NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship 2027–2028: Up to $60,000 for PhD Research
NVIDIA is inviting applications for its 2027–2028 Graduate Fellowship Program, offering research funding of up to $60,000 per award to outstanding PhD students working on research that advances accelerated computing. The programme provides opportunities for doctoral researchers to collaborate with NVIDIA researchers, undertake a required in-person summer internship and present their work to the research community at GTC San Jose.
Applications open on 30 September 2026, and the deadline is 30 October 2026, including the submission of recommendation letters. International PhD students are eligible to apply, provided they meet the programme’s academic, research and internship requirements.
NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship 2027–2028: Overview
- Organisation: NVIDIA
- Programme: Graduate Fellowship
- Academic year: 2027–2028
- Funding: Up to $60,000 per award
- Target applicants: PhD students
- Research focus: Accelerated computing and related technology fields
- Application opening date: 30 September 2026
- Application deadline: 30 October 2026
- Winner notification: 15 January 2027
- Internship: Required, in person, before the fellowship award year
- Application method: Online
About the NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship
The NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship supports doctoral research with the potential to advance computing technologies and contribute to NVIDIA’s research priorities. The programme connects promising researchers with NVIDIA’s technical community and provides financial support for eligible university expenses.
Awards are administered through the recipient’s university rather than paid directly to the student. Funding supports stipend, tuition and mandatory fees, and the award cannot exceed the student’s actual eligible costs.
Successful applicants must complete an in-person summer internship at an eligible NVIDIA research office before the fellowship award year begins. Fellows also have the opportunity to present their research to the GTC San Jose community.
Eligibility Requirements
Applicants should carefully review the following requirements before applying.
1. PhD Enrolment
Applicants should have completed their first year of PhD-level studies before applying. Exceptional cases may be considered where candidates have sufficient prior research experience to make a compelling application.
Recipients must remain full-time, active PhD students throughout the nine-month award year and must not plan to graduate before the end of that academic year.
2. Eligible Fields of Study
Applicants should be pursuing doctoral research in computer science, computer engineering, system architecture, electrical engineering or a related discipline.
Research should demonstrate a meaningful connection to NVIDIA’s research interests, particularly accelerated computing and technologies that may influence future GPU design, performance or applications.
3. Active Research
Candidates must be actively conducting research as part of their PhD thesis. The application should demonstrate research progress, academic achievements and the potential contribution of the proposed work.
The programme indicates that a strong publication record can improve competitiveness, with at least one strong publication recommended in its published guidance.
4. Required Internship
Applicants must be available for a required in-person summer internship at an eligible NVIDIA research office before the fellowship year begins.
Eligible internship locations include the United States, Canada, Germany, Sweden, Finland, Switzerland, Israel, Taiwan and Singapore.
International PhD students may apply, but they must be able to meet the programme’s internship requirements.
5. Participation Restrictions
Full-time NVIDIA employees and immediate family members of NVIDIA employees are not eligible to participate.
The university must administer the award, and the funding must be used for eligible research-related educational costs.
Research Areas
The programme welcomes applications across a range of NVIDIA research domains, including:
- Generative artificial intelligence.
- Language models and speech.
- Neural architectures, theory and algorithms.
- AI software platforms.
- Autonomous vehicles.
- Computational imaging and computer vision.
- Computer architecture, circuits and VLSI.
- Computer graphics.
- Healthcare, medical and life sciences.
- Networking and interconnects.
- Parallel programming systems and algorithms.
- Robotics.
- Security and privacy.
- Quantum computing.
Applicants should explain how their research relates to NVIDIA’s research priorities and could contribute to future computing technologies.
What Does NVIDIA Evaluate?
Applications are assessed across three main areas.
Student quality: Recommendation letters, academic performance, GPA and achievements.
Research quality: Research results to date, the proposed fellowship research and publication record.
Relevance to NVIDIA: Alignment with NVIDIA’s research domains and the potential influence of the research on future GPU design, performance or use.
A focused research proposal is particularly important. Applicants should explain their research vision, demonstrate progress and identify how NVIDIA technologies or accelerated computing relate to their work.
Required Application Documents
Applicants must prepare four key components:
- Research proposal: A maximum of two pages, plus a bibliography that does not count towards the limit. Include your name and ensure all text and images fit within the two-page limit.
- Resume or CV: Include accurate contact information, academic achievements and relevant research experience.
- Recommendation letters: At least two and no more than three letters are required. One must come from the thesis advisor or professor.
- Internship availability: Confirm that you can complete the required in-person summer internship.
Applicants should invite recommenders early and monitor the portal to ensure all letters are received before the deadline.
How to Apply for the NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship
Follow these steps to submit your application:
- Apply on the official website
- Open the application portal and create your profile.
- Complete the application fields and upload your research proposal and CV.
- Invite your recommenders through the portal and monitor the status of their letters.
- Confirm that all required materials and recommendation letters have been received.
- Submit your completed application before the closing deadline.
Application deadline: 30 October 2026. Recommendation letters must also be received by this date.
NVIDIA plans to notify successful applicants on 15 January 2027.
Final Thoughts
The NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship offers doctoral researchers an opportunity to obtain substantial research funding, collaborate with NVIDIA researchers and develop work with potential impact on accelerated computing.
Students with strong academic records, promising research proposals and a clear connection to NVIDIA’s research priorities should review the eligibility criteria and begin preparing their applications early.
Disclaimer: Award decisions, eligibility and funding are determined by NVIDIA. Applicants should consult the official programme terms for the latest requirements.
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