Fellowships, are often not only financially mitigating but also come with several add-ons, these additional attributes make the educational experience of the scholar all in all fruitful and exceptional. Countries like the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia offer an environment that other than being incredibly hospitable and student-friendly also contains various fellowship grants and scholarship opportunities.
This article will go on to discuss the top fellowships that are enormous in the UK, USA, Canada and Australia in detail.
What are Fellowships?
Before we dive right into the fun part let’s get a brief overview of what fellowships are exactly about.
Fellowships are generally offered by educational institutions or by a partnership of educational institutions that share a common goal of providing financial grants to help a student support an academic or professional program.
In many cases, this support is not limited to financial assistance alone but rather opportunities like research, networking, mentorship, and training within the field are also imparted to the fellowship recipient along with it.
More importantly, the nature of these fellowships is highly competitive due to the number of applying candidates and the availability of limited fellowship seats. The duration of these fellowships can range from several weeks up to a few years. The application procedure to apply for a fellowship can be quite complex with various steps involved.
These steps are there for the institutions/trusts/organizations to learn about the candidate’s academic, and financial background more effectively before making any decision. Fellowships are offered for a diverse range of subjects and fields, such as science and technology, commerce and finance, and arts and humanities.
Prestigious Fellowships of Australia
Australia is known for having some of the brightest, globally top-ranked educational institutions. It has consistently maintained its global ranking as well as its reputation for providing high-quality education. Students exhibiting bright futures and great academic records however suffering through financial hardships are provided with full-fledged support with the help of fellowships.
Australia has a diverse array of fellowship opportunities with Rhodes being the highly renowned one. Graduate students can gain admission at the University of Oxford to pursue their higher education. The table given below entails the top 10 fellowship programs that are supposedly quite popular in Australia.
| Fellowship | Country/Area of Study | Field of Study/Research | Level of Study | Duration |
| Rhodes Scholarship | UK | Various | Postgraduate | Up to 3 years |
| Endeavour Leadership Program | Global | Various | Various | Varies |
| John Monash Scholarships | Global | Various | Postgraduate | Up to 3 years |
| Westpac Future Leaders Scholarship | Australia | Various | Postgraduate | Up to 3 years |
| Australian Research Council (ARC) Fellowships | Australia | Various Research Fields | Research | Up to 5 years |
| Fulbright Australia Scholarships | USA | Various | Various | 3-12 months |
| NHMRC Research Fellowships | Australia | Health and Medical Research | Research | Varies |
| Australia Awards Scholarships | Global | Various | Undergraduate, Postgraduate | Up to 4 years |
| Sir Robert Menzies Memorial Scholarship in Law | Global | Law | Postgraduate | 1-2 years |
| Churchill Fellowships | Global | Various | Research/Professional Development | 4-8 weeks |
Check out our very own Rhodes Scholarship article to gain full information on the subject.
Fellowship Opportunities in Canada
Other than being on the top of a travel destination priority list, Canada has made its way into the hearts of millions of students across the world in terms of gaining education. Due to the high educational standards set by their education system, it has gained the unwavering attention of various international students seeking better educational opportunities abroad.
The Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship is often applied by the student in masses and is considered to be highly competitive. It supports students intending to pursue a doctoral program who have exceptional academic attributes and immense leadership potential. Below are the top 10 highly regarded fellowships in Canada.
| Fellowship | Level of Study | Field of Study | Duration | Amount |
| Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships | Doctoral | Various | Up to 3 years | Up to $50,000 per year |
| Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships | Postdoctoral | Various | 2 years | $70,000 per year |
| NSERC Postgraduate Scholarships and Fellowships | Postgraduate | Natural Sciences, Engineering | Varies | Varies |
| CIHR Canadian Institutes of Health Research Fellowships | Postdoctoral | Health, Medicine | Varies | Varies |
| Killam Trust Scholarships | Graduate, Postdoctoral | Various | 1-2 years | Varies |
| Trudeau Foundation Scholarships | Doctoral | Humanities, Social Sciences | Up to 3 years | Up to $40,000 per year |
| Ontario Graduate Scholarship (OGS) Program | Masters, Doctoral | Various | Up to 2 years | Up to $15,000 per year |
| Quebec Merit Scholarship for Foreign Students (PBEEE) | Doctoral, Postdoctoral | Various | Varies | Varies |
| Canada Graduate Scholarships – Master’s Program (CGS M) | Masters | Various | 1-2 years | Up to $17,500 |
| Mitacs Globalink Research Internship | Undergraduate | Various | 12 weeks | Varies |
Prominent Fellowships in the UK
The standard of education in the UK requires no introduction, the global ranking of the world’s prominent educational institutions says it all. Out of the top 10 highly regarded educational institutions, 4 of them belong to the UK, including the University of Cambridge, the University of Oxford, Imperial College London, and UCL (University College London).
The United Kingdom is considered to be one of the finest places to study because of its high standard of living and one-of-a-kind faculty members.
Rhodes Scholarship in particular gained quite notable attention from the general student crowd as it offers direct access to study at the University of Oxford. Eligible Students from various countries can apply for this scholarship to undertake a post-graduate degree at the University of Oxford.
Below are the top 10 list of highly renowned fellowships in the UK.
| Fellowship | Field of Study | Level of Study | Who Can Apply | Duration | Institution |
| Rhodes Scholarship | Various | Postgraduate | International Students (specific countries) | 1-3 years | University of Oxford |
| Marshall Scholarship | Various | Postgraduate | American Citizens | 1-2 years | Various UK Universities |
| Chevening Scholarship | Various | Postgraduate | International Students | 1 year | Various UK Universities |
| Gates Cambridge Scholarship | Various | Postgraduate | International Students | 1-4 years | University of Cambridge |
| Commonwealth Scholarships and Fellowships | Various | Various | Commonwealth Citizens | Varies | Various UK Universities |
| Newton International Fellowships | Natural and Physical Sciences | Postdoctoral | Non-UK Scientists | 2 years | Various UK Institutions |
| Wellcome Trust Fellowships | Biomedical Research | Various | Healthcare Researchers | Varies | Various UK Institutions |
| Royal Society Fellowships | Natural and Physical Sciences | Various | Scientists and Researchers | Varies | Various UK Institutions |
| British Academy Fellowships | Humanities, Social Sciences | Various | Scholars in Humanities and Social Sciences | Varies | Various UK Institutions |
| Leverhulme Trust Early Career Fellowships | Various | Early Career Research | Early Career Researchers | 3 years | Various UK Institutions |
Reputable Fellowship Opportunities in the USA
The USA is home to some of the elitist educational institutions of all, with the majority of the global ranking holders setting the highest academic standard. The institutions in the USA have students with diverse backgrounds who are of high intellect, this enables fellow students to cultivate a sense of appreciation and unity.
Gaining a degree from the USA will broaden your options for applying to various universities due to it being internationally recognized. Successful graduate students will get to enjoy rich career prospects both within the US and outside-world.
The following table illustrates some of the highly popular fellowship programs.
| Fellowship | Field of Study | Level of Study | Who Can Apply | Duration | Institution |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fulbright Program | Various | Undergraduate, Graduate, Postgraduate, Professionals | US Citizens (varies for other countries) | Varies | Various Global Institutions |
| Rhodes Scholarship | Various | Postgraduate | US Citizens | 2-3 years | University of Oxford |
| Marshall Scholarship | Various | Postgraduate | US Citizens | 1-2 years | Various UK Universities |
| Hertz Fellowship | Applied Physical, Biological, and Engineering Sciences | PhD | US Citizens or Permanent Residents | Up to 5 years | Various Institutions |
| NSF GRFP | STEM Disciplines | Graduate | US Citizens, Nationals, or Permanent Residents | Up to 3 years | Various Institutions |
| Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans | Various | Graduate | Immigrants and Children of Immigrants in the US | 2 years | Various US Institutions |
| Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs | Various | Predoctoral, Doctoral, Postdoctoral | US Citizens, Nationals, and Permanent Residents | 1-3 years | Various US Institutions |
| Guggenheim Fellowships | Arts and Sciences | Mid-Career Professionals | US and Canadian Citizens | 6-12 months | Various Institutions |
| Churchill Scholarship | Science, Mathematics, Engineering | Postgraduate | US Citizens | 1 year | University of Cambridge |
| Spencer Foundation Dissertation Fellowship | Education Research | Doctoral | US Citizens or Permanent Residents | 1 academic year | Various Institutions |