Established in 1938 in honour of aviator Amelia Earhart, this fellowship gives up to 30 women each year US$12,000 to support doctoral research applied to aerospace engineering or space sciences. It is usable at any accredited university or college worldwide offering postgraduate degrees in these fields, and Fellows may combine it with other grants and scholarships.
Why it is notable: One of the longest-running STEM fellowships in the world (since 1938; 1,824 fellowships totalling more than US$12.5 million to 1,395 women from 81 countries); alumnae include astronauts, aerospace engineers, astronomers, and professors. The award is genuinely global — any nationality, any accredited university.
Funding at a glance
What it covers
One-time US$12,000 fellowship award paid to the Fellow (the monetary award is sent directly to the Fellow after return of enrollment-verification and tax-information forms)
Usable for: tuition, books, fees, equipment, living expenses including room and board, and travel (aggregator summaries of the official application; exact allowed categories are itemised inside the official AwardSpring application — reconfirm there before publishing)
Fellows also receive a certificate and a wings pin, presented via the Zonta district/region where the Fellow studies
Fellows may accept additional grants and scholarships from other sources (no stacking restriction)
Eligibility criteria
Qualification Required
Masters/MPhilfor PhD
This fellowship is offered for full-time Ph.D./doctoral programmes only.
Who can apply
Women of any nationality. Club members and individuals with direct membership in Zonta International, employees of Zonta International and the Zonta Foundation for Women are not eligible. Previous Amelia Earhart Fellows cannot renew for a second year.
Experience
Doctoral research record expected (superior academic record in aerospace-applied research); no separate work-experience requirement published.
Language Certificate
Not specified on the official page — the Fellowship supports study at the applicant's own university; application materials are submitted in English via the AwardSpring portal.
Other Certificates
Academic transcripts of courses and grades from all universities/colleges attended (per the official Zonta district programme overview PDF); current-enrollment verification (see Requirements detail). Degree documentation detail lives inside the login-gated AwardSpring application.
Age Limit
No Age Limit
Check your eligibility
Run all three quick checks before reviewing your chosen course's full entry requirements.
1
Country checker
All nationalities eligible. No country is excluded; the Fellowship is explicitly open to women of any nationality (81 countries represented among Fellows to…
2
Last degree checker
Choose your highest completed qualification to see which degree level may fit.
3
Course checker
Pick a course to see whether it falls inside this scholarship's scope.
Complete all three checks
Your combined result will appear here.
Based on published eligibility — always confirm on the official page before applying.
Application essentials
Requirements
Review each requirement before you begin the application.
01
Qualification
enrolled full-time in a Ph.D./doctoral programme; completed at least one year of that programme OR hold a master's degree in an aerospace-applied field at the time of application.
02
Research focus
conducting research applied to aerospace engineering or space sciences; demonstrate a superior academic record.
03
Graduation rule
must not graduate from the Ph.D./doctoral programme before April 2028. Post-doctoral programmes are not eligible.
04
Essays/answers
application includes academic background, professional goals and research-programme sections (detailed prompts inside the AwardSpring application).
05
References
three recommendation letters from professors or supervisors; ≤500 words / one page; on letterhead with signature or electronically signed; PDF.
06
Documents
transcripts of all previous degrees (English translations for non-English documents), enrollment-verification form or registrar's statement, publication lists, employment history, biographical information. Exact format rules are stated inside the official application.
Document checklist
01Study plan / research programme description
02Biographical information
03Transcripts of all previous degrees, with English translation for non-English documents
04List of prior fellowships, scholarships or awards (if any)
05Publication lists
06Employment history (if any)
07Essay on professional goals and academic programme
08Three recommendation letters from professors/supervisors (≤500 words, one page, on letterhead with signature or signed electronically, PDF)
09Zonta International Verification of Current Enrollment form OR an official statement from the university/college registrar NOTE: this checklist is corroborated by third-party summaries of the official
Application fee
No fee — completely free
No separate scholarship application fee is published; confirm on the official page.
Visa, kept concise: Study visa type for this destination: Not applicable — the Fellowship follows the Fellow's existing Ph.D. enrolment; it is usable at any accredited university worldwide and does not itself require relocation or a new visa.
Application Procedure
10 steps — follow in order. Each stage prepares the next.
01
Read the official eligibility rules on zonta.org
(full-time PhD enrolment, ≥1 year completed or aerospace-applied master's, no graduation before April 2028).
→
02
Create an account on the official Zonta
International AwardSpring portal (zontainternational.awardspring.com) and open the "Amelia Earhart Fellowship" application.
→
03
Complete the application form (academic background
professional goals, research programme) in full.
↓
06
The Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship Committee
reviews applications and recommends recipients to the Board; all applicants are notified by the end of April 2027.
←
05
Submit the FULL application by 15 November
2026. Incomplete applications are not considered.
←
04
Upload the required documents (see checklist below)
and add your referees so their recommendation letters reach Zonta before the deadline.
↓
07
Study plan / research programme description
→
08
Biographical information
→
09
Transcripts of all previous degrees
with English translation for non-English documents
↓
10
List of prior fellowships
scholarships or awards (if any)
Application milestones
15 Nov 2026
Application deadline
2027
Intake year
Ready to apply?
Continue on the official Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship 2027 platform.
Who can apply? / A: Women of any nationality pursuing a full-time Ph.D./doctoral degree, conducting research applied to aerospace engineering or space sciences, with a superior academic record.Can postdoctoral researchers apply? / A: No — post-doctoral research programmes are not eligible.What if I have only completed part of my first PhD year? / A: You must have completed at least one year of the Ph.D./doctoral programme OR have received a master's degree in an aerospace-applied fieldWhen will I hear the result? / A: All applicants will be notified of their status by the end of April 2027.Can I hold other scholarships at the same time? / A: Yes — Fellows may accept additional grants and scholarships from other sources.Can the fellowship be deferred? / A: No — recipients are not permitted to defer the Fellowship.Can I apply again if I won before? / A: Previous Amelia Earhart Fellows are not eligible to apply to renew the Fellowship for a second year.
Need document or attestation help?
Detailed attestation guidance stays in Opplore's standalone Guides section, not inside this scholarship page.
Multiple countries