Apply For Google Fellowship Forum

Google PhD Fellowships directly support graduate students as they pursue their PhD, as well as connect them to a Google Research Mentor.

Nurturing and maintaining strong relations with the academic community is a top priority at Google. The Google PhD Fellowship Program was created to recognize outstanding graduate students doing exceptional work in computer science and related research areas. We currently offer Fellowships in Australia, China and East Asia, Europe, Africa, India, the United States and Canada.

Africa and India

In India and Africa, students may apply directly during the application period, which opens each February in India and each November in Africa. Applications are open to students in Computer Science and related areas from any Indian or African university.

The Google Africa PhD Fellowship program application window for 2019 is now open until Monday, 4th February 2019 at 11:59:59 PM GMT.

Google PhD Fellowship students are a select group recognized by Google researchers and their institutions as some of the most promising young academics in the world. The Fellowships are awarded to students who represent the future of research in the following fields:

• Algorithms, Optimizations and Markets
• Computational Neuroscience
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Machine Learning
• Machine Perception, Speech Technology and Computer Vision
• Mobile Computing
• Natural Language Processing (including Information Retrieval and Extraction)
• Privacy and Security
• Programming Languages and Software Engineering
• Quantum Computing
• Structured Data and Database Management
• Systems and Networking

What does the Google PhD Fellowship include?

Students receive named Fellowships which include a monetary award. The funds are given directly to the university to be distributed to cover the student’s expenses and stipend as appropriate.

The funds are given as an unrestricted gift, and it is Google’s policy not to pay for overhead on unrestricted gifts.

In addition, the student will be matched with a Google Research Mentor who we hope will become a valuable resource to the student. There is no employee relationship between the student and Google as a result of receiving the fellowship.

Fellowship recipients are not subject to intellectual property restrictions unless they complete an internship at Google. Fellowship recipients serving an internship are subject to the same intellectual property and other contractual obligations as any other Google intern.

If a Fellowship student is interested, an internship at Google is encouraged, but not guaranteed or required.

Africa

• Up to 3 year Fellowship
• US $30K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel
• Google Research Mentor

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

Students and professionals are welcome to apply to the PhD Fellowship program.

For current PhD Students

1. Applicants must be enrolled into a full-time PhD program at a university in Africa. Applicants who are currently in their first year of a part-time PhD program and transferring to full-time positions are also welcome to apply.
2. Students should be early PhD students, i.e, should not have been into more than 1 year of their PhD. Applicants for the 2019 Fellowship must have started their program on or after 1-Jan-2018
3. Students must remain enrolled in the PhD program for the duration of the Fellowship or forfeit the award.
4. Applicants must be pursuing a PhD in Computer Science or related areas.
5. Google employees and family members of Google employees are not eligible
6. Students who are already receiving another corporate fellowship are not eligible.

For current Undergraduate/Masters students and Professionals

1. Grant of the fellowship to this category of applicants is contingent on them joining a full-time PhD program at a university in Africa within the calendar year of the award.
2. Student applicants must be full-time Undergraduate or Masters students enrolled at an African university. Professionals must be employed/affiliated with an organization registered in Africa.
3. The Google Fellowship award shall be contingent on the awardee registering for the full-time PhD program at an African university, in Computer Science or related areas, within the calendar year 2019, or the award shall be forfeited.
4. Grant of the Google Fellowship does not mean admission to the PhD program of a university. The awardee must also complete the PhD admission process of the respective institute/university where he/she wishes to register for PhD.
5. Grant of the Google Fellowship will be subject to the rules and guidelines applicable in the institute/university where the awardee registers for the PhD program.
6. Google employees and family members of Google employees are not eligible.

Africa

You’ll need the following documents in order to complete an application:

1. Applicant’s resume with links to publications (if available)
2. One-page resume of the student’s PhD program advisor
3. Available transcripts (mark sheets) starting from first year/semester of Bachelor’s degree to date
4. Research proposal (maximum two pages)
5. Three letters of recommendation from those familiar with the applicant’s work (at least one coming from the thesis adviser in case of current PhD students). If the recommendation writers want to send the letter separately, they can mail it directly to [email protected]. Please use the subject line “Recommendation for [applicant-name]”

How are Google PhD Fellowships given?

Any monetary awards will be paid directly to the Fellow’s university for distribution. No overhead should be assessed against them.

After Google PhD Fellowship recipients are notified, the Fellowship is effective starting the following school year.

Fellowship applications are received November-February each year. Awardees are notified by April and publicly announced in May.