Funding Databases for U-M Affiliates
These resources are available to U-M students, faculty, and staff through the U-M Library's paid subscription.
- PIVOT
Conduct a comprehensive search of grant opportunities from a variety of global resources, including: government sources, foundations, and professional associations. Search for opportunities using a variety of parameters such as keyword, text, funder deadline, citizenship or residency, and funding amount. Setup and receive a customized weekly email alert tailored to your research interests. - Pivot YouTube TutorialsFor a comprehensive overview of Pivot, see this page of all available video tutorials.
- Foundation Directory Online
Profiles over 105,000 U.S.-based foundations, describing programs, areas of funding, types of support, geographic emphasis, trustees & officers, application process, deadlines, high, low & average grants, and lists of recent grants made. Also provides access to recent tax returns for private foundations as submitted to the U.S. Internal Revenue Service (Form 990-PF's) - Foundation Directory Online Video TutorialsVideo guides to the most efficient ways to find information in the FDO database.
- Foundation Grants to IndividualsThis is a guide to grants that foundations give directly to individuals. This database may only be used in the Hatcher or Shapiro Library buildings. No off-site access.
Fellowships / Internships
- MSU Library's Graduate Scholarships, Fellowships, and LoansList of Graduate resources compiled and edited by Jon Harrison, Michigan State University Libraries.
- UCLA’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Extramural Support (GRAPES) DatabaseExtensive database of 625 graduate and postdoctoral funding opportunities, maintained by UCLA.
- Fellowship Database compiled by Cornell UniversitySearchable database of graduate fellowships.
- Dow Sustainability FellowsThe Dow Sustainability Fellows Program at the University of Michigan supports full-time graduate students and postdoctoral scholars at the University of Michigan who are committed to finding interdisciplinary, actionable, and meaningful sustainability solutions on local-to-global scales.
- National Academies Fellowship Office for Policy and Global AffairsThe Fellowship Office of Policy and Global Affairs administers predoctoral, dissertation, postdoctoral, and other fellowship programs for advanced study in research-based disciplines.
- Presidential Management FellowshipA flagship 2 year leadership development program from the US Office of Personnel Management.
- The Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship FoundationIncludes teaching fellowships and higher education fellowships to address emerging needs, serve specific populations underrepresented in the academy, strengthen designated fields, and support key stages in professorial careers.
Professional Organizations
Many professional associations offer funding and/or provide information about fellowships and grants on their websites. A few examples are listed below, but check with associations related to your discipline or research interests for additional opportunities.
Adapted from Rackham Graduate School Resources
Open Access Scholarship and Funding Research Tools
These resources are free and open to anyone with Internet access.
- Cappex Scholarship DatabaseFree database with "more than $11 billion" in scholarships
- Chegg Scholarship DatabaseA database of "over $1 billion" scholarships, compiled by the textbook rental company Chegg
- Grants for Individuals: All StudentsList of sources compiled and edited by Jon Harrison, Michigan State University Libraries. Can be filtered in a number of ways.
- StudentAidScholarship search options from the federal government, including the U.S. Department of Education.
- UNIGO's Scholarship DirectoryA directory of scholarships for high school, college, and graduate school. Easy to browse, with a scholarship matchmaker newsletter.
- US Department of Labor Scholarship SearchThe Department of Labor's scholarship search tool.
- Michigan Student AidCollege students in Michigan, regardless of U.S. state of citizenship, can find information on scholarships and loans at this Michigan government site.
Scholarships for Underrepresented Demographic Groups
Because of long-term, historical barriers for students from marginalized groups, many organizations offer targeted funding to improve access to education. The sites listed below can help to identify some of these resources, but be sure to include general resources in your search as well.
- Michigan Indian Tuition WaiverThe Michigan Indian Tuition Waiver program, authorized by the State of Michigan, waives the tuition costs for eligible Native Americans in the state's public community colleges and universities. The student must have been a Michigan resident for the past 12 months.
- American Association of University Women FellowshipsThe AAUW Educational Foundation, which is the largest source of funding exclusively for graduate women in the world, supports aspiring scholars around the globe, teachers and activists in local communities, women at critical stages of their careers, and those pursuing professions where women are underrepresented.
- Financial Aid Opportunities for Minority StudentsThis website posts a wide range of grants and funding opportunities for students from underrepresented demographic groups and undocumented students at all levels of higher education.
- Hispanic Scholarship FundThis site provides resources and information about the college application process as well as lists of scholarships available through the site.
- LEAD Scholars ProgramThe U-M Alumni Center offers scholarships to admitted African American, Latinx, and Native American U-M students open to all U-M campuses.
- Scholarships and Awards for Students with DisabilitiesProvided by the University of Michigan Office of Services to Students with Disabilities, this resource includes U-M scholarships as well as external funding opportunities.
- United Negro College FundProvides a list of scholarship programs managed by the UNCF.
Crowdfunding
Create a fundraising campaign to fund your research, travels, or education. Collect small donations through a crowdfunding platform.
Extend your funding search - Connect to millions of resources
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Uncover lesser-known funding sources and find important information about your potential funders, using subscription databases like, Pivot and Foundation Directory Online.
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Explore the millions of funding opportunities found in free, public scholarship databases like UNIGO and Chegg.
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Browse our listing of selected funding sources, including:
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Scholarships for underrepresented groups
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Scholarships for international students
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Study abroad support
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Funding through professional organizations
Consider the following as you search. Your:
Attributes: race/ethnicity, gender, ability status, and other characteristics
Affiliations: place of employment (or of parents), religion, home town, military service, memberships, union affiliations, etc.
Aspirations: career or academic goals
Many scholarships are directed to individuals that fit very specific criteria. For example, some workplaces, unions and professional organizations provide scholarships to their employees/members or children of employees/members; there are scholarship programs for students who belong to a designated religious or ethnic group; and there are scholarships for students who come from certain geographic locations. Think about the characteristics that reflect you.