Carleton-funded fellowship application deadlines fall every term.

Fall Term stipulations and deadlines

FALL TERM APPLICATION DEADLINE (see notes below): October 15, 2024, 11:59pm Central Time

FALL TERM RECOMMENDATIONS DEADLINE: October 22, 2024, 11:59pm Central Time

  • The Fall Term deadline is only for fellowship activities to take place during the Winter Break that follows.
  • First-year students are ineligible.
  • Seniors pursuing Comps research over Winter Break may apply only for the Senior Comps Fellowship (and no senior may receive both a Comps Fellowship and a non-Comps fellowship for the same Winter Break).
  • Seniors pursuing non-Comps projects over Winter Break are free to apply for these fellowships by the same Fall Term deadline (but will receive the lowest priority consideration):
    • Chang-Lan
    • Class of 1963
    • Professor Roy Grow
    • Independent Research
    • Paul and Lynn Kelley Fellowship
    • Larson International
    • Allen & Irene Salisbury
    • Richard Salisbury

Winter and Spring Term stipulations and deadlines

The Winter and Spring Term deadlines are for proposed fellowship activities over summer or over the next academic year’s Winter Break.

WINTER TERM APPLICATION DEADLINE (see notes below): February 11, 2025, 11:59pm Central Time

WINTER TERM RECOMMENDATIONS DEADLINE: February 18, 2025, 11:59pm Central Time

Please note that the Winter Term deadline is the main fellowships deadline of the academic year. First-year, Sophomore, and Junior students may apply for any fellowships with Winter Term deadlines for projects taking place over summer or Winter Break. Seniors are not eligible to apply at the Winter Term deadline.

Select fellowships can be applied for ONLY during Winter Term:  Donelson, Hanson Ethics, and the Nancy Wilkie Fellowship for Archaeological Field Experience.

SPRING TERM APPLICATION DEADLINE (see notes below): April 15, 2025, 11:59pm Central Time

SPRING TERM RECOMMENDATIONS DEADLINE: April 22, 2025, 11:59pm Central Time

The Spring Term deadline is intended primarily for juniors seeking funding for summer or Winter Break projects related to Comps. Non-Comps proposals for summer fellowships will not be considered at the Spring Term deadline.

While First-year, Sophomore, and Junior students MAY submit non-Comps proposals for Winter Break at the Spring Term deadline, such proposals are unlikely to receive funding — applying at the Winter Term deadline is strongly encouraged.

Information for Recommenders

Please visit our Information for Recommenders page.

What is a Carleton-funded fellowship?

There are different types of fellowships, so this can be a hard question to answer! Carleton-funded fellowships offer funding to pursue independent research or another creative project, engage in experiential learning through an activity or internship, or explore something in-depth beyond the classroom. Check our Instagram and News posts to learn how Carls have used fellowships!

Fellowship support can be used during Winter Break or over the summer, and there is no minimum amount of time you must spend on a fellowship activity — you can use just a part of your summer or Winter Break, or you can use the whole time, depending on your budget.

While it is technically possible to receive more than one fellowship per academic year, it is extremely rare – consult with the Director of Student Fellowships if you are interested in more than one project, and be prepared to identify and apply to support the one that interests you most.

Why should I apply for a Carleton-funded fellowship?

You might get funding to complete a project!

The application process is a chance to build helpful and important skills like articulating a goal and identifying how to get there; writing concisely and persuasively for an audience; planning a budget; and working with mentors and others to create a polished and effective application.

Working independently on research or another project might contribute to your comps or other academic goals, but it is also a way to prepare for life after Carleton.  Planning and completing your own project is something you are likely to be asked to do frequently during your career!

Working with a fellow student on a fellowship (it is generally best to apply separately, using the same project statement – consult with the Director of Student Fellowships if this is of interest to you) can teach you skills related to collaboration and interdisciplinary work!

Finally, being selected for a fellowship is a mark of distinction for your résumé/CV and your Carleton record!

How should I get started?

Check out our post called “Seven Steps to a Carleton-funded Fellowship Application,” and use these pre-application questions to help you develop an idea into a project proposal, and prepare to complete a Carleton-funded fellowship application.