External Funding Sources
Other sources of funding are from local, state, federal, private, and institutional sources. “Outside” or “external” funding refers to sources that are not affiliated with UNC.
If you receive outside funding, it may affect the amount of need-based financial aid that you may qualify. You must report outside scholarships and funding to The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid.
External Funding
External Fellowships
View some nationally competitive external fellowship awards for incoming and current master’s and doctoral students. You can apply directly for these awards.
Pre-Selection Process for External Fellowships
There are some external fellowships for which there is a pre-selection process. You must apply through UNC by submitting a pre-selection application. These fellowships are:
- HHMI International Student Research Fellowship
- Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowship
- DAAD grants
- DACOR Bacon House Foundation Fellowship
External Award Winners
View past external award winners from graduate programs at UNC.
Funding to Support External Funding or Travel
Graduate Tuition Incentive Scholarship (GTIS)
The Graduate Tuition Incentive Scholarship (GTIS) helps to cover the cost of tuition if you are receiving external funding that does not include tuition. You may be eligible if you are a master’s or doctoral student with external funding for your thesis or dissertation.
Graduate & Professional Student Federation (GPSF) Travel Awards
Travel Awards are offered by the UNC Graduate and Professional Student Federation to assist with conference and research travel expenses for graduate and professional students.
Search for Funding
Your Department
We encourage you to contact your department, program, and academic advisor, as they may know of funding opportunities. This may include research and teaching assistantships, grants, and fellowships.
Graduate School Funding Listserv
To receive alerts when funding opportunities are posted, subscribe to the Graduate School Funding Listserv.
Graduate Funding Information Center (GFIC)
The UNC Graduate Funding Information Center is a resource for those seeking information on funding sources for independent research, collaborative projects, fellowships, program development, and other scholarly activities. You can email the GFIC for hands-on, individual help.
Research at Carolina: Internal Funding Opportunities database
The Carolina Internal Funding Database provides information on internal sources of funds available from UNC-Chapel Hill.
COS Funding Opportunities database
The COS database is an up-to-date database of announcements for grants, fellowships, awards and more from around the world, comprising more than 25,000 records worth over $33 billion. You can use it to find external awards. You will need to be logged in from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Graduate Students Funding Sources from the UNC Global Education Center
Search the UNC Global Education Center websitefor funding resources for international study and research.
Proposal writing resources
The Graduate Funding Information Center has a collection of:
- Proposal Writing Resources
- Awards Made by granting institutions
- Successful Proposals which you can search by award and by department
- See External Award Winners to find out which awards students have successfully applied for in the past.
Funding Alerts
To receive alerts as funding opportunities become available, subscribe to The Graduate School Funding Listserv.
Contact Us
Graduate School Fellowships Office
gradfunding@unc.edu