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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.

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 encourage people of diverse backgrounds to apply.

How to apply

PhD students in Japan, Korea and Taiwan must be nominated by their university. After the university's nomination is completed, either an official representative of the university or the nominated students can submit applications during the application window. Please see the FAQ for more information.

Applications are currently closed. Decisions for the 2024 application cycle will be announced via email in July 2024. Please check back in 2025 for details on future application cycles.

Research areas

• Health & Bioscience
• Human-Computer Interaction and Visualization
• Machine Intelligence
• Machine Perception
• Natural Language Processing
• Quantum Computing
• Speech Processing
• Silicon Research (Algorithms, Architecture, Open Source Tooling)

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. In addition, the student will be matched with a Google Research Mentor. There is no employee relationship between the student and Google as a result of receiving the fellowship. The award does not preclude future eligibility for internships or employment opportunities at Google, nor does it increase the chances of obtaining them. If students wish to apply for a job at Google, they are welcome to apply for jobs and go through the same hiring process as any other person.

• 1 year Fellowship
• 10,000 USD 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?

Universities must be an accredited research institution that awards research degrees to PhD students in computer science (or an adjacent field).

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?

• 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. Government or non-profit organization funding is exempt.
• Past awardees from the PhD Fellowship program are not eligible to apply again
• Students who have completed most of graduate coursework in their PhD by the academic award year when the Fellowship begins. Students should have sufficient time for research projects after receiving a fellowship.

What should be included in an application? What language should the application be in?

All application materials should be submitted in English.

For each student nomination, the university will be asked to submit the following material in a single, flat (not portfolio) PDF file:

• Student CV with links to website and publications (if available)
• Short (1-page) CV of the student's primary advisor
• 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee's work (at least one from the thesis advisor)
• Research / dissertation proposal (maximum 3 pages, excluding references)
• 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.
• 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?)
• Transcripts of current and previous academic records

How do I apply for the PhD Fellowship Program? Can students apply directly for a Fellowship?

In Japan, Korea and Taiwan, students cannot apply directly to the program; they must be nominated by an eligible university during the application period. Note to students: If there's no information about the nomination process from your university, students can submit applications via the online form. But we may ask your university to make a selection from all submitted applications from your university and then nominate up to 3 students within 2 weeks after the application window is closed.

How many students may each university nominate?

Universities in Japan, Korea and Taiwan may nominate up to three eligible students. We encourage nominating 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 the additional nominee who self-identifies as a woman.

*Applications are evaluated on merit. Please see FAQ for details on how applications are evaluated.

Who should submit the applications?

PhD students in Japan, Korea and Taiwan must be nominated by their university. After the university's nomination is completed, either an official representative of the university or the nominated students can submit applications 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.

Essay responses are evaluated in addition to application materials to determine an overall recommendation.

A nominee's status as a member of a historically marginalized group is not considered in the selection of award recipients.

Research should align with Google AI Principles.

Incomplete proposals will not be considered.

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?

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, Fellowship recipients do not become employees of Google due to receiving the award. The award does not preclude future eligibility for internships or employment opportunities at Google, nor does it increase the chances of obtaining them. If they are interested in working at Google, they are welcome to apply for jobs and go through the same hiring process as any other person.

Can Fellowship recipients also be considered for other Google scholarships?

Yes, Fellowship recipients are eligible for these Scholarship .

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 is the application time period?

Applications for the 2024 program will open in March 2024 and close in May 2024 for all regions. Refer to the main Google PhD Fellowship Program page for each region’s application details

A global awards announcement will be made in September on the Google Research Blog

I have received a fellowship from the local government, can I apply for Google's PhD Fellowship program?

Yes, you can apply for the program.

How can I ask additional questions?

If your question has not been answered by a FAQ, please email [email protected] .

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.

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 encourage people of diverse backgrounds to apply. We currently offer fellowships in Africa, Australia, Canada, East Asia, Europe, India, Latin America, New Zealand, Southeast Asia and the United States.

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Program details

Application status, how to apply, research areas of focus, review criteria, award recipients.

Applications are currently closed.

Update on 2024 Announcement : Decisions for the 2024 application cycle, originally planned for July 2024, will now be announced via email in August 2024. We apologize for the delay and appreciate your patience as we work to finalize decisions.

• Launch March 27, 2024
• Deadline May 8, 2024
• Awardees Notified By Aug. 31, 2024

The details of each Fellowship vary by region. Please see our FAQ for eligibility requirements and application instructions.

PhD students must be nominated by their university. Applications should be submitted by an official representative of the university during the application window. Please see the FAQ for more information.

Australia and New Zealand

Canada and the United States

PhD students in Japan, Korea and Taiwan must be nominated by their university. After the university's nomination is completed, either an official representative of the university or the nominated students can submit applications during the application window. Please see the FAQ for more information.

India and Southeast Asia

PhD students apply directly during the application window. Please see the FAQ for more information.

Latin America

The 2024 application cycle is postponed. Please check back in 2025 for details on future application cycles.

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 fields listed below. Note that region-specific research areas will be listed in application forms during the application window.

Algorithms and Theory

Distributed Systems and Parallel Computing

Health and Bioscience

Human-Computer Interaction and Visualization

Machine Intelligence

Machine Perception

Natural Language Processing

Quantum Computing

Security, Privacy and Abuse Prevention

Software Engineering

Software Systems

Speech Processing

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.

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. In addition, the student will be matched with a Google Research Mentor. There is no employee relationship between the student and Google as a result of receiving the fellowship. The award does not preclude future eligibility for internships or employment opportunities at Google, nor does it increase the chances of obtaining them. If students wish to apply for a job at Google, they are welcome to apply for jobs and go through the same hiring process as any other person.

• Up to 3 year Fellowship
• US $12K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel
• Google Research Mentor
• 1 year Fellowship
• AUD $15K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel
• Up to 2 year Fellowship (effective from 2024 for new recipients)
• Full tuition and fees (enrollment fees, health insurance, books) plus a stipend to be used for living expenses, travel and personal equipment
• US $10K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel
• Yearly bursary towards stipend / salary, health care, social benefits, tuition and fees, conference travel and personal computing equipment. The bursary varies by country.

Early-stage PhD students

• Up to 4 year Fellowship
• US $50K to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel

Late-stage PhD students

• US $10K to recognise research contributions, cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel
• US $15K per year to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel

Southeast Asia

• US $10K per year for up to 3 years (or up to graduation, whichever is earlier) to cover stipend and other research related activities, travel expenses including overseas travel

Is my university eligible for the PhD Fellowship Program?

Africa, Australia/New Zealand , Canada, East Asia, Europe and the United States : universities must be an accredited research institution that awards research degrees to PhD students in computer science (or an adjacent field).

India, Latin America and Southeast Asia : applications are open to universities/institutes in India, Latin America (excluding Cuba), and in eligible Southeast Asian countries/regions (Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam).

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?

All regions

• 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. Government or non-profit organization funding is exempt.
• Past awardees from the PhD Fellowship program are not eligible to apply again.
• Grant of the Fellowship does not mean admission to a PhD program. The awardee must separately apply and be accepted to a PhD program in computer science (or an adjacent field) at an eligible institution.
• Grant of the Fellowship will be subject to the rules and guidelines applicable in the institution where the awardee registers for the PhD program.

Nominated students in Africa, Australia and New Zealand, Canada and the United States, East Asia and Europe.

Universities should only nominate students that meet the following requirements:

• Africa: Incoming PhD students are eligible to apply, but the Fellowship award shall be contingent on the awardee registering for a full-time PhD program in computer science (or an adjacent field) within the academic award year of the Fellowship award, or the award shall be forfeited.
• Australia and New Zealand : early-stage students enrolled in the first or second year of their PhD (no requirement for completion of graduate coursework by the academic award year).
• Canada and the United States : students who have completed graduate coursework in their PhD by the academic award year when the Fellowship begins.
• East Asia: students who have completed most of graduate coursework in their PhD by the academic award year when the Fellowship begins. Students should have sufficient time for research projects after receiving a fellowship.
• Europe: Students enrolled at any stage of their PhD are eligible to apply.

Direct applicant students in India, Latin America and Southeast Asia

• Latin America : incoming or early stage-students enrolled in the first or second year of their PhD (no requirement for completion of graduate coursework by the academic award year).

What should be included in an application? What language should the application be in?

All application materials should be submitted in English.

For each student nomination, the university will be asked to submit the following material in a single, flat (not portfolio) PDF file:

• Student CV with links to website and publications (if available)
• Short (1-page) resume/CV of the student's primary PhD program advisor
• Available transcripts (mark sheets) starting from first year/semester of Bachelor's degree to date
• Research proposal (maximum 3 pages, excluding references)
• 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee''s work (at least one from the thesis advisor for current PhD students)
• Student essay response (350-word limit) to: What impact would receiving this Fellowship have on your education? Describe any circumstances affecting your need for a Fellowship and what educational goals this Fellowship will enable you to accomplish.
• Transcripts of current and previous academic records
• 1-2 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee's work (at least one from the thesis advisor)

Canada, East Asia, the United States

• Cover sheet signed by the Department Chair confirming the student passes eligibility requirements. (See FAQ "What are the eligibility requirements for students?")
• Short (1-page) CV of the student's primary advisor
• 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee's work (at least one from the thesis advisor)
• Research / dissertation proposal (maximum 3 pages, excluding references)
• 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.
• 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?)

Students will need the following documents in a single, flat (not portfolio) PDF file in order to complete an application (in English only):

• Student applicant’s resume with links to website and publications (if available)
• Short (one-page) resume/CV of the student applicant's primary PhD program advisor
• 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.
• Applicant's essay response (350-word limit) to: What are your long-term goals for your pathway in computing research, and how would receiving the Google PhD Fellowship help you progress toward those goals in the short-term?

How do I apply for the PhD Fellowship Program? Who should submit the applications? Can students apply directly for a Fellowship?

Check the eligibility and application requirements in your region before applying. Submission forms are available on this page when the application period begins.

India, Latin America and Southeast Asia: students may apply directly during the application period.

Africa, Australia, Canada, East Asia, Europe, New Zealand, and the United States : students cannot apply directly to the program; they must be nominated by an eligible university during the application period.

How many students may each university nominate?

India, Latin America and Southeast Asia : applications are open directly to students with no limit to the number of students that can apply from a university.

Australia and New Zealand : universities may nominate up to two eligible students.

Canada and the United States : Universities may nominate up to four eligible students. We encourage nominating 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.

Africa, East Asia and Europe : Universities may nominate up to three eligible students. We encourage nominating 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 the additional nominee who self-identifies as a woman.

*Applications are evaluated on merit. Please see FAQ for details on how applications are evaluated.

How are applications evaluated?

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

A nominee's status as a member of a historically marginalized group is not considered in the selection of award recipients.

Research should align with Google AI Principles .

Incomplete proposals will not be considered.

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?

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, Fellowship recipients do not become employees of Google due to receiving the award. The award does not preclude future eligibility for internships or employment opportunities at Google, nor does it increase the chances of obtaining them. If they are interested in working at Google, they are welcome to apply for jobs and go through the same hiring process as any other person.

Can Fellowship recipients also be considered for other Google scholarships?

Yes, Fellowship recipients are eligible for these scholarships .

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 is the program application time period?

Applications for the 2024 program will open in March 2024 and close in May 2024 for all regions. Refer to the main Google PhD Fellowship Program page for each region’s application details.

A global awards announcement will be made in September on the Google Research Blog publicly announcing all award recipients.

How can I ask additional questions?

Due to the volume of emails we receive, we may not be able to respond to questions where the answer is available on the website. If your question has not been answered by a FAQ, email:

Africa: [email protected]

Australia and New Zealand: [email protected]

Canada and the United States: [email protected]

East Asia: [email protected]

Europe: [email protected]

India: [email protected]

Latin America: [email protected]

Southeast Asia: [email protected]

See past PhD Fellowship recipients.

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Computer Science Students Garner 2023 Google PhD Fellowships

• Kimberley Clementi - [email protected]

Media contact:

• Katie E. Ismael - [email protected]

Published Date

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Two PhD students in the University of California San Diego’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering (CSE), Ke Sun and Jennifer Switzer, have been awarded 2023 Google PhD Fellowships . They join three recent CSE recipients: Yu-Ying Yeh, Tiancheng Sun, and Saining Xie.

The Google PhD Fellowship program recognizes a select group of exemplary PhD candidates worldwide who seek to influence the future of technology. CSE’s 2023 fellows are already garnering attention for the reach of their technology research – in healthcare for Sun and the environment for Switzer.

Harnessing IoT Technology to Enable Senior Healthcare

For Ke Sun, the future of technology lies in ambient intelligence (AmI). In contrast to Internet of Things (IoT) which relies on explicit devices, AmI embeds sensors and processors into everyday devices enabling adjustments within the environment to meet individual needs and preferences.

Imagine a home environment where facial recognition detects you at your doorstep and allows you access. Lighting adjusts to suit specific family members. Window treatments respond to heat and glare. Phone messages are played automatically. The system scans for your calendared events and favorite TV programming and delivers timely reminders.

Sun’s research focuses on delivering an accurate, robust, private, and affordable representation of AmI through the use of multi-modal sensors. This includes input from conventional human sensory data, such as audio and visual inputs, fused with unconventional non-human sensory data such as motion and wireless sensors, GPS, and biometric and ultrasound sensors, among others.

“The potential impact of my research could revolutionize independent living for the elderly, offering precise healthcare insights into behavior and cognition,” said Sun. “Additionally, the research could enable automated in-home monitoring of life-threatening conditions, detect chronic diseases, identify environmental hazards, and provide insights into human cognitive psychology.”

Sun’s research also addresses one of IoT’s most perplexing problems: privacy. Since voice assistants (VAs) were first introduced, consumers have been concerned that VAs record and send information to the cloud. Sun has designed MicShield, a companion device, which selectively jams unintended private speech while passing intended voice command.

“I am enthusiastic about collaborating with Google's exceptional talents to explore the seamless integration of my research into an expanded array of IoT and consumer electronic devices, effectively harnessing technology to enable human healthcare and enhance human experiences,” said Sun, who is advised by Associate Professor Xinyu Zhang in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Repurposing Phone Processors for a Smaller Carbon Footprint

Jennifer Switzer along with her coauthors, CSE professors Ryan Kastner and Pat Pannuto and PhD student Gabriel Marcano, is studying smartphone waste. The scale of the problem – an estimated 1.5 billion decommissioned smartphones annually – is nearly incomprehensible and demands a more nuanced solution than consumer recycling.

Smartphones begin life as copper, silver, gold, palladium and other raw materials. A carbon-devouring manufacturing process transforms these and other materials into components for assembly. After packaging and transportation, the devices begin their brief lifespan, an average of 2.5 years from purchase to deactivation.

Recycling these “junked” phones, so named because outdated models often languish in household junk drawers, dictates a second carbon intensive process to extract raw materials. It also ignores the reality that manufacturing smartphones leaves a larger carbon footprint than mining the materials. That’s precisely why Switzer’s novel strategy holds such promise.

Switzer’s proposal hinges on the impressive functional lifespan of smartphone processors. These processors are built to last, running faultlessly for 10 years or more, well beyond the truncated 2.5-year lifespan of most smartphones. Switzer and her coauthors hope to recover the unspent 75% of these processors’ usability, redeploying them for non-consumer applications.

“This award will make it easier for me to continue to pursue my interests in sustainable computing. I also think it's great that an industry leader like Google is interested in funding this sort of sustainability research,” said Switzer.

Earlier this year, Switzer and her coauthors earned a Distinguished Paper Award at the 2023 Architectural Support for Programming Languages and Operating Systems (ASPLOS) conference. Since then, their paper has had over 50,000 downloads.

Students interested in applying for the fellowship can visit here . 

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Berivan Isik (PhD candidate) awarded a Google Fellowship in Machine Learning

The Google PhD Fellowship Program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students pursuing exceptional research in computer science and related fields.

Congratulations to Berivan Isik (PhD candidate) on being awarded a 2023 Google Fellowship ! 

Google is pleased to confirm the recipients of the North American and European Google PhD Fellowships for 2023 . These awards have been presented to exemplary PhD students in computer science and related fields. We have given these students unique fellowships to acknowledge their contributions to their areas of specialty and provide funding for their education and research. We look forward to working closely with them as they continue to become leaders in their respective fields.

Please join us in recognizing Berivan for her outstanding work!

Google PhD Fellowship recipients

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• TUM Graduate School
• Technical University of Munich

Google PhD Fellowship 2023

Aktuelles | 30.08.2022

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. Fellows will receive a yearly bursary towards his*her stipend/salary, health care, social benefits, tuition and fees (if applicable), conference travel and personal computing equipment. The funds will be given directly to the university to be distributed to cover the fellow’s expenses and stipend as appropriate. The bursary varies by country and may be granted for up to 3 years. In addition, the fellow will be matched with a Google Research Mentor. There is no employee relationship between the fellow and Google as a result of receiving the fellowship. The award does not preclude future eligibility for internships or employment opportunities at Google, nor does it increase the chances of obtaining them. 

Further information on the Fellowship, as well as on the eligibility criteria, application FAQ etc. can be found at   https://research.google/outreach/phd-fellowship/

How to apply?

Nomination by TUM Graduate School only . 

In order to apply, please submit the complete application documents in a single PDF file to Mrs Zizheng Zhang, [email protected], until 18 September, 2022 .  Applications must be submitted by the primary thesis supervisor .

After the application deadline, the TUM Graduate School Prize Committee shall nominate the 3 most promising candidates for the Google PhD Fellowship 2023.  

Application documents

• Applicant CV with links to website and publications (if available)
• Short (1-page) CV of the candidate's primary thesis supervisor 
• 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee's work (at least one from the thesis supervisor)
• Research / dissertation proposal including references (maximum 8 pages)
• Applicant 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.
• Applicant 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?)
• Transcripts of current and previous academic records (Bachelor, Masters) 

Eligibility

Please note, in order to be eligible

• Applicant must be fully registered on the doctoral candidacy list of his*her department/school (in DocGS) and be a full member in the TUM Graduate School at the time of application.
• Applicant must remain registered on the doctoral candidacy list of his*her department/school (in DocGS) for the entire duration of the fellowship.
• Google employees, and their spouses, children, and members of their household are not eligible.
• Doctoral candidates who are already supported by a comparable industry award are not eligible. Government or non-profit organization funding is exempt.

Contact:  Mrs Zizheng Zhang | zhang(at)zv.tum.de | 089 289 10631, TUM Graduate School, Boltzmannstr. 17, 85748 Garching b. München

Announcing the 2022 PhD Fellows

Sep 01, 2022

[[read-time]] min read

In 2009, Google created the PhD Fellowship Program to recognize and support graduate students who are doing exceptional research in Computer Science and related fields, and who are poised to shape the future of technology. Since our first awardee cohort 13 years ago, these PhD Fellowships have helped support 654 graduate students from around the world across Africa, Australia & New Zealand, East Asia, Europe, India, North America and Southeast Asia.

Over the past 14 award cycles, our PhD Fellows have made some incredible contributions to their fields, and today we're checking in with three of our past alumni.

• Flora Tasse — Head of CV/AR Research at Streem specializing in AI applied to Computer Graphics and Vision problems faced in AR/VR
• Minsuk Kahng — Assistant Professor of Computer Science at Oregon State University whose research focuses on designing and developing novel visual analytics tools for people to interpret and interact with machine learning systems that use massive datasets
• Nicolas Papernot — Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Toronto whose research interests span the security and privacy of machine learning

What was your motivation to apply to the program?

Flora: I started my PhD with the mission to seize every opportunity to surround myself with the best in the field and broaden my horizons. I was on the lookout for Fellowships that could provide that, and help me make an impact in my area of research. When I heard about the Google PhD Fellowship, I was impressed with all the support that went well beyond the financial. I was initially hesitant to apply because it is such a prestigious program. Thankfully, I did submit my application and it is one the best things I have ever done for my career.

Minsuk: Receiving a Google PhD Fellowship is a great honor for computer science PhD students. I deeply appreciated that Google recognized my research. I was particularly interested in applying for Google’s Fellowship program because Google researchers have been actively conducting research on human-centered approaches to Artificial Intelligence (AI), which is something I’m passionate about. The program provided me with an exciting opportunity to interact with them.

Nicolas: At the time, there were very few people working on my research topic (adversarial examples) so I wanted to apply to the Google Fellowship to find mentors and colleagues to discuss my ideas with. The Fellowship was a great accelerator for my research because it allowed me to meet with a number of people who ended up shaping my understanding of machine learning. This increased the pace of my research and led me to discover new areas of research that I am passionate about.

What impact did the Google PhD Fellowship have on your career trajectory and on technology?

Flora: The Google PhD Fellowship was a turning point in my career. It not only validated the research work I was doing, but also gave me visibility and support that opened so many doors. Through this experience, I formed valuable collaborations and expanded my professional network which proved fruitful in building my career. Thanks to my internship at Google Zurich, I gained valuable insights into innovation and the productization of research. I currently apply my research skills at Streem, where we are making the phone's camera intelligent. Acquired by Streem, my start-up Selerio was building AI agents that could understand images/videos and augment them with relevant interactive objects. This technology made a tangible difference in remote collaboration between experts and consumers to solve product issues which was particularly impactful at the height of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Minsuk: The Fellowship has allowed me to have a wonderful career. Thanks to invaluable advice from my mentors at Google, I completed my PhD with a Dissertation Award from Georgia Tech. I have recently decided to join Google’s People + AI Research (PAIR) team after working as faculty for three years. I have been developing data visualization tools for people to interpret AI systems. Along with my colleagues at Google I’ve created and open-sourced GAN Lab , an interactive tool for people to learn the inner-workings of deep learning models. It significantly broadens people's education access to AI, as learners can use it just with their browsers without the need for specialized backend. I look forward to pursuing research that can help people everywhere.

Nicolas: The Google PhD Fellowship gave me a lot of freedom to pursue my own research ideas, spend time developing the CleverHans library , and collaborate with researchers at different universities and in other research communities. The opportunities I've had to work on differential privacy and machine learning with leading researchers at Google Brain were transformative to my career, and fundamental to bootstrapping my academic career at the University of Toronto and Vector Institute. During the program, I was able to implement privacy-preserving algorithms that are now used by product teams with lots of users. This was a great opportunity to have an immediate impact on technology. More generally, my research is by design seeking to understand the limitations of machine learning so that society can better trust it.

What advice do you have for current and future Google PhD Fellows?

Flora: Take advantage of the opportunities it provides, apply to Google internships, go to more conferences, collaborate and meet PhD Fellows in other fields. By becoming a Google PhD Fellow, you are joining a community of incredibly talented researchers and gaining influential mentors. As for the PhD, you will still go through the ups and downs of doctoral research. But it will be much easier as a Fellow. Stay the course. If you are an undergraduate considering a PhD pathway, invest energy and time in figuring out if there is a problem or a field that you care enough about to dedicate many years of your life to it.

Minsuk: My advice is to look for opportunities to cross the boundaries between disciplines. My work was made possible by collaborating with people across multiple research areas, such as information visualization, machine learning, human-computer interaction and databases. While research from different fields might seem unrelated at first, combinations of ideas can create unique research opportunities. Before starting my PhD, I conducted research on making recommendation algorithms more accurate, but found myself being much more motivated by different flavors of research. This experience led me to find my research direction and vigorously pursue it in my PhD.

Nicolas: I recommend that you do not optimize for short term rewards (like publishing papers) but instead focus on solving the problems that you find the most interesting. Research is often a random process and it is hard to predict what work will have an impact, so optimizing for short term rewards can quickly remove the “fun” out of doing research. While an undergraduate student, you have many opportunities to learn about topics that are diverse and possibly far away from the topic you will eventually choose to work on if you start a PhD. This breadth of knowledge will not only make you a more interesting person but help you in your research, because the most interesting research questions are often the ones that require an interdisciplinary approach to find an answer.

Announcing the 2022 Google PhD Fellows

Since 2009, the Google PhD Fellows have represented some of the best and brightest computer science researchers from around the globe, and we’re honored to support them as they make their mark on the world. Congratulations to all of this year’s awardees! See the complete list of Google PhD Fellowship recipients for 2022 .

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• Google Ph.D. Fellowship

What is the Google Ph.D. Fellowship?

The Google PhD Fellowship Program recognizes outstanding graduate students doing exceptional and innovative research in areas relevant to computer science and related fields.

The University of Minnesota may nominate up to four (4) eligible candidates to the Google PhD Fellowship .

How much is the award?

Information about what is included in the Google PhD Fellowship can be found on this Google website .

Who is Eligible? 

Eligibility requirements for the Google PhD Fellowship can be found on this Google website . An applicant’s research should align with Google AI Principles and represent one or more of the fields listed below. See all research fields in drop-down below.

How Do I Apply?

Program Nomination required. Please reach out to your Director of Graduate Studies or Graduate Program Coordinator ( link ). Programs can nominate up to four (4) doctoral students.

For Program Nomination, log in to the electronic nomination form .

What is the deadline?

The 2025 nomination window will open January 15, 2025. The submission deadline is March 5, 2025 by 5:00pm central time. Please continue to check this website and the Google website for any updates pertaining to the 2025 competition.

WHAT IS INCLUDED IN THE APPLICATION FOR UMN INTERNAL REVIEW?

• Cover sheet signed by the Department Chair 
• Student CV with links to website and publications (if available)
• Short (1-page) CV of the student's primary advisor
• 1000-character abstract with research title at top of page
• Research/dissertation proposal excluding references (maximum 3 pages)
• Student essay response 1 (350-word limit), see prompt details below
• Student essay response 2 (350-word limit), see prompt details below
• Transcripts of current and previous academic records

If a nominee is selected for UMN Nomination to the Google PhD Fellowship, the nominee will also need to submit 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee’s work (at least one from the thesis advisor) ahead of the Google PhD Fellowship deadline.

+ Google Research Fields

The Fellowships are awarded to students who represent the future of research in the following fields:

• Algorithms, Optimizations and Markets
• Computational Neural and Cognitive Sciences
• Health Research
• 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
• Recommender Systems
• Structured Data and Database Management
• Systems and Networking

+ STUDENT ESSAY #1 PROMPT

(350-word limit) 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.

+ STUDENT ESSAY #2 PROMPT

(350-word limit) 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?)

+ FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

• An interdepartmental faculty committee reviews nominations and selects up to four (4) nominees for the University to nominate to the Google PhD Fellowship.
• Per this Google FAQ , 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.
• Yes, applicants who are selected to be nominated by the University to the Google PhD Fellowship will need to gather 2-3 letters of recommendation by the deadline provided by the Graduate School Fellowships Office.
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Dalla Lana School of Public Health

• 2023-​2024 Google PhD Fellowship
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Applications are now being accepted for the 2023-2024 Google PhD Fellowship competition.

The Google PhD Fellowship Program recognizes 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.

Value & Duration

Recipients will:

• Receive full tuition and fees for up to 3 years (includes enrollment fees, health insurance, books), plus a stipend to be used for living expenses, travel and personal equipment; and
• Be matched with a Google Research Mentor.

Eligibility to Apply

Applicants must:

• Be full-time graduate students pursuing a PhD (normally in 2 nd year) in one of the research areas listed below; and
• Not be Google employees, their spouses, children, or members of their household.

Recipients must:

• Have completed all graduate coursework by the time the Fellowship begins (usually 3 rd year for Canadian students);
• Remain enrolled full-time in the PhD program for the duration of the Fellowship or forfeit the award; and
• Not be already supported by a comparable industry award (government or non-profit organization funding is exempt).

Research areas

• Algorithms, Optimizations and Markets
• Computational Neuroscience
• Computational Health Research
• 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

Underrepresented groups

At least two out of the four U of T nominees for this award must self-identify as a woman, Black/African descent, Hispanic/Latino/Latinx, Indigenous, and/or person with a disability.

Selection Criteria

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. The proposal should include the direction and any plans for where the applicant’s work is going in addition to a comprehensive description of the research they 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 .

Application Process

Applicants must submit an electronic copy of their completed application as a single PDF file via email awards.dlsph@utoronto.ca by the application deadline. The email must have the subject title “Google 2023 – NAME OF APPLICANT”.

Students applying for both Google and Apple fellowships must submit two separate applications as the required list of items are different for each competition.

Application Package

A complete application package will include all of the following items in the order listed:

• Cover sheet signed by the Department Chair or designate confirming that the student passes the eligibility requirements, as stated above (to be supplied by GDPHS before forwarding to SGS);
• Student CV with links to website and publications (if available);
• Short (1-page) CV of the student’s primary supervisor;
• Research / dissertation proposal including references ( maximum 8 pages );
• Student (research) essay response ( maximum 350 words ) 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;
• Student (leadership) essay response ( maximum 350 words ) 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?);
• Transcripts of current and previous academic records. Scans of official transcript are preferred but unofficial and web-based transcripts are accepted; and
• 2-3 letters of recommendation from those familiar with the nominee’s work (at least one from the thesis advisor). Letters must be emailed by each referee as a PDF attachment to awards.dlsph@utoronto.ca with the subject title “ Google 2023 Ref – NAME OF APPLICANT” by the application deadline.

Underrepresented group applicants only : please indicate within the body of the submission email if you self-identify as a member of an underrepresented group. Your underrepresented group status will not be disclosed during SGS Committee review, and applications will be reviewed based solely on the strength of the submitted materials.

The University competition results will be communicated by the SGS Graduate Awards Office in late September. The results of the international competition are communicated in January 2023.

For questions, please email awards.dlsph@utoronto.ca