Now in its 25th year, the NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program supports PhD students whose research aligns with innovations in accelerated computing and related fields. The program seeks to bridge academic excellence with industrial impact by providing financial support, mentorship, and access to cutting‑edge NVIDIA technology.
Purpose and Value Proposition
NVIDIA invests in promising university talent to advance innovation and foster future industry leaders. Through its Graduate Fellowship, it supports PhD researchers pushing boundaries in artificial intelligence, robotics, autonomous vehicles, and other transformative areas.
Fellows receive:
- Up to US $60,000, awarded via their institution and restricted to stipend, tuition, and mandatory fees no overhead or indirect costs are permitted. The fellowship cannot fund other students nor exceed actual academic costs(.
- A mandatory in‑person summer internship at an NVIDIA research office, taking place before the fellowship year begins. Locations include offices in the U.S., Canada, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Israel, and Taiwan.
- Access to NVIDIA’s latest hardware, collaboration with experts, and immersion in their technologies and culture.
Awardees are selected based on academic performance, nomination by academic advisors, and research relevance to NVIDIA’s mission.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants must:
- Have completed at least one year of full-time PhD studies when applying.
- Be actively engaged in PhD research in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, System Architecture, or a closely related field.
- Be enrolled full-time for the 2025–2026 academic year, with no intent to graduate before May or June 2026.
- Be available for the mandatory in-person summer internship at an NVIDIA location prior to the fellowship commencement.
- Not be an immediate family member of a current NVIDIA employee.
- Have the fellowship administered by their university rather than received directly.
Application Components
Fellowship applications typically require:
- A concise research summary or thesis proposal of up to two pages, plus a bibliography (not counted in the page limit).
- A curriculum vitae (CV) including contact details.
- At least two letters of recommendation, one of which must be from the PhD advisor. Up to three letters are permitted.
- Confirmation of availability for the summer internship.
Applicants manage their submission via an online portal and must monitor all components—including recommender submissions—before the final deadline.
Application Timeline
- Application deadline: 3pm Pacific Time, September 15, 2025.
- Submissions are now OPEN — click HERE for the submissions portal.
Selection Criteria and Outcomes
Applications are evaluated based on:
- Student quality: Academic record, letters of recommendation, and overall promise.
- Research strength: Results to date, proposal quality, and publication history.
- Relevance to NVIDIA: Potential for the research to influence future GPU design, performance, or application.
Each year, a select group of students—typically around ten—receive the fellowship. Selected fellows gain exposure to NVIDIA’s ecosystem and early-career collaboration opportunities.
Summary
The NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program offers up to US $60,000 and includes a required summer internship. It is open globally to PhD students in computing-related disciplines who are midway through their studies.
Applications must include a succinct research proposal, CV, and strong nominations. While the 2024 application deadline has passed, interested students should anticipate similar cycles in the future and reach out to NVIDIA or their academic advisors for updates.
