March 19, 2026

The UW Graduate School is now accepting departmental nominations for the 2026 Google PhD Fellowship.

Because ECE is limited to two nominations, we will use an internal selection process.

Internal Nomination Form
2026 ECE Google PhD Fellowship Nomination Form (internal)

Key Deadlines

  • April 7, 12:00 PM (PT) – Student nominations due to ECE
  • April 13, 12:00 PM (PT) – ECE nominations due to the UW Graduate School
  • April 30, 11:59 PM (PT) – Final nominations due to Google

Award Details

  • Up to 2 years of fellowship support
  • Up to $85,000 per year to support tuition and fees, living expenses, travel, and personal equipment (effective for new recipients starting in 2025)
  • Full tuition and fees (including health insurance and books)
  • Stipend for living expenses, travel, and equipment
  • Google Research Mentor

Eligibility Criteria

  • Full-time PhD students
  • Students who have completed graduate coursework in their PhD by the academic award year when the Fellowship begins.
  • Must remain enrolled full-time for the duration of the fellowship
  • Not eligible:
    • Google employees (or their household members)
    • Students with comparable industry funding
    • Previous recipients of this fellowship
  • Students must be nominated by the university (no direct applications)

Selection Criteria
Applications are evaluated based on:

  • Research proposal strength and impact
  • Academic achievements
  • Leadership potential
  • Alignment with Google research areas and AI Principles

Proposals should clearly describe your research direction, innovation, and potential impact.

Required Materials (PDF format)

  • Department Chair cover sheet (provided if selected as a nominee)
  • Student CV (include links to website/publications if available)
  • 1-page CV of primary advisor
  • 2–3 letters of recommendation (including thesis advisor)
  • Research/dissertation proposal (max 3 pages, excluding references)
  • Essay 1 (350 words): Research impact and motivation
  • Essay 2 (350 words): Leadership experience
  • Transcripts (current and prior institutions)

Important Note from UW Graduate School
Departments should nominate only their strongest candidates—students who are competitive at an international level and whose research aligns with Google’s priorities.

Please do not nominate students who are too early in their PhD or not yet competitive for this level of award.

If you have any questions, please contact Scott Dunham at dunham@uw.edu.