Google PhD Fellowship Program
About the Google PhD Fellowship Program:
Google PhD Fellowships directly support graduate students as they pursue their PhD, as well as connect them to a Google Research Mentor.
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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 work in computer science and related research areas. We currently offer Fellowships in Australia, China and East Asia, Europe, Africa, India, the United States and Canada.
This highly competitive program will award up to four named fellowships. The fellowship recipient will be supported for a maximum period of four years with a monthly fellowship, a contingency grant for expenses like books, stationery etc and a travel grant for attending conferences.
Each fellowship recipient will be assigned a Google Sponsor who will mentor the PhD fellow over the research period. Engagement with the Google Sponsor will include discussions on research direction, research progress updates etc.
Internship opportunities are frequently available at Google. Based on mutual interest between the fellowship recipient and Google Sponsor, the fellowship recipient can do an internship
at Google after successfully clearing the internship interview process. Please note that awarding of the fellowship does not guarantee a Google internship.Eligibility Criteria:
For current PhD Students
- Applicants must have been enrolled at an Indian University, in a full-time PhD program, on or after 1-Jan-2019. For any questions about this criterion, please email research-[email protected].
- Students must remain enrolled in the PhD program for the duration of the Fellowship or forfeit the award.
- Applicants must be pursuing a PhD in Computer Science or related areas.
- Google employees and family members of Google employees are not eligible
- Students who are already receiving another corporate fellowship are not eligible.
For current Undergraduate/Masters students and Professionals
- Student applicants must be full-time Undergraduate or Masters students enrolled at an Indian university. Professionals must be employed/affiliated with an organization registered in India.
- The Google Fellowship award shall be contingent on the awardee registering for the full-time PhD program at an Indian university, in Computer Science or related areas, within the calendar year 2020, or the award shall be forfeited.
- Grant of the Google Fellowship does not mean admission to the PhD program of a university. The awardee must also complete the PhD admission process of the respective institute/university where he/she wishes to register for PhD.
- Grant of the Google Fellowship will be subject to the rules and guidelines applicable in the institute/university where the awardee registers for the PhD program.
- Google employees and family members of Google employees are not eligible.
- Students who are already receiving another corporate fellowship are not eligible.
The best and the brightest
Google PhD Fellowship students are a select group recognized by Google researchers and their institutions as some of the most promising young academics in the world. The Fellowships are awarded to students who represent the future of research in the following fields:
- Algorithms, Optimizations and Markets
- Computational Neuroscience
- 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
- Structured Data and Database Management
- Systems and Networking
What does the Google PhD Fellowship include?
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 on unrestricted gifts. 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.
India
- Up to 4-year Fellowship
- US $50K to cover stipend and other research-related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel
- Google Research Mentor
Is my university eligible for the PhD Fellowship Program?
In India and Africa, applications are open to students in Computer Science and related fields from any Indian or African university, respectively.
Restrictions: All award payments and recipients will be reviewed for compliance with relevant US and international laws, regulations and policies. Google reserves the right to withhold funding that may violate laws, regulations or our policies.
What are the eligibility requirements for students?
Table of Contents
Direct applicant students in Africa and India
- Full-time graduate students pursuing a PhD and enrolled in an African or Indian institution.
- Early-stage PhD students enrolled one year or less.
- Applicants who are currently in their first year of a part-time PhD program and transferring to full-time positions.
- Current undergraduate or masters students and professionals may apply. The Google Fellowship award shall be contingent on the awardee registering for a full-time PhD program of an African or Indian university in Computer Science or related fields within the calendar year of the fellowship, or the award shall be forfeited.
- Applicants enrolled in an undergraduate or masters program must be current, full-time students at an African or Indian university.
- Professionals must be employed/affiliated with an organization registered in Africa or India, and receipt of the award is contingent on them joining a full-time PhD program at an African or Indian university within the calendar year of the award.
- Grant of the Google Fellowship does not mean admission to the PhD program of a university. The awardee must also complete the PhD admission process of the respective institute/university where he/she wishes to register for a PhD.
- Grant of the Google Fellowship will be subject to the rules and guidelines applicable in the institute/university where the awardee registers for the PhD program.
- Students must remain enrolled full-time in the PhD program for the duration of the Fellowship or forfeit the award.
- Google employees, and their spouses, children, and members of their household are not eligible.
- Students that are already supported by a comparable industry award are not eligible.
What should be included in an application?
India
You’ll need the following documents in order to complete an application (in English only):
- Student applicant’s resume with links to website and publications (if available)
- Short (1-page) resume of the student’s PhD program advisor (Africa only)
- Available transcripts (mark sheets) starting from first year/semester of Bachelor’s degree to date
- Research proposal (maximum 8 pages)
- 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the applicant’s work (at least one from the thesis advisor for current PhD students)
- Applicant’s 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
How do I apply for the PhD Fellowship Program?
Check the eligibility for your university and eligibility for student nominations in your region before applying. The submission forms will become available on the main Google PhD Fellowship Program page when the application period begins. See application details for what to include in our FAQ above.
In India and Africa, students may apply directly during the application period, which opens each February in India and November in Africa.
How many students may each university nominate?
In India and Africa, applications are open and we do not have a limit to the number of students that can apply from a university.
Who should submit the applications?
In India and Africa, students may apply directly during the application window.
How are applications evaluated?
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 the United States, Canada, and Europe, essay responses are evaluated in addition to application materials to determine an overall recommendation.
Research should align with Google AI Principles.
Incomplete proposals will not be considered.
What language should the application be in?
All documents should be submitted in English.
Can students apply directly for a Fellowship?
Students must be nominated by an eligible university in order to be considered, except in India and Africa where students may apply directly.
How are Google PhD Fellowships given?
Any monetary awards will be paid directly to the Fellow’s university for distribution. No overhead should be assessed against them.
What are the intellectual property implications of a Google PhD Fellowship?
The funds are given as an unrestricted gift. Fellowship recipients are not subject to intellectual property restrictions unless they complete an internship at Google. If that is the case, they are subject to the same intellectual property restrictions as any other Google intern.
Will the Fellowship recipients become employees of Google?
No, there will not be any employee relationship (except as an intern) between Fellowship recipients and Google.
Can Fellowship recipients also be considered for the Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship or the Google Scholarship for Students with Disabilities?
After award notification, when do the Google PhD Fellowships begin?
After Google PhD Fellowship recipients are notified, the Fellowship is effective starting the following school year.
What are the application time periods in each region?
India
Fellowship applications are received February-April each year. Awardees are notified by July.
How can I ask additional questions?
If your question has not been answered by a FAQ, email: [email protected] for India.
How to Apply:
Africa and India
In India and Africa, students may apply directly during the application period, which opens each February in India and Africa. Applications are open to students in Computer Science and related areas from any Indian or African university. Please see our FAQ for more information.
The Google India PhD Fellowship program application window is now open. Application submissions must be submitted by Monday, April 27, 2020 at 11:59 PM IST. Submit your applications by clicking on this link.
The Google India PhD Fellowship program application window is now open.
Applications must be submitted by Thursday, May 14, 2020 at 11:59:59pm IST.
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