Electrical-engineering funding can support a first graduate degree or a later research stay. Those are different stages. An award for a doctoral exchange is not a general scholarship for an incoming master’s student.
Start with your current degree, next enrollment and research plan. This selected guide focuses on verified IEEE graduate opportunities rather than implying every electrical-engineering student shares the same eligibility.
Compare two verified fellowships
Checked October 14, 2026. Full program rules apply.
| Program | Intended applicant | Published support/status |
|---|---|---|
| IEEE Life Members Graduate Study Fellowship | Eligible full-time first graduate-degree EE students worldwide | $10,000/year, renewable for a second year of the same degree with progress; 2026–27 deadline May 4, 2026 passed |
| PELS Graduate Studies Fellowships | Eligible doctoral students with master’s-level qualification and required IEEE/PELS membership | $5,000 honorarium plus specified ceremony-cost reimbursement up to $1,000; portal closed |
These are historical/current program descriptions, not a new application guarantee. Verify the next actual cycle before preparing submission materials.
First graduate degree means a specific stage
The Life Members award includes a master’s or a PhD if it is the student’s first graduate degree. A combined BS/MS student can be eligible in the penultimate year for support in the final year. It requires certified transcripts and three professor recommendations. IEEE eligibility and materials.
Write the actual degree sequence and funded term beside the lead. Do not assume every first-year PhD student fits if they already hold a graduate degree.
Ask the program how an unusual combined or accelerated pathway is classified. A reference to worldwide institutions does not remove the academic-stage rules.
A research exchange includes commitments
PELS requires a planned six-to-nine-month foreign research stay and continuation at the home university with the same adviser for twelve months after award. It does not allow another award of the same kind for the same purpose. The highest-ranked recipient receives the named John G. Kassakian Fellowship within this program. PELS requirements.
Check host arrangements, research fit, degree timeline, budget and other support. Do not treat the honorarium as unrestricted tuition funding or assume a proposed host conversation is a confirmed placement.
A hypothetical applicant could explain the method or facility needed abroad, why it matters and how the home research continues afterward. Do not invent an invitation, result or collaborator agreement.
Conference travel support is separate
PELS Student Travel Grants require IEEE Student and PELS membership, an accepted paper and presentation. Reimbursement occurs after the event and required receipts/forms. A hoped-for travel grant is not money available for tuition or upfront expenses. Travel-grant rules.
Read the event’s actual application and funding limit. Do not assume acceptance of a paper automatically includes funding.
Present technical work accurately
Explain the question, constraints, your role, method, evidence and limits. Distinguish simulation from hardware testing and team output from your individual contribution. Do not invent efficiency numbers or professional certification.
Protect proprietary designs, confidential code and unpublished data. Ask your adviser or employer what may be shared before attaching materials.
Next step
Choose first-degree funding or research exchange, verify your stage, and coordinate references/host planning early. Record amount, permitted costs, payment recipient and timing; keep pending awards separate from confirmed money.
