Funding Awarded for Travel or in-person events are subject to current CDC and Duke University policies and restrictions.
The Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies Program offers several awards to Duke graduate students. All qualified Duke graduate students may apply; however, priority is given to Ph.D. students enrolled in the Certificate Program in Feminist Studies.
Travel & Conference Awards
In order to encourage Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies students to attend interdisciplinary events, to present their research at academic or professional conferences, and to take part in special projects where they can deepen their feminist education, the program offers travel and research funding each year. A limited number of grants of up to $500 each (as reimbursement, per university policy) are available to students twice a year.
In addition, the GSF graduate program offers a separate NWSA Travel & Conference funding of up to $600 each year to any Duke graduate student presenting a paper (i.e., that is accepted) at the National Women's Studies Association (NWSA) annual conference.
Research and Service: Named Awards
Thanks to the generosity of donors, Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies administers Named Awards to currently enrolled Duke students in recognition of outstanding research and service: the Ernestine Friedl Research Award, the Gender and Race Research Award, the Dora Anne Little Award, the Anne McDougall Memorial Award and the Anne Firor Scott Award (through the History Department). Each award has specific requirements and requires separate applications.
Summer 2026 Fellowships
This year, The Graduate School has provided GSF with the ability to fund six summer (June-August 2026) fellowships.
Each summer fellowship carries:
- A three-month, approximately $10,625.01 stipend
- Tuition and fees coverage by The Graduate School
- Health insurance coverage. Please note that beginning in year seven, students are responsible for providing their own health insurance.
The intent of these awards is to “buy time” for a doctoral candidate who has completed course work and engaged in the early stages of dissertation research. As the fellowships are in Gender, Sexuality & Feminist Studies, it is expected that fellowship recipients will devote the summer to deepening their knowledge of feminist theory and methods and exploring interdisciplinary angles on the topics being researched. Graduate students enrolled in the Certificate Program in Feminist Studies will have priority for these awards.
Deadline
November 15, 2025 (late applications will not be considered)
For more information and/or to apply, please click here.
Other Awards
The Duke Graduate School also offers a variety of Fellowship and other financial aid programs. The Graduate School maintains a complete list of these awards, as well as provides information on how to apply.