OVERVIEW: This funder supports women undergraduate and graduate higher education, as well as those pursuing careers in academia. Women from underrepresented backgrounds are a priority.
IP TAKE: AAUW prioritizes women academics in STEM and other fields that have been traditionally dominated by men. After some backlash about its grants and fellowships, it has also come to prioritizes women and girls from underrepresented backgrounds. This is a competitive space, but AAUW accepts applications for all of its grant and fellowship programs and provides clear guidelines on each program page. Grantseekers are advised to have a colleague who has previously received an AAUW grant or a background of similar academic grantmaking history to review their application. As well, university grantwriting centers may be able to support more junior applicants’ proposals. Thematic and geographic priorities change occasionally, so sign up for the AAUW newsletter at the bottom of the site. This funder invests in individual women rather than in organizations at both the national and international levels.
PROFILE: Founded in 1881, the American Association of University Women (AAUW) is based in Washington, DC and supports women academics. It seeks to “advance gender equity for women and girls through research, education, and advocacy.” Through its work, the foundation aims to reduce or eliminate the gender pay gap, promote equal opportunities in education, and advocate for laws and policies that enable women’s success. While grantmaking is not the association’s main focus, it offers Fellowships and Grants to support women in the United States and abroad.
Grants for Women and Girls, Higher Education, Work and Opportunity
AAUW supports women and girls through all of its grantmaking programs, many of which are aimed at giving them access to more lucrative and meaningful careers.
- AAUW’s American Fellowships program is its oldest grantmaking vehicle, dating back to 1888. It supporta women who are “completing dissertations, planning research leave from accredited institutions, or preparing research for publication” at institutions in the United States. Applicants are evaluated not only based on their achievements and academic qualifications, but also on an “active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.”
- International Fellowships support women who are not American citizens but are working towards a master’s degree, doctoral degree or postdoctoral studies at accredited U.S. Institutions. Grantees who return to their home countries to apply their studies may be eligible for the foundation’s International Project Grants.
- The foundation’s Selected Professions fellowship was established in 1970 to promote women’s access to male-dominated professions such as law and medicine, but has expanded to target a range of technology-based fields. The fellowship is aimed at women pursuing a full-time graduate degrees in architecture, computer science, engineering, or math/statistics. This program prioritizes applicants who reside in and/or are matriculated at schools in Arkansas, West Virginia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nevada, Kentucky, Oklahoma, Alabama, Tennessee or Indiana.
- The foundation’s Career Development grants support women who “preparing to advance or change careers or reenter the workforce.” Grantees must hold a bachelor’s degree received at least five years prior to application. These grants prioritize women of color and women seeking their first advance degree.
- Community Action Grants support “innovative programs or non-degree research projects that promote education and equity for women and girls. This program generally prioritizes K-12 education and community colleges, as well as the achievement of women and girls in STEM fields. In addition to individuals and AAUW affiliates, these grants may also go to local, community-based nonprofits. Grantees include Tarleton State University, the Johnson County STEM Girls Initiative in North Carolina, the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut and the Technology and Entrepreneurship Center in Indiana, Pennsylvania.
- International Project Grants are aimed at previous recipients of AAUW’s International Fellowship who have returned to their home countries. These grants help international fellows “build on their academic work and implement community-based projects that will improve the lives of women and girls.” The foundation has supported alumna projects such as “Enhancing Aspirations toward STEM subjects in School Girls in M Ward, Mumbai, India,” Women Cooperatives in Cassava Business in Ghana, and “Yongji Oganic Farmer Video Network Training Program, China.”
Important Grant Details:
Grants and Fellowships generally range from $10,000 to $35,000. While there are no geographical restrictions on grantmaking, applicants should note that these grants are targeted at women, and that women of color and women of underrepresented backgrounds tend to receive priority in the application process.
- Note that thematic and geographic priorities may change from time to time.
- AAUW accepts applications for all of its grants online. Deadlines and requirements vary by program. Applicants should review the guidelines carefully before applying to make sure that they are eligible.
- For additional information about past giving, see the association’s directory of past fellows and grantees.
Submit general inquiries to the AAUW at the organization’s contact page. The association’s phone number is (
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