department and forwarded to a committee of the College of Arts and Sciences for review. Fellowship recipients will be notified by mid-March.
To find out more about these fellowships, see:
https://www.buffalo.edu/grad/explore/funding/fellowships.html
OR
https://financialaid.buffalo.edu/costs/
Presidential Fellowships
The Presidential Fellowship Program, inaugurated in Fall 1984, is designed to support students of proven excellence in UB’s various graduate departments.
Presidential Fellowships, awarded by the College of Arts and Sciences in conjunction with the Graduate School, provide $7,500.00 annually, in addition to the full tuition scholarship* and a ten-month teaching assistant stipend of approximately $16,000. They may be renewable for four years.
Dean's Fellowships
Dean’s Fellowships are similar to Presidential Fellowships: they provide a full tuition award*, plus a ten-month stipend of approximately $16,000 with an additional $4,000 annually. They are renewable for four years.
Standard teaching assistantships, Presidential Fellowships and Dean’s Fellowships all require teaching only three sections of World Civilization recitations. Students may also propose an undergraduate course to teach after successful completion of their first academic year.
Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship Program
UB’s Arthur A. Schomburg Fellowship Program is sponsored by the SUNY office of Diversity Equity and Inclusion and offers support for students in doctoral and master’s level programs across the university who can demonstrate that they would contribute to the diversity of the student body, especially those who can demonstrate that they have overcome a disadvantage or other impediment to success in higher education. Students in the Schomburg Fellowship Program have outstanding academic credentials that contribute to an impressive graduation and retention rate of close to eighty percent. Since its inception in 1987, over 500 academically talented students have received support through this fellowship program.
The Schomburg Fellowships are four-year awards with an annual stipend up to $10,000, plus a full award of graduate tuition*. These fellowships are awarded in addition to teaching assistantships, which carry a stipend of $16,000. For more information on this fellowship, see Schomburg Fellowship Information
*Fees are not covered by these awards.