Funding for US Study Online is an extensive database of scholarships, fellowships and grants organized and maintained by the Institute of International Education (IIE). Funding for US Study includes all types of funding programs, for all levels of post-secondary study, across the full range of academic areas.
Although not all, most scholarship programs are merit-based meaning scholars are chosen based on academic merit or in others forms such as leadership, athletic, or artistic merits. Merit-based scholarships are sometimes referred to as excellence scholarships since it seeks out the most bright and most talented students. In this list, scholars4dev.com highlights the most popular merit-based scholarships out there.
Top 20 Excellence Scholarships for the Best International Students
Merit-based Scholarships offered by Foreign Governments »
*Fulbright Foreign Student Program (USA)*
The Fulbright Scholarship Program is the flagship international exchange
scholarship program between the U.S. Government and 155 countries. Each
year, approximately 1,800 Fulbright scholarships are awarded to the most
excellent foreign students who wish to pursue a Masters or PhD Degree in
the United States. The Fulbright Scholarship Program provides full
funding for the duration of the study which includes tuition, textbooks,
airfare, a living stipend, and health insurance.
*Chevening Scholarships (UK)*
Chevening Scholarships are the UK government’s global scholarship
programme, funded by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) and
partner organisations. The Scholarships are awarded to outstanding
scholars with leadership potential. Every year, it provides
scholarships to around 1000 outstanding students from over 130 countries
who wish to pursue postgraduate study in the UK. Chevening Scholarships
are full scholarships which cover tuition fees, monthly stipend and
various one-off allowances as well as international travel to and from UK.
*Endeavour Postgraduate Awards (Australia)*
The Endeavour Postgraduate Awards provide full financial support for
high-achieving international students to undertake a postgraduate
qualification at a Masters or PhD level either by coursework or research
in any field of study in Australia. The scholarship covers tuition fees,
monthly stipend, travel allowance, establishment allowance as well as
health and travel insurance.
*Eiffel Scholarships (France)*
The Eiffel Excellence Scholarship Programme is funded by the French
Government and was launched to attract elite overseas students who wish
to pursue Master’s, Engineering and PhD degrees in France. The Eiffel
Programme does not cover tuition fees but scholarship holders are given
a monthly allowance, travel costs, health insurance and possibly an
accommodation allowance. Approximately 400 new scholarships are awarded
each year.
*Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships (Switzerland)*
The Swiss Government Excellence Scholarships provide graduates from all
fields with the opportunity to pursue doctoral or postdoctoral research
at one of the public funded university or recognized institution in
Switzerland. The scholarship covers a monthly allowance, tuition fees,
health insurance, lodging allowance, etc.
Merit-based Scholarships offered by Global Universities »
*Gates Cambridge Scholarships (UK)*
Gates Cambridge Scholarships are full-cost awards for graduate study and
research in any subject available at the University of Cambridge. The
scholarships are open to all international students from all over the
world. A Gates Cambridge Scholarship covers the full cost of studying
at Cambridge namely: university fees, maintenance allowances, airfare,
and some dependant’s allowance. About 100 new Gates Scholars are
awarded annually (although the exact number of awards may change from
year to year).
Photo courtesy of Charles Hester, NEH
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) is an independent federal agency created in 1965. It is one of the largest funders of humanities programs in the United States.
Because democracy demands wisdom, NEH serves and strengthens our republic by promoting excellence in the humanities and conveying the lessons of history to all Americans. The Endowment accomplishes this mission by awarding grants for top-rated proposals examined by panels of independent, external reviewers.
NEH grants typically go to cultural institutions, such as museums, archives, libraries, colleges, universities, public television, and radio stations, and to individual scholars. The grants:
Since 1965, the Endowment has opened new worlds of learning for the American public with noteworthy projects such as:
“The term ‘humanities’ includes, but is not limited to, the study and interpretation of the following: language, both modern and classical; linguistics; literature; history; jurisprudence; philosophy; archaeology; comparative religion; ethics; the history, criticism and theory of the arts; those aspects of social sciences which have humanistic content and employ humanistic methods; and the study and application of the humanities to the human environment with particular attention to reflecting our diverse heritage, traditions, and history and to the relevance of the humanities to the current conditions of national life.”
–National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities Act, 1965, as amended
UCL SECReT is the £17m international centre for PhD training in security and crime science at University College London, the first centre of its kind in Europe. We offer the most comprehensive integrated PhD programme for students wishing to pursue multidisciplinary security or crime-related research degrees. We recruit our doctoral students from a range of scientific backgrounds to pursue research in crime or security domains across the engineering and social sciences. Students can enter through various funding routes (self-funded, industry sponsors, scholarships).
Please click here to register for the SECReT OPEN EVENING or MAILING LIST
“Insight must precede application.” (Max Planck)The Max Planck Society is Germany’s most successful research organization. Since its establishment in 1948, no fewer than 17 Nobel laureates have emerged from the ranks of its scientists, putting it on a par with the best and most prestigious research institutions worldwide. The more than 15,000 publications each year in internationally renowned scientific journals are proof of the outstanding research work conducted at Max Planck Institutes – and many of those articles are among the most-cited publications in the relevant field. What is the basis of this success? The scientific attractiveness of the Max Planck Society is based on its understanding of research: Max Planck Institutes are built up solely around the world’s leading researchers. They themselves define their research subjects and are given the best working conditions, as well as free reign in selecting their staff. This is the core of the Harnack principle, which dates back to Adolph von Harnack, the first president of the Kaiser Wilhelm Society, which was established in 1911. This principle has been successfully applied for nearly one hundred years. The Max Planck Society continues the tradition of its predecessor institution with this structural principle of the person-centered research organization. The currently 82 Max Planck Institutes conduct basic research in the service of the general public in the natural sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and the humanities. Max Planck Institutes focus on research fields that are particularly innovative, or that are especially demanding in terms of funding or time requirements. And their research spectrum is continually evolving: new institutes are established to find answers to seminal, forward-looking scientific questions, while others are closed when, for example, their research field has been widely established at universities. This continuous renewal preserves the scope the Max Planck Society needs to react quickly to pioneering scientific developments.
There is no such thing as “the” Max Planck Institute. In fact, the Max Planck Society operates a number of research institutions in Germany as well as abroad. These Max Planck Institutes are independent and autonomous in the selection and conduct of their research pursuits. To this end, they have their own, internally managed budgets, which can be supplemented by third party project funds. The quality of the research carried out at the institutes must meet the Max Planck Society’s excellence criteria. To ensure that this is the case, the institutes’ research activities undergo regular quality reviews. The Max Planck Institutes carry out basic research in the life sciences, natural sciences and the social and human sciences. It is thus almost impossible to allocate an individual institute to one single research field: conversely, it can be the case that different Max Planck Institutes carry out research in the same subject. To orientate yourself, please choose a research area first, and then a specific research field. The table will list all MPIs meeting your selection criteria.
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