The end of the year is the busiest season for fellowship and scholarship deadlines. Many of the best-funded programmes for 2027 close between late October and January, and missing one usually means waiting a full year. This roundup collects seven funded calls with deadlines before February 2027, ordered from the soonest.
Each opportunity below has a full listing on our site with eligibility, benefits and the official application link. Always confirm the details on the organiser's own page before you apply, because organisers sometimes change dates or rules.
Fellowship and scholarship deadlines at a glance
- 26 October 2026: Her Startup Accelerator 2026/27 (African women founders)
- 10 November 2026: Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2027 open
- 15 November 2026: Amelia Earhart Fellowship 2027
- 1 December 2026: Knight-Wallace Fellowship 2027–28 (international deadline)
- 1 December 2026: Echidna Global Scholars Program 2027
- 2 December 2026: JSK Journalism Fellowship 2027–28
- 29 January 2027: LawAI Summer Fellowship 2027
Closing this week
1. Her Startup Accelerator 2026/27
For African women founders, this accelerator offers a stipend, training and a chance to pitch for funding. The deadline is 26 October, so if you are eligible, apply this weekend. Read the Her Startup Accelerator listing.
November deadlines
2. Commonwealth Shared Scholarships 2027
These fully funded UK master's scholarships are for students from eligible Commonwealth countries who could not otherwise afford to study in the UK. Applications open on 10 November. Use the next two weeks to choose your course and prepare documents. See the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships listing.
3. Amelia Earhart Fellowship 2027
Zonta International's fellowship awards US$12,000 to women doing PhDs in aerospace engineering and space sciences. The deadline is 15 November. Details are in our Amelia Earhart Fellowship listing.
Early December deadlines
4. Knight-Wallace Fellowship 2027–28
The University of Michigan's programme gives journalists an academic year to pursue a project, with an $85,000 stipend. International applicants must apply by 1 December. Read the Knight-Wallace Fellowship listing.
5. Echidna Global Scholars Program 2027
The Brookings Institution runs this six-month research fellowship on girls' education for researchers and practitioners from low- and middle-income countries. The deadline is 1 December. See the Echidna Global Scholars listing.
6. JSK Journalism Fellowship 2027–28
Stanford's John S. Knight fellowship supports journalists working on problems facing the news industry, with a $135,000 stipend. The deadline is 2 December. Read the JSK Journalism Fellowship listing.
January deadline
7. LawAI Summer Fellowship 2027
The Institute for Law & AI pays $2,000 a week for a summer of research on AI law and policy in Washington DC. The deadline is 29 January 2027. See the LawAI Summer Fellowship listing.
How to plan for several deadlines at once
Applying to more than one programme is sensible, but it only works with a plan. A few habits help:
- Work backwards from each deadline. Give yourself at least two weeks for essays and three weeks for reference letters. Referees are busy at the end of the year.
- Build one strong core essay. Most fellowships ask what you want to do, why it matters and why now. Write that once, well, then adapt it for each call rather than starting from zero.
- Check time zones. Many US programmes close at 11:59 pm Eastern Time, which is 5:59 am the next day in Lagos and Douala.
- Prepare documents early. Transcripts, passport scans and certified translations can take longer than the writing.
- Submit a day early. Portals slow down in the final hours.
Our guide to writing a strong scholarship application, using Gates Cambridge as an example, covers essays and references in more detail.
Which one fits you?
Journalists have three strong options here: Knight-Wallace, JSK and, for those covering education, Echidna. Researchers in engineering and space science should look at the Amelia Earhart Fellowship. Graduates planning a UK master's should be ready for the Commonwealth Shared Scholarships window. Law and policy students interested in AI should bookmark LawAI. Founders should move on Her Startup now.
We add new calls every day. Save this page, and check back before each deadline in case organisers update their dates.
