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Google PhD Fellowship

The limited competition (up to four nominees from UIC) closed May 1st

March 20, 2025 Update:

The competition will open on April 10th. The campus deadline is May 1st. Should there be more than four applications for the Limited Competition, the Dean of the Graduate College or his designate will determine the university's final slate of nominees.

Nurturing and maintaining strong relations with the academic community is a top priority at Google. The Google PhD Fellowship Program was created to recognize outstanding graduate students doing exceptional and innovative research in areas relevant to computer science and related fields. Fellowships support promising PhD candidates of all backgrounds who seek to influence the future of technology. Google’s mission is to foster inclusive research communities and encourages people of diverse backgrounds to apply. We currently offer Fellowships in Africa, Australia and New Zealand, East Asia, Europe, India, the United States and Canada.

The information below pertains to applications from US institutions. There does not seem to be a citizenship requirement.

Students receive named Fellowships which include a monetary award. The funds are given directly to the university to be distributed to cover the student’s expenses and stipend as appropriate. The funds are given as an unrestricted gift, and it is Google’s policy not to pay for overhead [F&A]. In addition, the student will be matched with a Google Research Mentor who we hope will become a valuable resource to the student. There is no employee relationship between the student and Google as a result of receiving the fellowship. Fellowship recipients are not subject to intellectual property restrictions unless they complete an internship at Google. Fellowship recipients serving an internship are subject to the same intellectual property and other contractual obligations as any other Google intern. If a Fellowship student is interested, an internship at Google is encouraged, but not guaranteed or required. Awardees will be notified in August.

Benefits include:

  • Up to 3 years of Fellowship
  • Full tuition and fees (enrollment fees, health insurance, books) plus a stipend to be used for living expenses, travel and personal equipment [amount not specified]
  • Google Research Mentor

Since UIC can nominate only a finite number of students, the Graduate College is running a limited competition. If UIC nominates more than two individuals, Google encourages the nomination of students with diverse backgrounds especially those from historically marginalized groups in the field of computing. If more than two students are nominated then we strongly encourage additional nominees who self-identify as a woman, Black / African descent, Hispanic / Latino / Latinx, Indigenous, and/or a person with a disability

Students must:

  • Be enrolled full-time and pursuing a PhD in computer science or related program*;
  • have completed graduate coursework by the Fall of the award year, when the Fellowship begins. This is usually the 3rd year for US and Canadian students;
  • remain enrolled full-time in the PhD program for the duration of the Fellowship or forfeit the award;
  • Not be Google employees, and their spouses, children, and or members of a Google employee household;
  • Not be already supported by a comparable industry award.
  • Conduct research that aligns with Google AI Principles.

* Fields include:

  • Computer Architecture
  • Algorithms, Optimizations
  • Health Research
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Machine Learning and ML Foundations
  • Machine Perception
  • Natural Language Processing
  • Privacy, Safety, and Security
  • Quantum Computing
  • Software Engineering and Programming Languages
  • Software Engineering and Programming Languages
  • System, Networking, and Cloud Computing

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.

In Canada and the United States, East Asia and Latin America, essay responses are evaluated in addition to application materials to determine an overall recommendation.

Applications [for the 2024 competition]

For each student nomination, the university will be asked to submit the following material in a single PDF file. Thus, it is the student’s and their program’s responsibility to furnish the following as a single PDF:

  1. Cover sheet signed by the Department Chair/Head confirming the student passes eligibility requirements. This paragraph should include the student’s UIN, semester of PhD matriculation, anticipated graduation term, when coursework was completed, current funding, and Google employment.  (See FAQ “What are the eligibility requirements for students?”); [no form is provided]
  2. Student CV with links to website and publications (if available)
  3. Short (1-page) CV of the student’s primary advisor
  4. Two to three (2-3) letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee’s work (at least one from the thesis advisor) [addressed to the Google PhD Fellowship]
  5. Research / dissertation proposal including references (maximum 3 pages, excluding references)
  6. Student essay response (350-word limit) to: 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.
  7. Student essay response (350-word limit) to: 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?)
  8. Transcripts of current and previous academic records

 

Given that the application includes confidential letters of recommendation, the head/chair, DGS, mentor, or a grad staff member is expected to submit the nomination file. Nominations must be sent as an email attachment (with all the materials in a single file) to the Graduate College’s Limited Competition folder in Box (a FERPA-compliant cloud storage service): Google_.zhfor4o63qdyszg3@u.box.com 

File naming convention: 

The PDF files should be saved using the following naming convention: Google2025_ DepartmentName_NomineeLastNameFirstInitial.pdf

Example of Chuck Baudelaire’s application from Computer Science without using spaces in the file name: Google2024_CS_BaudelaireC.pdf

Deadline: 4 p.m. (CT), May 1, 2025.

Why is there a limited competition? The university is permitted only four nominations and tasked with submitting the nominations. Since students could be based in a number of different programs/departments, it falls to the Graduate College to coordinate.

Who is the Graduate College contact? Benn Williams, Fellowships and Awards Coordinator (bwilli7@uic.edu)

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DEADLINE: May 1, 2025.