25-26 Google US/Canada PhD Fellowship Program (Spring 25)

The Google Fellowship Program recognizes outstanding graduate students doing exceptional work in computer science and related disciplines at universities in the United States and Canada. Students do not apply directly to Google but must instead be nominated by their university. Students of any nationality/citizenship are eligible, and each university may nominate up to four students. The fellowship provides up to two years of support, and it includes access to a Google research mentor. 

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.

Google will award approximately 15 fellowships from among 13+ areas. For more information, including a list of these areas, see here: https://apps.grad.illinois.edu/fellowship-finder/SearchResult/Fellowship/3163 and here: https://research.google/programs-and-events/phd-fellowship/

AWARD AMOUNT:

• $15,000 annual stipend (paid over 9 months of the academic year).

• $70,000 to the university for coverage of tuition and fees.

• Opportunity to work with a Google Research Mentor.

ELIGIBILITY:

• Applicants must:

  • Be a full-time doctoral student pursuing research in one of the topical areas listed at the links above.

  • Be on track to have completed all required graduate coursework by the beginning of the fellowship term (Fall 2025). 

    • All coursework should be completed by August 15, 2025.

  • Remain an active, full-time student in a PhD program during the fellowship period.

  • Students that are already supported by a comparable industry award are not eligible.

    • Government or non-profit organization funding is exempt.

  • Students of any citizenship/nationality are eligible.

  • Student must not be a Google employee and/or have any members of their household that are Google employees (ex., spouse, parent, children).

APPLICATION PROCEDURE:

• Students may not submit applications directly to the Graduate College or Google. All applications must be submitted to the Siebel School Awards Team. Students must be nominated by their department/school, and each department/school may submit up to three nominations to the Graduate College.

  • A campus review panel will select up to four finalists from the university for consideration in the national competition. Those applications will be sent to Google, and Google will determine awardees. 

• Applications should be submitted as ONE PDF package with all required documents in the order outlined below using this naming structure: "LastName, FirstName - SSCDS - Google2025." Email your completed application to awardsinfo@cs.illinois.edu.

• Advisors and other letter writers should provide their Letter of Support as a PDF named as follows: "LastName, FirstName - CS - Google2025 - LoR" and email it directly to: awardsinfo@cs.illinois.edu.

APPLICATION MATERIALS

Note that there are rigid formatting guidelines for each of the required items indicated below.  Nomination packages that are incomplete or that do not follow the formatting guidelines will be disqualified without review by the Graduate College.

The nomination package must contain all of these documents, arranged in the following order:

1. Nomination Form. All sections must be filled out, including estimated tuition and fees.

   1. You can estimate your cost of attendance using the following website: https://cost.illinois.edu/.

2. Student's CV with links to website and publications (if available).

3. Short CV of advisor (1 page max).

4. Two or three letters of recommendation, one of which must be from the advisor. Letters should be emailed directly to awardsinfo@cs.illinois.edu.

5. Dissertation Abstract - maximum 1000 characters, including spaces (must be single-spaced, in Times New Roman, with 12-point font and 1-inch margins).

6. Dissertation Research Proposal. The proposal must be a maximum of 3 pages, excluding references. It must be single-spaced, in Times New Roman, 12-point font, and have 1-inch margins.

7. Essay #1: In an essay of 350 words max (single-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins), 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.

8. Essay #2: In an essay of 350 words max (single-spaced, 12-point font, Times New Roman, 1-inch margins), describe an example of your leadership experience in which you have positively influenced others, helped resolve disputes, or contributed to group efforts over time.

   1. Tips for this essay: 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?

9. Current and past transcripts - unofficial transcripts are acceptable, but official ones are preferred.

   1. Unofficial transcripts for U of I can be obtained for free at: https://apps.uillinois.edu/selfservice/. Please double check that your transcripts are not password protected before submitting.

All students nominated to the Graduate College must also have a signed memorandum from the school's Director or DGS that confirms that the student meets all of Google's eligibility requirements. If you are chosen as a nominee for the Siebel School, this will be requested on your behalf. Please do not write the Director’s Office, Graduate Office, or the Awards Team with a request for this document.

All materials should be sent to awardsinfo@cs.illinois.edu by the deadline of Friday, April 18th at 9:00AM Central Time.