Funding Opportunities and Awards for International Trainees
Funding Opportunities and Awards for International Trainees
Non-NIH funding opportunities are provided by the NIH Fogarty International Center.
In addition to the link above, please find below some examples of funding mechanisms that current or prior international URSMD trainees have received.
List of Funding Opportunities for International Trainees
| Sponsor / Program | Link | Purpose / Description | Typical Deadline Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship | 2026 AHA Predoctoral Fellowship - Professional Heart Daily | To enhance the integrated research and clinical training of promising students in pre-doctoral or clinical health professional programs who intend careers as scientists, physician-scientists, or other clinician-scientists, or related careers aimed at improving global cardiovascular, cerebrovascular, and brain health. | September |
| Department of Defense Student Fellowships / Intern Fellowships | Department of Defense Fellowships | A unique opportunity for current students from high school through graduate school to experience the Department of Defense work environment, gain professional experience, and explore career options within the DOD. | Varies by fellowship |
| Elon Huntington Hooker Fellowship (UR Biochemistry & Biophysics) | Elon Huntington Hooker Fellowship - URMC | One-year dissertation fellowship for students whose work is primarily and clearly concerned with chemistry, funded by a gift honoring Elon Huntington Hooker, a University of Rochester graduate, trustee, and founder of Hooker Chemical Company. | Not listed |
| Graduate Intern Fellowship in Toxicology | Graduate Intern Fellowship in Toxicology | Internship-based fellowship providing immersion in the day-to-day activities of toxicologists to help students build networks, clarify career choices, and prepare for careers in industry, government, or nonprofit sectors. | February |
| Graduate Women in Science National Fellowship Program | GWIS National Fellowship Application Checklist | Fellowship program that promotes knowledge in the natural and social sciences and encourages women’s academic and professional careers in science. | January |
| Medical Faculty Council (SMDFC) Travel Award – URSMD | SMDFC Travel Awards - Academic Affairs | Travel reimbursement awards (up to $1,000) supporting UR School of Medicine & Dentistry medical students, graduate students, post-docs, clinical residents, and fellows presenting at national meetings, aimed at maximizing career impact for mid- to late-stage trainees. | November |
| National Scleroderma Foundation Pre-Doctoral Summer Fellowship Award Program | Pre-Doctoral Fellowship Recipients - National Scleroderma Foundation | Summer fellowship program recognizing PhD students conducting research related to scleroderma, designed to foster early interest in discovering the causes and cures of adult or pediatric scleroderma. | April |
| oSTEM Scholarships | Scholarship Program - oSTEM | Scholarships supporting LGBTQ+ students in STEM fields; details and eligibility vary by cycle. | May |
| University of Rochester SMD myHub Travel Award | myHub Travel Awards - URMC | Travel awards for SMD master’s and PhD students and postdoctoral appointees to build skills, learn new techniques, or explore career pathways not directly tied to academic research conferences. | May |
| Wilmot Predoctoral Cancer Research Fellowship | Wilmot Predoctoral Cancer Research Fellowship | Supports UR PhD students committed to careers in cancer research, providing two years of support to advance work on the causes, diagnosis, treatment, prevention, or management of cancer or its side effects, under the mentorship of a Wilmot Cancer Institute member. | February |
| Sponsor / Program | Link | Purpose / Description | Typical Deadline Month |
|---|---|---|---|
| American Cancer Society Postdoctoral Fellowships | Postdoctoral Fellowships Award | American Cancer Society | Postdoctoral Fellowships support new investigators in research training programs to position them for independent careers in cancer research. Peer reviewers consider how well the fellowship will broaden the applicant’s research training and experience. | June and December |
| American Heart Association Career Development Award | 2026 Career Development Award - Professional Heart Daily | This grant supports highly promising healthcare and academic professionals, in the early years of their first professional appointment, to explore innovative questions or pilot studies and gain the preliminary data and training needed for future success as research scientists. | December |
| American Heart Association Postdoctoral Fellowship | 2026 AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship - Professional Heart Daily | This fellowship enhances the training of postdoctoral applicants who are not yet independent and must be embedded in an appropriate investigative group with strong mentorship and support. It is designed to be flexible for clinicians balancing research with clinical responsibilities. | September |
| Blavatnik National Awards for Young Scientists | US National Awards | The Blavatnik National Awards honor exceptional young scientists in the United States for significant accomplishments in the life sciences, physical sciences and engineering, and chemistry. | December |
| Brain & Behavior Research Foundation Young Investigator Grants | BBRF Young Investigator Grants | Brain & Behavior Research Foundation | These grants provide up to $35,000 per year for two years to help promising investigators extend fellowship training or begin independent faculty careers in neuroscience and psychiatry, supporting pilot data needed for larger federal or institutional grants. | March |
| Chan Zuckerberg Initiative Global Science Scholars | Global Science Scholars - Chan Zuckerberg Initiative | The Global Science Scholars program is a postdoctoral fellowship of up to two years designed to advance early-stage careers and catalyze groundbreaking science globally in bioengineering and biomedical domains, especially for researchers conducting work outside their degree-granting country. | December through May |
| Department of Defense Fellowships | Fellowships | DOD Civilian Careers | This program offers students from high school through graduate school an opportunity to experience the Department of Defense work environment and explore career opportunities in the DOD through fellowship and internship-style positions. | Varies by fellowship |
| Graduate Women in Science National Fellowship Program | 2025-2026 GWIS National Fellowship Application Checklist | The Graduate Women in Science National Fellowship Program promotes knowledge in the natural and social sciences and supports women’s academic and professional careers in science. | January |
| Medical Faculty Council Travel Award (UR SMD) | SMDFC (School of Medicine and Dentistry Faculty Council) - Academic Affairs | Travel awards to support URSMD medical students, graduate students, postdoctoral trainees, clinical residents, and clinical fellows presenting at national meetings, with up to two awards of $1,000 per cycle, prioritized for advanced trainees whose conference attendance will have high career impact. | November |
| NIH K99/R00 Career Transition Award | Career Transition Award (K99) | Grants & Funding | The K99/R00 program is intended to increase and maintain a strong cohort of new NIH-supported independent investigators by supporting a timely transition from mentored postdoctoral research positions to independent, tenure-track or equivalent faculty positions. | Varies by NIH Institute and NOFO |
| Prevent Cancer Foundation Research Grants & Fellowships | Prevent Cancer Foundation Research Grants & Fellowships | The Prevent Cancer Foundation funds research grants and fellowships for innovative projects with potential to make substantial contributions to cancer prevention and early detection, fostering the next generation of cancer prevention researchers and supporting progress toward independent research careers. | Early fall |
| University of Rochester SMD myHub Travel Award | myHub Travel Awards | myHub sponsors travel awards for master’s and PhD students and postdoctoral appointees in the School of Medicine and |