Fellowships & Grants

The Sanford School has a multitude of fellowship opportunities to help you earn your Master of Public Policy degree. All students are automatically considered for these awards upon application to Sanford, except for the Ladd Fellowship and the Magdelena Yesil Fellowship which require a separate application. There are also many third-party fellowships available from our partners.

Fellowships

THE TERRY AND LAURIE SANFORD FAMILY FELLOWSHIP

The Sanford Family Fellowship honors student leaders with outstanding commitments to addressing public policy disparities affecting predominantly underserved communities. This prestigious fellowship covers full tuition and fees, and includes a living stipend for both years. Domestic students from underrepresented groups are encouraged to apply to our program. Students will be considered based on their academic credentials and demonstrated interest in focusing on challenges that underserved communities face in contemporary society.

THE CARLUCCI FELLOWSHIP

The Carlucci Fellowship awards a $5,000 stipend to up to 5 students to be used in support of a summer internship in the area of security studies, defined to include traditional defense and intelligence analysis, international security problems in general, and emerging issues such as the risks of peacekeeping, transnational crime, energy security, and cybersecurity. Carlucci Fellows interning in the D.C. metro area will attend a summer networking event hosted by the Carlucci family. As part of the internship experience, the Carlucci Fellow will write one blog post for the website and a two-page final report/letter that will be sent to the Carlucci family, documenting the internship experience, lessons learned, and reflections on how the internship complements the student’s long-term career goals. The Carlucci Fellowship in Security Studies was established by the Honorable Frank C. Carlucci III, an America politician and diplomat who served as the United States Secretary of Defense in the administration of President Ronald Reagan. Carlucci Fellows are selected during the admissions process. For more information, contact Professor David Schanzer or visit the Carlucci Fellowship website.

THE MAGDALENA YESIL FELLOWSHIP

Incoming or current MPP students interested in sustainable development, nation building, or conflict resolution in Armenia and/or the surrounding region may receive whole or partial fellowships. To apply for this fellowship, applicants must upload a separate statement describing their interest in Armenia or the surrounding region and their professional goals. Availability of funds under this fellowship varies from year to year.

Additional Fellowships

Thanks to the generosity of generations of Sanford supporters, the following funds provide whole or partial fellowships to students enrolled in the M.P.P. program. The fellowships listed below are unrestricted, unless a preference is noted.

Morris B. and Jane M. Abram Fellowship Fund

Preference given to students with superior academic records who have demonstrated an interest in civil liberties or human rights. Meet a past winner >>

Ajmera-Hollander Family Fellowship Fund

Preference given to students who wish to pursue lives of public service. 

The Timothy M. J. Cullinan Fellowship Fund

Preference given to students who have demonstrated a commitment to public service, including, but not limited to, students pursuing careers in the public sector at the local, state and federal level. Meet a past winner >>

Richard B. and Kathryn C. Lieb Dean's Fellowship Fund

Preference given to students who are in active U.S. military service or who have been honorably discharged from such service. More about past winners >>

The Kevin P. Reilly Fellowship Fund

Preference given to students who have demonstrated a commitment to public service, including, but not limited to, students pursuing careers in the public sector at the local, state and federal level

The David M. Rubenstein Public Service Fellowship Fund

Preference given to students who have demonstrated a commitment to public service, including, but not limited to, students who are pursuing dual degrees in law, business, engineering or environment. More about past winners >>

Eva Staton Scholarship

Preference given to students from Latin America and the Caribbean

The Richard A. Stubbing Memorial Fellowship Fund

Preference given to students working in the field of U.S. public policy. More about past winners >>

Eric Dinallo and Priscilla Almodovar Fellowship Fund

The Duke Endowment Fellowship

Miguel Angel Fava Fellowship Fund

Meet a past winner >>

Joel L. Fleishman Endowment Fund

Meet past winners >>

Susan B. King Fellowship Fund

Inez and Francis MacKinnon Fellowship Endowment

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Additional Support Opportunities

Under agreements with AmeriCorps, City Year, Peace Corps, Teach for America, and Yellow Ribbon programs, students who are accepted into the Duke MPP Program are guaranteed a tuition fellowship:

• For two-year MPP students, the fellowship is a minimum of $14,000 per year, through a combination of a tuition fellowship and payment for community service, teaching, research, or graduate assistantship.
• For dual-degree programs, students receive a $12,000 tuition fellowship during their first year of study. They must spend year one in the MPP program before starting the dual-degree curriculum in the law (JD), environment (MEM), or business (MBA) program.

These fellowships are the minimum students will receive. All applicants from partner programs will also receive full consideration for additional, merit-based tuition assistance based on the strength of their application.