Funding & Resources

Competitive Funding

Beginning in fall 2022, our program is set up to pay fellowships on a 12-month basis for the first 5 years. Prior to that time, we were set up on a 9-month basis, with only the first two summers having guaranteed funding. Students beyond years of funding are encouraged to apply for competitive funding both internally and externally.  All students must have proof of health care, and the program is prepared to cover the cost of up to 6 years of health insurance if needed.  

Short Term Loans

There are short-term loans available through the Duke Credit Union Graduate Student Assistance Program and the Helen & Gordon McKinney Emergency Loan Fund. Read more here.

Funding Resources

DAAD (German Exchange Service) Short-Term Research Grant

Grants are awarded for 1-6 months to highly qualified candidates who have completed a master’s degree, or in exceptional cases a bachelor’s degree, by the time they begin their grant-supported research, or those who have already completed a Ph.D. (postdocs).

Child Care Subsidy

Child care subsidies are available to graduate students who meet certain criteria.  Read more here.

Harold O.J. Brown Award for Student

Named after the late Harold Brown, a theologian who worked at the intersection of theology, science, and culture, the Brown Award is a paper competition for doctoral students engaged in interdisciplinary work in theological studies. With the generous support of the Templeton Religion Trust, the Henry Center welcomes submission exploring the problems and prospects of affirming the Christian doctrine of creation in light of modern scientific research. The Brown Award is conferred on the basis of its display of literary craftsmanship, intellectual humility, competence in the handling of evidence, and the significance of its contribution to the current scholarly and ecclesial conversations. All students enrolled in an accredited PhD or ThD program are welcome to apply. The award recipient will receive a cash prize and guaranteed publication in the Trinity Journal. $2500 first prize, additional cash prizes for first and second runner-up.  More information or to apply, click here.

Gurney Harriss Kearns Fellowship

This endowed fund provides competitive funding for summer and/or academic year research. See this link for more details.

Duke Graduate School Fellowships

The Duke Graduate School offers a number of fellowships for continuing Ph.D. students, including fellowships that provide full support for the academic year, summer research fellowships for the summer, teaching fellowships, and dissertation research travel awards. Visit here to see more. 

Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships

Designed to encourage original and significant study of religious and ethical values in fields across the humanities and social sciences, the Newcombe Fellowships are available to Ph.D. and Th.D. candidates who expect to complete their dissertation between April and August. Download the program flyer here. Questions may be directed to hogans@woodrow.org.

Woodrow Wilson Dissertation Fellowships in Women's Studies

Encourage research about women and gender that crosses disciplinary, regional, or cultural boundaries. Recent Fellows have explored such topics as reproduction in the context of chronic disease, algorithmic detection of child abuse images, and changing feminist visions at the UN from 1975 to 1995. Questions may be directed to hogans@woodrow.org.

Bass Digital Education Fellowship

Learning Innovation, in partnership with the Duke Graduate School, has just launched a new year-long fellowship program to provide PhD students professional development and instructional training opportunities in the growing area of digital education.

Center for the Study of Philanthropy and Voluntarism

The Center seeks to award new fellowships for dissertation support providing full or half-time support for one year of work. The purpose of the award is to allow a student or students to have released time from other obligations in order to complete a dissertation on a topic related to the Center’s academic areas of concern. Questions about the fellowship should be directed to Professor Charlie Clotfelter at charles.clotfelter@duke.edu. For more information, visit here.

Nationally competitive Scholarships

See the list (which includes graduate opportunities) on the Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows' website.

​Additional Resources

Some important resources to help in your search for funding:

  1. Pivot (Note: You must use your Duke email in order to sign up for Pivot and access this resource.
  2. Duke Office of Research Support
  3. Duke Graduate School website
  4. Excavation fellowships and travel grants through American Schools of Oriental Research.
  5. Duke University Research Funding, including these grants: Institute of Current World Affairs and School for Advanced Research
  6. Fellowships for students of color from Forum for Theological Education