Playbook
How to apply for fellowships
Fellowships fund people rather than projects: time, money and a network for someone with a track record and a clear plan. Selection leans heavily on the personal statement and the references.
How these are won
- Build the statement around one plan for the fellowship period and the evidence that you will carry it out.
- Ask referees early and send them your statement and the selection criteria, so their letters address the same points.
- Check the eligibility window (years since degree, nationality, field) before investing time.
Materials checklist
- Personal statement / SOPOnward Scout drafts it from your sourced profile; you approve every line.
- RésuméUpload yours, or let Onward Scout draft one from your profile for you to edit.
- Recommendation letters (drafts for your referees)Upload yours, or let Onward Scout draft one from your profile for you to edit.
A preparation timeline
Counted back from the deadline. Each program guide puts real dates on it.
- 42 days before the deadlineAsk referees and order documentsAsk your referees, and order transcripts or score reports; these depend on other people's timelines.
- 28 days before the deadlineDraft the statementDraft the statement around one clear plan, with evidence from your record.
- 10 days before the deadlineReview and remindReview against the selection criteria; gently remind referees of the date.
- 2 days before the deadlineSubmit and keep the confirmationSubmit early and check that every reference shows as received.
Questions you will meet, answered honestly
What will you do during the fellowship?
A specific plan with milestones, tied to what the fellowship provides.
What is your long-term goal?
Honest and specific. It's fine if it is still forming, as long as the next step is clear.
How Onward Scout helps
Onward Scout maps the official form field by field, fills it from your sourced profile and drafts the written answers; you review and tap to submit. If the form stops at a CAPTCHA, a login or a payment, you get a handoff with every field ready to paste.
Open now
- Closing soon: 2 November 2026Wallace Stegner FellowshipStanford University Creative Writing ProgramTwo-year non-degree fellowship at Stanford for fiction writers and poets, with weekly workshops, a living stipend, paid tuition and health insurance.$75,000 stipendStanford · open to applicants worldwideDetails and how to apply
- Closing soon: 3 November 2026Merata Mita FellowshipSundance InstituteYear-long fellowship for Indigenous women filmmakers worldwide, with a cash grant, a trip to the Sundance Film Festival, mentorship and access to Sundance artist…Cash grant (amount not stated)Open worldwideDetails and how to apply
- Closing soon: 10 November 2026ACC Fellowships and Grants (2027 Global Grant Cycle)Asian Cultural CouncilCultural-exchange fellowships for artists, scholars and arts professionals moving between Asia and the US (and within Asia), including a six-month New York Fellowship…$38,000 stipendNew York, United States, China, Hong Kong SAR ChinaDetails and how to apply
- Closing soon: 15 November 2026Croucher Foundation 2027 Study Awards (doctoral & postdoctoral)Croucher FoundationCroucher Foundation awards that pay for Hong Kong's promising students and early-career scientists to do a PhD or postdoctoral research at leading institutions.doctoral and postdoctoral funding · Croucher scholar networkHong Kong SAR ChinaDetails and how to apply
- Apply by 16 November 2026Graton Fellowship for Artists from California-Based TribesSundance InstituteFellowship for filmmakers from California Native tribes; two fellows each receive a $25,000 grant plus a year of support including a Sundance Film Festival trip and…$25,000 stipendCalifornia, United StatesDetails and how to apply
- Apply by 1 December 2026Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme (HKPFS) 2027/28Research Grants Council, Hong KongGovernment PhD fellowships for international and local students at eight Hong Kong universities, with a stipend and conference travel allowance for up to three years…HK$344,400 a year stipendHong Kong, Hong Kong SAR China · open to applicants worldwideDetails and how to apply
Let Onward Scout prepare your fellowships applications
Drop in the résumé, deck or portfolio you already have. Onward Scout builds a sourced profile, finds opportunities you can win and prepares each application for you to approve with a tap.
Nothing is submitted without your tap. Logins, CAPTCHAs, payments and interviews stay with you.