What is the Google Ph.D. Fellowship?
The Google PhD Fellowship Program recognizes outstanding graduate students doing exceptional and innovative research in areas relevant to computer science and related fields.
The University of Minnesota may nominate up to four (4) eligible candidates to the Google PhD Fellowship.
How much is the award?
Information about what is included in the Google PhD Fellowship can be found on this Google website.
Who is Eligible?
Eligibility requirements for the Google PhD Fellowship can be found on this Google website. An applicant’s research should align with Google AI Principles and represent one or more of the fields listed below. See all research fields in drop-down below.
How Do I Apply?
Program Nomination required. Please reach out to your Director of Graduate Studies or Graduate Program Coordinator (link). Programs can nominate up to four (4) doctoral students.
For Program Nomination, log in to the electronic nomination form.
what is the deadline?
The submission deadline is March 1, 2024 by 5:00pm CST.
WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE APPLICATION FOR UMN INTERNAL REVIEW?
- Cover sheet signed by the Department Chair
- Student CV with links to website and publications (if available)
- Short (1-page) CV of the student's primary advisor
- Research/dissertation proposal excluding references (maximum 3 pages)
- Student essay response 1 (350-word limit), see prompt details below
- Student essay response 2 (350-word limit), see prompt details below
- Transcripts of current and previous academic records
If a nominee is selected for UMN Nomination to the Google PhD Fellowship, the nominee will also need to submit 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee’s work (at least one from the thesis advisor) ahead of the Google PhD Fellowship deadline.
Google Research Fields
The Fellowships are awarded to students who represent the future of research in the following fields:
- Algorithms, Optimizations and Markets
- Computational Neural and Cognitive Sciences
- Health Research
- Human-Computer Interaction
- Machine Learning
- Machine Perception, Speech Technology and Computer Vision
- Mobile Computing
- Natural Language Processing (including Information Retrieval and Extraction)
- Privacy and Security
- Programming Languages and Software Engineering
- Quantum Computing
- Recommender Systems
- Structured Data and Database Management
- Systems and Networking
STUDENT ESSAY #1 PROMPT
(350-word limit) Describe the desired impact your research will make on the field and society, and why this is important to you. Include any personal, educational and/or professional experiences that have motivated your research interests.
STUDENT ESSAY #2 PROMPT
(350-word limit) Describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes or contributed to group efforts over time. (A leadership role can mean more than just a title. It can mean being a mentor to others, acting as the person in charge of a specific task, or taking the lead role in organizing an event or project. Think about what you accomplished and what you learned from the experience. What were your responsibilities? Did you lead a team? How did your experience change your perspective on leading others? Did you help to resolve an important dispute at your school, church, in your community or an organization? And your leadership role doesn’t necessarily have to be limited to school activities. For example, do you help out or take care of your family?)
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
- What are the review and selection considerations?
- An interdepartmental faculty committee reviews nominations and selects up to four (4) nominees for the University to nominate to the Google PhD Fellowship.
- Per this Google FAQ, applications are evaluated on the strength of the research proposal, research impact, student academic achievements, and leadership potential. Research proposals are evaluated for innovative concepts that are relevant to Google’s research areas, as well as aspects of robustness and potential impact to the field. Proposals should include the direction and any plans of where your work is going in addition to a comprehensive description of the research you are pursuing.
- Will I need to submit additional materials if selected for University nomination to the Google PhD Fellowship?
- Yes, applicants who are selected to be nominated by the University to the Google PhD Fellowship will need to gather 2-3 letters of recommendation by the deadline provided by the Graduate School Fellowships Office.