The Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowships support eligible women pursuing STEM PhDs or postdoctoral research abroad. For the 2027–2028 cycle, new applications close on 7 November 2026 at 12:00 noon Central Standard Time (UTC−6), according to the official application portal.
Applicants must come from eligible low- or middle-income countries and meet the programme’s citizenship rules. They must already have applied to, been admitted to, or enrolled at an overseas host institution. Master’s degrees are excluded. Academic strength, teaching experience, outreach and plans to contribute to the home country or region are important requirements.
Faculty for the Future Fellowships funding and timing
The Foundation’s FAQ states ceilings of US$50,000 annually for PhD study and US$40,000 for postdoctoral research, based on actual eligible costs. Initial awards cover one academic year; renewal is conditional. The application portal gives 14 November 2026 as the reference-letter deadline. Submit new applications through the official online system.
How to prepare a focused fellowship application
Independent Opportunities Feed guidance: These practical checks can help you organise a coherent application. They do not replace the Foundation’s criteria or imply a selection guarantee.
Begin by checking that your university application and fellowship application describe the same project. Compare the research question, host name, supervisor and expected start. If these details are still changing, seek clarification before submitting rather than assuming the award can simply follow you to another institution.
Prepare a realistic expense plan using information from the host. Separate university charges from living expenses and one-off relocation costs. Record which amounts are estimates and which are confirmed. Include other funding honestly, and avoid building a plan that depends on receiving the maximum award automatically.
Your return contribution should be concrete enough to discuss with someone in your home region. Consider the research collaboration, teaching activity, scientific enterprise or policy problem you would be equipped to advance. Identify existing relationships and steps you could realistically take, while avoiding promises of employment or institutional support that nobody has made.
For outreach, describe activities you have actually undertaken and what you learned from them. The number of participants can provide context, but the explanation should also show your responsibility and the purpose of the work. Do not inflate a brief event into a sustained mentoring programme.
Contact referees promptly with your current CV, research outline and the correct submission instructions. Ask them to confirm that they can meet the separate reference deadline. A submitted main form does not necessarily mean the supporting material has arrived.
Before completing the application, check the live country guidance and raise any uncertainty about dual nationality or the proposed study arrangement with the Foundation. Keep the funding request proportionate to the project and retain a copy of every document. With little time remaining, the priority is a complete, internally consistent application rather than adding unsupported achievements at the last minute.
Check the budget against evidence
Create a working sheet with a line for each cost, its currency, the period covered and the source of the estimate. A university fee quotation and a rental estimate may cover different lengths of time. Converting both into an annual total without checking those periods can leave a significant gap in the plan.
Keep the award ceiling separate from the amount you actually need. Record other confirmed support alongside your expenses, and clearly mark pending funding decisions. This makes it easier to explain what the fellowship would cover without counting the same bill twice. Do not treat a conditional renewal as confirmed support for every year of a doctorate.
Before submitting, compare the budget with the dates and location in your research plan. Check that tuition, living arrangements and travel assumptions all refer to the same host and study period. Ask the host institution about uncertain charges rather than borrowing figures from an unrelated university or an older student’s budget.
Read the official programme details and application instructions. Check the current instructions before submitting, including any conditions specific to your circumstances.
