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Fellowships give students, researchers and professionals funding for study, research or professional development abroad. Some pay for a degree, others for a research stay or a short programme with a host organisation, and many are aimed at people from developing countries or at a particular field or group. scholars4dev.com lists the top international fellowships for students, researchers and professionals below.

Professional Development Fellowships »

Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program (USA)
The Hubert H. Humphrey Fellowship Program, a Fulbright exchange, brings mid-career professionals from 148 eligible countries to the USA for ten months of non-degree graduate study and professional development at a US university. It covers tuition, a living allowance, air travel, insurance and a professional development allowance. Applicants need a Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of full-time professional experience, and they apply through the US Embassy or Fulbright Commission in their country, which sets its own deadline.

Commonwealth Fellowships (UK)
The Commonwealth Scholarship Commission in the UK runs the Commonwealth Fellowship Programme for citizens of all Commonwealth countries, with around 40 fellowships planned for 2026-27. Professional Fellowships let mid-career professionals with five years’ experience spend six weeks to three months on a development programme at a UK host organisation, and the new Academic Fellowships give university staff with a PhD three months at a UK university department. Each covers a return airfare, the visa fee and a monthly stipend (£2,218, or £2,753 in London, at 2025-26 rates); candidates apply to the programmes run by each UK host organisation, listed on the CSC website.

Eisenhower Fellowships Global Program (USA)
Eisenhower Fellowships brings a group of mid-career leaders from around the world to the USA each spring for a leadership programme of nearly six weeks, with in-person and virtual parts. Candidates must be citizens of, or have lived for at least five years in, the country they represent. Applications for the 2027 programme closed on 15 May 2026, and the next cycle has not been announced yet.

Academic and Research Fellowships »

AAUW International Fellowships for Women (USA)
AAUW, the American Association of University Women, gives International Fellowships to women who are not US citizens or permanent residents for full-time graduate study in the USA: US$20,000 for a Master’s or professional degree and US$25,000 for a doctorate in 2027-28. Applicants need a first degree with a GPA of at least 3.5, and preference goes to women who have worked to advance women and girls. Applications for 2027-28 closed on 17 September 2026.

Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships for Women in STEM (any country)
The Schlumberger Foundation’s Faculty for the Future programme gives fellowships to women from developing and emerging economies for PhD or postdoctoral research in science, technology, engineering and mathematics at leading universities abroad. Grants are based on actual costs, up to US$50,000 a year for a PhD and US$40,000 a year for postdoctoral research. The last round closed on 6 November 2026, and applications usually open each September.

Rotary Peace Fellowships (various countries)
Rotary Peace Fellowships fund leaders working in peace and development, with up to 130 fully funded fellowships a year. They include Master’s degrees at Rotary Peace Centers and a one-year blended professional development certificate at Chulalongkorn University in Thailand or Makerere University in Uganda for leaders with at least five years of relevant experience. Applications open in February 2027.

TWAS Fellowships (developing countries)
TWAS, The World Academy of Sciences, runs the world’s largest South-South fellowship programme for scientists from developing countries. Its postdoctoral fellowships, lasting from three months to three years, let recent PhD graduates work with leading colleagues in another developing country, and it also offers 100 to 160 PhD fellowships a year at institutions in Brazil, China, India, Pakistan and South Africa. Each partner programme has its own call, fields and age limit.

UNESCO Fellowships (various countries)
UNESCO and partner governments co-sponsor fellowships for candidates from developing Member States, such as the UNESCO/China Great Wall fellowships for a Master’s, a doctorate or a one-year visiting scholar programme in China, the UNESCO/Poland fellowships in engineering and in archaeology and conservation, and the UNESCO/Republic of Korea fellowships. Candidates apply through their country’s National Commission for UNESCO, and each programme sets its own benefits and deadlines.

See also the lists of Top 15+ Research Scholarships for International Students and Top 5+ Training Scholarships for International Students