Graduate Fellows Program

About the Program

The Harrington Graduate Student Fellows Program was established by Sybil Harrington as a tribute to her late husband, Donald D. Harrington, with the goal of bringing outstanding graduate students to UT Austin from around the world. Her aspiration was that these gifted and ambitious young scholars would, in turn, share their knowledge and success with future generations. The Harrington Graduate Student Fellows Program supports a cohort of Fellows each academic year with competitive, 12-month stipends, tuition, a stipend for health insurance, and additional funds for expenses for up to five years of graduate study. Fellowships are awarded through an internal nomination process; potential graduate students cannot apply to the Harrington Graduate Fellows Program directly. Fellows are generally recruited from institutions outside the university but undergraduates at UT Austin who apply to a graduate program at the university are eligible to be nominated for Harrington Fellowships. Only Harrington Dissertation Fellowships are awarded to current graduate students at UT Austin. More information about the Harrington Graduate Fellows Program is available on the website of The UT Austin Graduate School.  

Selection Process

Harrington Graduate Fellows are nominated by their graduate programs based on their scholastic records, character and personal qualities, commitment to pursuing a graduate degree in a designated area of study, and potential to become outstanding scholars and citizens. Incoming students who wish to be considered for nomination for Harrington Graduate Fellowships should contact their program’s graduate adviser or visit their program’s web site.

All Harrington Graduate Fellows receive a 12-month stipend of $40,000, plus full tuition and required fees, an additional stipend to obtain medical insurance, and an allowance of $2,000 for travel, equipment, books, or other professional expenses. Full time graduate student status (9 SCH fall/spring; 3 SCH summer) is required. Harrington Graduate Fellows on full fellowship support may not simultaneously hold any other fellowship awarded by the university.

Harrington Doctoral Fellows – for incoming graduate students

Each year the new Harrington Doctoral Fellows will be chosen from among the successful applicants to programs leading to a doctoral degree – Ph.D., Ed.D., or DMA – at The University of Texas at Austin. To be nominated, a student must not be a current graduate student at UT Austin (undergraduates at UT Austin are eligible). Students who already have master's degrees from other universities are eligible. A Harrington Doctoral Fellow can earn a master's degree in the process of completing the doctoral work. The Harrington Doctoral Fellowship may be a one-, two-, or three-year award. In the case of a two- or three-year award, funding after the first year is contingent on the Fellow making satisfactory academic progress.

Harrington Master's Fellows – for incoming graduate students

Each year the new Harrington Master's Fellows will be chosen from among the successful external applicants to programs leading to professional or terminal master's degrees, for example, the MFA, MSSW, or MSLIS at The University of Texas at Austin. To be nominated, a student must not be a current graduate student at UT Austin (undergraduates at UT Austin are eligible). The Harrington Master's Fellowship may be a one- or two-year award. In the case of a two-year award, funding after the first year is contingent on the Fellow making satisfactory academic progress.

Harrington Dissertation Fellows – for currently enrolled UT Austin graduate students

The Harrington Dissertation Fellowship is a one-year award. To be eligible for a Harrington Dissertation Fellowship, a student must be currently enrolled at UT Austin and must be a candidate for a doctoral degree (Ph.D., Ed.D., or DMA). Students who satisfy these conditions, and who are nominated by their programs for Continuing University Fellowships, will be considered for Harrington Dissertation Fellowships.