The Hertz Fellowship, from the Fannie and John Hertz Foundation, gives up to five years of PhD funding, valued at up to $250,000, to students in the applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics and engineering. You must be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident and be enrolled as a first- or second-year PhD student when funding starts. The 2027 application closed on October 30, 2026, and the next cycle’s dates have not been posted.
The facts below come from the Foundation’s own pages: Hertz Fellowship, Who Can Apply and Apply. Unlike the federal awards in this series, Hertz is a private foundation.
Who is eligible for the Hertz Fellowship
According to the Who Can Apply page, for the 2027 cycle you must:
- Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
- Be enrolled as a first- or second-year PhD student in fall 2027, when funding would begin. In practice, college seniors heading into a PhD and current first-year PhD students are the ones applying.
- Pursue a full-time, in-person PhD at a U.S. institution in the applied physical or biological sciences, mathematics or engineering.
- Aim your work at major, near-term problems facing society. No single field is favored.
Professional degrees such as the MD, JD, MBA, DPH and DVM are not supported. The PhD part of an MD/PhD program is. There is no GPA requirement; the Foundation says, “Grades and test scores only tell part of the story.”
What the fellowship pays
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Length | Up to five years of funding |
| Total value | Up to $250,000 |
| How it is paid | Participating schools handle stipend, tuition and other costs under a 9-month stipend model |
| 2025-26 cohort | 71 Fellows at 17 institutions |
The Foundation does not publish a per-year stipend figure on these pages. Beyond money, the Foundation describes “Freedom to Innovate,” plus a dedicated mentor, a lifelong fellows community, and internship and networking ties with partner organizations.
How selection works
The Foundation calls its process a “rigorous selection process honed over seven decades.” The 2027 cycle ran in four stages:
- Application and references. You submit the application by the deadline, and your academic and industry recommenders submit by a later reference deadline.
- Preselection. The Foundation screens applications in November.
- Round 1 interviews in December and January.
- Round 2 interviews in February, followed by the finalist announcement.
Two rounds of interviews set Hertz apart from most fellowships, which decide on paper alone.
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Deadlines and timeline
The next cycle’s dates have not been posted. The 2027 cycle, now closed, ran on this schedule:
| Step | 2027 cycle |
|---|---|
| Application opened | August 31, 2026 |
| Information sessions | September 10 and 14, 2026 |
| Application deadline | October 30, 2026 |
| Reference deadline and preselection | November 2026 |
| Round 1 interviews | December 2026 and January 2027 |
| Round 2 interviews and finalists | February 2027 |
| Recipients notified | April 2027 |
| Fellowship announcement | May 2027 |
If you are a junior now, the cycle that opens around late summer 2027 is likely yours. Plan your research statement and recommenders over the summer.
How to make a strong Hertz application
- Tie your research to a real-world problem. The eligibility page asks for work aimed at major, near-term societal problems. Name the problem and how your PhD could move it.
- Show what you did beyond grades. With no GPA cutoff and a stated view that grades “only tell part of the story,” your research record and independence carry the file.
- Use both academic and industry recommenders. The Foundation says both are “integral in helping students apply.” A mentor from an internship can add a view a professor cannot.
- Prepare for technical interviews. Two interview rounds mean you should be ready to explain your work and reason through problems in your field aloud.
- Attend an information session. The Foundation held two in September 2026 and posts FAQs and advice from Fellows under Application Help.
Similar programs to consider
Also consider the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, which has deadlines in the same weeks. Undergraduates building a research record should look at the Goldwater Scholarship. For the full picture of funding a doctorate, read how to pay for graduate school and search our scholarship finder.
Hertz Fellowship questions
Can I apply as a college senior?
Yes, if you will be a first-year PhD student in fall 2027 when funding begins.
Does Hertz fund master’s or MD degrees?
No. It funds PhDs only, though the PhD portion of an MD/PhD is supported.
Can international students apply?
Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible.
Is there an interview?
Yes. The 2027 cycle had two interview rounds, in December-January and February.