All PhD program applications are automatically considered for all scholarships and fellowships; no separate application is required. (No financial aid is currently available for students in the MS-only program.) Fellowships generally provide monthly stipends and pay tuition. Award decisions for first-year students are made between late February and early April for the next academic year. Fellowship recipients are expected to devote full time to their study and research in biomedical engineering.
Research assistantships involve participation in ongoing research projects, usually in the area of the student's dissertation interest. Students normally spend at least one academic quarter (usually 3 quarters) on campus before becoming eligible for these assistantships. During this time they become acquainted with ongoing research and choose an advising professor, thus allowing the professor time to evaluate the student's potential contribution to the project.
Teaching assistantships are also available. These are generally given on a quarter-by-quarter basis to graduate students who have been at Northwestern at least one year. Information regarding teaching assistantships is sent to all graduate students during the spring quarter.
All full-time graduate students in good academic standing are eligible to apply for student loans. These loans are provided by the combined efforts of the federal government, Northwestern, and cooperating financial institutions, and should be regarded as supplemental financial resources rather than the primary means of financing advanced degrees.
Northwestern University Nondiscrimination Policy
It is the policy of Northwestern University not to discriminate against any individual on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability or veteran status in matters of admissions, employment, housing or services, or in the educational programs or activities it operates, in accordance with civil rights legislation and University commitment. Any alleged violations of this policy or questions regarding the law with respect to nondiscrimination should be directed to Director of Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action, and Disability Services, 720 University Place, Evanston, Illinois 60208-1147, phone (847) 491-7458; Office of the Provost, Rebecca Crown Center, Evanston, Illinois 60208-1101, phone (847) 491-5117.
Disabilities
Director of Services for Students with Disabilities: Scott Hall 39 and 40, (847) 467-5530, 467-5533 (TTY). Students who are experiencing difficulty or anticipate difficulty in using University facilities or services should contact the director of services for students with disabilities. Support and help are available. Individualized transportation service is also available and can be arranged through this office or the Health Service.
Additional resources:
NU Graduate School: Fellowships, Scholarships, Grants
AWIS Graduate Fellowships Association for Women in Science
Illinois Minority Graduate Incentive Program
NSF Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants in the Directorate for Biological Sciences
Sigma Xi, The Scientific Research Society Grants-in-Aid of Research
