The Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship 2027 pays US$12,000 to each of up to 30 women who are doing a PhD or doctoral degree in aerospace engineering or space sciences, at any university in the world. The application for the 2027 fellowship is open on Zonta’s own application portal and must be submitted in full by 15 November 2026.
It is one of the oldest fellowships for women in science anywhere. Since 1938 Zonta has awarded 1,824 Amelia Earhart Fellowships worth more than US$12.5 million to 1,395 women from 81 countries, and Indian women are on the current fellows list. There is no nationality quota, no bond and no restriction on which country you study in – the only test is the doctoral programme you are registered in and the research you are doing.
Amelia Earhart Fellowship 2027 at a glance
Quick facts2026-27
| Scholarship from | Zonta International and the Zonta Foundation for Women, through the Amelia Earhart Fellowship Fund (established in 1938). Official programme page: zonta.org – Amelia Earhart Fellowship. |
| Value | US$12,000 per fellow. The money may be used for tuition, books and fees, or for living expenses such as room, board or travel. |
| Number of fellowships | Up to 30 each year. One of the 30 is designated the Sharon Langenbeck Amelia Earhart Fellow. |
| Who can apply | Women of any nationality registered in a full-time PhD or doctoral programme, whose research is applied to aerospace engineering or space sciences. You must have completed at least one year of that programme, or hold a master’s degree in an aerospace-applied field, when you apply. |
| Study level | PhD / doctoral. Post-doctoral research programmes are not eligible. |
| Last date to apply | 15 November 2026. Zonta’s page says the 2027 application ‘must be submitted in full by 15 November 2026 to be considered’. |
| Official website | zonta.org – Amelia Earhart Fellowship (apply at zontainternational.awardspring.com) |
How much the fellowship pays and what it can be used for
Each Amelia Earhart Fellowship is US$12,000, and it can be spent on tuition, books and fees or on living expenses such as room, board or travel. Zonta plans the payment for September-October, subject to US sanctions regulations.
Three practical rules come with the money. First, the fellowship cannot be deferred – if you are selected, you have to use it in that cycle. Second, fellows may accept other grants and scholarships at the same time, so this can sit on top of a university funding package. Third, for recipients studying in the United States, funds used for tuition, books, fees, supplies or required equipment are not treated as taxable income, while withholding taxes may apply to the part used for living expenses.
Who is eligible for the Amelia Earhart Fellowship
Zonta’s eligibility rule is written around the research, not the department name: your doctoral work has to be applied to aerospace engineering or space sciences, and you have to be registered full-time. The full conditions on the official page are:
- Woman of any nationality (there is no country list and no nationality quota).
- Registered in a full-time PhD or doctoral programme at an accredited university or college.
- Research applied to aerospace engineering or space sciences.
- You have completed at least one year of the doctoral programme, or you hold a master’s degree in an aerospace-applied field, at the time you submit the application.
- You must not graduate before April 2028.
- Post-doctoral research programmes are not eligible.
- Previous Amelia Earhart Fellows cannot apply again to renew the fellowship for a second year.
- Zonta club members, direct Zonta International members, and employees of Zonta International or the Zonta Foundation for Women are not eligible.
Because preference is given to a well-defined research programme, the 500-word essay and the transcripts carry most of the weight in this application – there is no interview round and no test.
Documents and information the application asks for
Zonta’s own programme document lists exactly what has to be inside the application. Keep this checklist open while you fill the portal:
- Biographical information and plans for your intended study.
- Official transcripts from every university, college or institution you have attended, including undergraduate institutions and degrees already received. Scan them in colour and upload the PDF; Zonta specifically says not to upload electronic transcripts or links sent by the university, because those links can expire.
- English translations of all grades and documents that are not in English.
- Verification of current enrolment from the registrar or another school official. Acceptance letters are not accepted as proof of enrolment.
- A list of scholarships, fellowships and honours you have received, if any.
- Up to five previous publications (not theses), with title, authors, journal or conference, page number where applicable, and year.
- Employment history, if any.
- An essay of 500 words or less describing your research programme in general scientific terms and your professional goals.
Note the last line of the requirements: information other than official transcripts and recommendations has to fit in the space provided on the form. Attachments, articles, pamphlets, books or a CV are not requested and will not be considered.
How to apply for the 2027 fellowship
Applications are made online at Zonta’s application portal, zontainternational.awardspring.com. The Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowship Committee reviews the applications and recommends the recipients to the Zonta International Board; the evaluations are confidential and are not disclosed to applicants.
The headline date on Zonta’s page is simple: the 2027 application must be submitted in full by 15 November 2026. Do not leave the transcripts and the enrolment verification for the last week, because those are the two items that most often delay an otherwise complete file.
Important dates for the Amelia Earhart Fellowship 2027
- Applications open now for the 2027 fellowship on the Zonta portal.
- Deadline: 15 November 2026 – the application must be submitted in full.
- Result: by the end of April 2027, when all applicants are notified of their status.
- Payment: planned for September-October, subject to US sanctions regulations. The fellowship cannot be deferred.
- You must not graduate before April 2028 to stay eligible.
Why Indian applicants should look at this fellowship
Indian women have won the Amelia Earhart Fellowship repeatedly, and the current fellows list includes Indian names such as Jasmine Jerry Aloor, Namya Baijal, Arti Kalra and Garima Rajguru. The fellowship is awarded at any university in the world, so you can hold it while studying in India, the United States, Europe or anywhere else – Zonta places no condition on the host country.
The practical filter is the subject. Aerospace engineering, astronautical engineering, space sciences, astronomy with an engineering or instrumentation angle, remote sensing and satellite-related research all sit inside the fellowship’s field. If your doctoral research is applied to that area, you are eligible even if your department is called mechanical, electrical, materials or computer science.
Frequently asked questions
15 November 2026. Zonta’s official page states that the 2027 Amelia Earhart Fellowship application must be submitted in full by 15 November 2026 to be considered.
US$12,000 per fellow, and up to 30 fellowships are awarded each year. One of the 30 recipients each year is designated the Sharon Langenbeck Amelia Earhart Fellow.
Yes. The fellowship is open to women of any nationality and there is no country quota. Indian women are among the current Amelia Earhart Fellows.
Yes. You must have completed at least one year of the full-time doctoral programme, or hold a master’s degree in an aerospace-applied field, at the time you submit the application. A verification of current enrolment must be uploaded with the application.
No. Zonta’s page says plainly that post-doctoral research programmes are not eligible for the fellowship.
Tuition, books and fees, or living expenses such as room, board or travel. The payment is planned for September-October, the fellowship cannot be deferred, and fellows may accept additional grants and scholarships from other sources.
No. Previous Amelia Earhart Fellows are not eligible to apply to renew the fellowship for a second year.
All applicants are notified of their status by the end of April 2027, as stated in Zonta’s programme document.
Official links
Related reading: Amelia Earhart Fellowship – Zonta International (official page)
Amelia Earhart Fellowships – official programme document (PDF)
Zonta Amelia Earhart Fellowship application portal
Amelia Earhart Fellowship statistics and programme overview (PDF)
Related scholarships on this site
If you are a woman looking for funded graduate study, compare these posts – each one carries verified amounts and dates:
- P.E.O. International Peace Scholarship 2027 – up to US$12,500 of need-based support for women from outside the US and Canada doing graduate study.
- Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme 2027-28 – a monthly stipend and conference grant for PhD study in Hong Kong; initial applications close 1 December 2026.
- Rolls-Royce Unnati Scholarships – for women engineering students in India, a fast route to a smaller but quick award.
Related reading: Study abroad scholarships
Post graduation scholarships
Fellowships
International scholarships