American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship

• Applicants must identify as a woman.
• Applicants must hold a Ph.D., Ed.D., D.B.A., M.F.A., J.D., M.D., D.M.D., D.V.M., D.S.W., or M.P.H. at the time of application.
• Applicants must begin their postdoctoral program on or before September 1, 2026, and complete it on or after May 30, 2027.
• Applicants must be working full-time on their postdoctoral research for the duration of the award year.
• Applicants must be pursuing their postdoctoral research at an institution: 
  • Accredited in the United States, or 
  • An international institution recognized as eligible to participate in U.S. federal student aid programs, as listed on the Federal Student Aid Participating Schools list.

Citizenship & Immigration Status

Applicants must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident. 

The following are not eligible for consideration:

• Members of the AAUW Board of Directors
• Employees of AAUW, including paid or unpaid, part-time or temporary employees, consultants, interns and contract employees
• AAUW Review Panelists
• Immediate families (i.e., spouses and dependent children) of individuals described in the points above
• Applicants for another national AAUW fellowship or grant, in the same year
• Previous national AAUW fellowship or grant recipients (excluding Community Action Grants or branch or local AAUW awards)
• Tenured professors

• Scholarly excellence as demonstrated by academic achievements, the strength of applicants’ research proposal, recognition from peers, professors, and/or institutions, and other forms of distinction
• Research that is original in design and will make significant contributions to the relevant field
• Feasibility of the research plans, the funding of those plans, and the proposed timeline for their completion
• Applicants’ teaching experience
• Demonstrated commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research
• Applicants pursuing post-doctoral studies in science, technology, engineering, or math fields; or those researching gender issues (Preferred)
• Applicants who have demonstrated resilience in overcoming life challenges beyond their control, such as socioeconomic status, discrimination, limited academic resources or opportunities, or other adverse circumstances (Preferred)
• Applicants who were the first in their family to attain a bachelor’s degree (Preferred)
• Applicants who lead or hail from single parent households (Preferred)

AAUW is currently transitioning to a new awards management system to better serve our applicants. At this time, instructions for applying are not yet available.  

What You Can Do Now 

While the application portal is not yet open, here’s how you can prepare: 

1. Stay Informed
   We recommend regularly checking AAUW’s Fellowships & Grants page for updates.  
2. Review Program Information
   In the meantime, review AAUW’s program eligibility criteria, funding priorities, and previous awardees. This will help you prepare a strong application when the time comes. 
3. Prepare Materials in Advance
   Review the Application Requirements Section for supplemental documentation that is required for submission along with your application.  
4. Contact Us with Questions
   If you have immediate questions or concerns, please contact our team at awards@aauw.org. 

We are committed to delivering a fair, accessible, and streamlined process. Our new awards system is part of this commitment. While we finalize setup and instructions, we appreciate your patience and understanding.  

Information Coming Soon

In addition to a narrative application, all applicants are required to submit the following:

• Letters of Recommendation: Applicants must provide two letters of recommendation from advisors, professors, colleagues, or others who are academically or professionally familiar with the applicant, their work, professional qualifications, and academic background. Note: AAUW does not accept references from dossier services, such as Parment or Interfolio, and standardized or form-letter recommendations are discouraged.
  • Please provide a professional email address for recommenders, rather than a personal one.   
  • It is the applicants’ responsibility to remind their recommender of the application deadline in order for the application to be completed on time. An application will not be considered complete until the recommendations have been submitted. 
• Proof of Degree: Copy of a Ph.D., Ed.D., D.B.A., M.F.A., J.D., M.D., D.M.D., D.V.M., D.S.W., or M.P.H. degree 
  • The documents provided must correspond to the programs and institutions listed in the application and must include the applicant’s full name, the institution’s name, and the degree conferred. 
  • If the original is not in English, you are required to submit certified translation. 
• Transcript: Official transcript confirming conferral of a Ph.D., Ed.D., D.B.A., M.F.A., J.D., M.D., D.M.D., D.V.M., D.S.W., or M.P.H. degree 
  • The transcript provided must correspond to the program and institution listed in the application.
  • Transcript must include the applicant’s full name, the institution’s name, the degree conferred, the list of courses taken, and grades received. Transcript must also include the name of coursework and grades from transfer courses, if applicable. If transcripts reflect transfer courses without grades, a transcript from the institution where courses were taken is required. 
  • If a transcript is not written in English, applicants must provide a certified translation.
  • Applicants who studied at an institution that does not provide a transcript, or a list a of courses taken and grades received, or the degree did not require coursework, must provide an institutional letter affirming the same as well as the degree completion date.
• Project Institution Form: This form can be found in AAUW’s application portal and confirms applicants have the approval from the institution at which they will be conducting their research to do so. No substitutions for this form are accepted. 

A certified English translation is required for all materials provided in a foreign language. Translations must bear a mark of certification or official signature that the translation is true and complete.   

If the name differs from the one provided in the application, an explanation must be provided – such as a marriage certificate or a court-issued name change document.   

Applicants are responsible for the submission of all required documents. Incomplete applications will be considered at the discretion of AAUW.     

Fellowships are awarded on a competitive basis based on recommendations by AAUW’s independent review panels and funds available in a given fiscal year. To ensure fairness and consistency in the review process, only complete applications that meet all eligibility criteria and include all required documentation will be considered. Applications are reviewed as submitted, and it is the sole responsibility of the applicant to confirm that all materials are accurate and complete prior to submission.  

Please keep the following in mind:  

• Incomplete or incorrect applications will not be reviewed.  

• AAUW does not provide feedback on missing or incorrect materials.  

• Once submitted, applications cannot be edited or updated.  

• Additional documentation will not be accepted after the deadline.  

• Requests for deadline extensions will not be accommodated.  

Review Panels  

Applications to the American Postdoctoral Research Fellowships are reviewed by panels of distinguished scholars and experts in Arts and Humanities, Natural and Physical Sciences, and Social Sciences fields. Review panels meet once a year to review applications for funding. Panel funding recommendations are subject to final approval by AAUW.     

Review Process  

Prior to the American Fellowships panel review, AAUW’s Fellowships & Grants team reviews the applications for completeness and ensures compliance with eligibility requirements. Each eligible and complete application is then reviewed by a panel of reviewers, who evaluate applications based on the selection criteria outlined above.   

Applicants selected as awardees must complete the full award acceptance process, including submission of all required materials as outlined by AAUW. Award status is not considered final until all acceptance materials have been received, reviewed, and approved. 

Applicants recommended for an award, but whose research or institution of study is different than envisioned at the time of application will be disqualified. 

Fellowship funds may be considered taxable income, depending on how they are used and the recipient’s individual circumstances. In many cases, funds used for purposes of non-tuition-related costs or living expenses are subject to taxation under U.S. tax law. It is the Fellows’s responsibility to understand and fulfill any tax obligations associated with their award. AAUW does not provide tax advice, issue tax forms, or report grants to the IRS. Fellows are strongly encouraged to consult a personal tax advisor or the IRS for guidance specific to their situation. 

American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellows are prohibited from pursuing a degree during their fellowship year.

American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellows are required to devote 100% of their working time and intellectual effort to their research.

Fellowship awards may be used for tuition, fees and course-required expenses like books and supplies, as well as housing, food, and other living expenses (including childcare). Awarded funds may not be expended on costs incurred prior to the fellowship term start date or after the fellowship term end date.

Fellows are expected to begin their research, or continue their research if already enrolled, by September 1, 2026. Fellows must complete their postdoctoral research no earlier than May 30, 2027. Unfortunately, we cannot accommodate any exceptions.

Eligibility and Application Guidelines 

Can I still apply if I am not completing postdoctoral studies in STEM or if I do not meet one of the preferred selection criteria? 

Yes. We welcome applications from individuals of all backgrounds who are pursuing postdoctoral studies in any field. Meeting all preferred selection criteria is not required to be considered for the fellowship. 

Can I apply if I may become eligible for a tenured position during my award year? 

Yes. You may apply if you expect to become eligible for a tenured position during your award year. However, if you accept a tenured position at any point during the fellowship period, you will no longer be eligible for fellowship support from the effective date of your tenure. 

If you have already received your stipend, you will be required to return any unused portion of the funds that corresponds to the period after your tenured position begins. 

Can I still apply if another postdoctoral position overlaps with the start of the AAUW award year? 

Yes. There may be some overlap with another postdoctoral research, however, awardees must work full time on the research project at the institution listed in their application, from September 1 through April 30. They may not concurrently engage in any other postdoctoral research during this period. 

I have applied to several postdoctoral positions but have not yet received an offer or decided which one to pursue. Can I list more than one postdoctoral research in my application? 

Yes. Applicants may list up to five programs and institutions in their application. However, if awarded a fellowship, you must begin your postdoctoral work at one of the institutions listed and conduct the research as described in your application. Choosing to pursue research at an institution not included in your original application will result in disqualification from the fellowship. 

Award Details 

Can my award be extended to cover the entire duration of my postdoctoral research? 

No. AAUW funding is limited to one year of postdoctoral research and cannot be extended beyond that period. 

Can I work during my fellowship year?  

American Postdoctoral Research Fellows are expected to devote full-time effort to finalizing their dissertation. While part-time employment, either within or outside their academic institutions, is permitted, it must not interfere with steady progress toward completing the dissertation.

Fellows may engage in full-time employment during the summer months, if it does not hinder their dissertation work. Any full-time roles must end or be reduced to part-time by September 1 of the fellowship year to ensure compliance with the fellowship’s full-time commitment to dissertation work.     

What types of expenses are considered prohibited under the American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship?  

Under the American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship, certain expenses are classified as prohibited and therefore may not be covered using fellowship funds. These include: 

• Research assistants 
• Previous expenditures, deficits or repayment of personal loans 
• Publication costs  
• Institutional (overhead) costs 
• Tuition for dependents’ education