Hertz Fellowship 2027

Overview

The Hertz Fellowship supports exceptional early-career scientists, engineers and mathematicians pursuing doctoral research with potential to address major near-term problems facing society. The fellowship is designed around the individual rather than a specific research project, so applicants do not need to submit a formal project proposal.

Eligibility

• Be a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.
• Be a college senior, first-year graduate student, or in a gap period preparing to apply to graduate school.
• Intend to pursue a full-time, in-person PhD at an institution in the United States.
• Study in the applied physical sciences, applied biological sciences, mathematics or engineering.
• Direct your studies toward understanding and solving major, near-term problems facing society.

Professional degrees such as MD, JD, MBA, DPH and DVM are not funded by themselves, although the Hertz Foundation may support the PhD portion of an MD/PhD program.

Funding & Benefits

• Funding valued at up to $250,000.
• $38,000 nine-month personal stipend under the Hertz-only funding option.
• Full tuition equivalent.
• Renewable annually for up to five years.
• $5,000 per year additional stipend for Fellows with dependent children.
• Ability to coordinate Hertz funding with certain other fellowships or grants.
• Mentorship, symposia, professional development and access to a network of more than 1,300 Hertz Fellows.

How to Apply

1. Confirm that you meet the citizenship/permanent-residency and academic-stage requirements.
2. Create an account in the official Hertz Fellowship application portal.
3. Complete the academic, research and personal sections of the application.
4. Upload your transcripts and required written responses.
5. Register four recommenders early; Hertz uses its own evaluation form rather than ordinary recommendation letters.
6. Submit your application by October 30, 2026.
7. Monitor the separate recommender deadline in the portal; official Hertz guidance places it in early November 2026.

Application Checklist

• Online application form and academic history.
• Unofficial transcripts for the initial application; official transcripts may be requested later.
• Research-experience and research-interest information.
• Short essays and a personal essay.
• Contact information for four recommenders, who complete Hertz evaluation forms.

The Hertz FAQ states that a formal proposed research-project proposal is not required.

Important Dates

• August 31, 2026: application opened.
• September 10 and September 14, 2026: application information sessions.
• October 30, 2026: application deadline.
• Early November 2026: recommender forms due; confirm the exact timestamp in the current portal.
• December 2026–January 2027: first-round interviews.
• February 2027: second-round interviews and finalists.
• April 2027: selected Fellows notified.
• May 2027: public fellowship announcement.

FAQs

Is the Hertz Fellowship fully funded?
It provides full tuition equivalent plus a personal stipend and can be renewed for up to five years, with total value up to $250,000.

Can international students apply?
No. Official eligibility requires U.S. citizenship or permanent residency.

Can a second-year PhD student apply?
The published eligibility categories are college seniors, first-year graduate students, and people in a gap period preparing for graduate school.

Does Hertz require a research proposal?
No formal project proposal is required. Applicants instead describe prior research and research interests.

How many recommenders are required?
Four recommenders are registered in the application and complete Hertz's specific evaluation form.

Last verified: September 6, 2026. ScholarshipHubNow verified the deadline, eligibility, funding package, application stage, four-recommender requirement and selection timeline against official Hertz Foundation sources.