The spring semester brings some of the most important scholarship deadlines for women in STEM — a concentration of major awards that close between February and May and are easy to miss if you're not tracking them systematically. The programs below represent the most financially significant and most competitively prestigious spring-deadline scholarships available to women in science, engineering, technology, and mathematics across undergraduate, graduate, and postdoctoral levels. Amounts listed are approximate and should be confirmed at each program's official website, as award sizes are reviewed periodically.
1. Society of Women Engineers (SWE) Scholarships
The Society of Women Engineers administers one of the largest scholarship portfolios for women in engineering — more than $1.5 million in annual awards across more than 250 named scholarships funded by corporate and individual donors. Award amounts range from $1,000 to $15,000+ per year, with some renewable and some one-time grants.
Eligibility varies by scholarship: some are open to all women engineering students, some are restricted by field (electrical, mechanical, chemical, computer), some by institution type, some by geographic region, and some by ethnicity. The SWE scholarship portal (scholarships.swe.org) allows filtering by eligibility criteria. The portal typically opens applications in February with a March or April deadline for the following academic year's awards.
The SWE scholarships collectively represent the most accessible large-scale scholarship resource for women in engineering. The breadth of named scholarships means that applicants who apply systematically to all scholarships for which they are eligible have meaningful odds of receiving at least one award, even if the top-tier competitive scholarships are selective.
2. NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
While the NSF GRFP's primary deadline falls in October or November (varying by field), some fields have spring deadlines. The fellowship provides $37,000/year in stipend plus tuition for three years — the most financially significant federal fellowship for early graduate-stage STEM researchers. See the full GRFP guide elsewhere on this site for application strategy. Confirm your field's specific deadline at nsf.gov/grfp.
3. Google Anita Borg Memorial Scholarship (Generation Google)
Google's scholarship program honoring Anita Borg — the computer scientist and founder of the Institute for Women and Technology — awards scholarships to women computer science students at the undergraduate and graduate levels. Award: $10,000 for US recipients (amounts vary by country program). Eligibility: women students pursuing full-time undergraduate or graduate degrees in CS or a closely related field at accredited US universities. Minimum GPA requirements (typically 3.5+) apply.
Deadline: typically February or March for the following academic year. The application emphasizes leadership, community, and academic excellence equally — applicants with documented records of community engagement and women's advocacy in STEM alongside strong academic credentials are the most competitive. Google's scholarship portal manages the application.
4. Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant
The Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant supports PhD students from underrepresented groups (including women) in the final year of dissertation research in CS or a closely related field. Award: $10,000 one-time grant to support dissertation completion, conference travel, or research materials. Deadline: typically March or April.
Eligibility: enrolled in a doctoral program in CS or related field at a US university, from an underrepresented group (women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities), and in the final year of doctoral research. Competition is significant — Microsoft selects approximately 10 grants per cycle.
5. AAUW American Fellowship — Summer/Short-Term Research Grants
The AAUW short-term research publication grants ($3,000–$6,000) support women with doctoral degrees who need 2–8 weeks of dedicated time to complete work for publication. Deadline: December or January, but some cycles include a spring component — check aauw.org for current cycle details. Lower competition than the annual dissertation and postdoctoral fellowships.
6. Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship
The Fannie and John Hertz Foundation Fellowship is one of the most selective and prestigious fellowships in STEM — approximately 15 fellowships per year across all STEM fields from thousands of applicants. Award: full tuition plus a $38,000 annual stipend for up to five years of PhD study. Eligibility: US citizens or permanent residents in or applying to PhD programs in the applied physical, biological, or engineering sciences. Deadline: typically October, but final selection and notification extend into spring; some application elements due in spring for late-round consideration.
The Hertz Fellowship is technically available to all eligible applicants regardless of gender, but women's representation among fellows has historically been below 30%. The foundation has publicly expressed commitment to increasing women's representation. Women applicants competitive for the Hertz should prioritize this application.
7. National Physical Science Consortium (NPSC) Graduate Fellowship
The NPSC fellowship supports doctoral students in physical sciences, mathematics, and engineering at US universities, with a focus on increasing diversity in STEM fields (including women). Award: $20,000/year stipend plus tuition, renewable for up to six years, with a requirement of two summers of paid employment at an NPSC employer (national laboratories, federal agencies). Deadline: November, with notifications extending to spring. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis until the deadline.
8. ACM-W Scholarships for Women in Computing
The Association for Computing Machinery's Committee on Women in Computing (ACM-W) provides scholarships for women undergraduate and graduate students to attend computing research conferences. Award: up to $600 for attendance at a non-ACM research conference; up to $1,200 for an ACM research conference. Applications accepted on a rolling basis. These awards are smaller than most on this list but are highly accessible and support career development through conference networking.
9. National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Supplements
While not a scholarship per se, NSF REU positions at national laboratories and universities provide summer research stipends ($500–$700/week for 10 weeks, plus housing and travel allowances at many sites) to undergraduate women in STEM. REU applications are typically due February through April for summer programs. The NSF REU database (nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/) lists all current sites by discipline and institution.
10. Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
The Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs — predoctoral, dissertation, and postdoctoral — support scholars from groups with demonstrated high potential who have shown commitment to using their education for the benefit of diverse segments of society. Award: $27,000/year in stipend for three years of PhD study (predoctoral); $25,000 for one dissertation year; $50,000 for one postdoctoral year. The predoctoral deadline is typically in November with spring decisions; dissertation and postdoctoral deadlines vary.
Ford fellowships are particularly relevant for women of color in STEM, for whom the intersection of gender and race creates a specific set of barriers that Ford's programming has explicitly targeted. Applications emphasize academic achievement, leadership, and the commitment to diversity and inclusion in education and research.
Application Strategy Across Multiple Programs
The most effective scholarship strategy for women in STEM is systematic: build a database of scholarships for which you are eligible (by field, level, institution, citizenship, ethnicity), track their deadlines, and apply to the full set of relevant programs each cycle rather than selecting only one or two high-profile targets. The aggregate probability of receiving at least one award increases substantially with each additional application submitted.
Reuse strategically. The personal statement for an SWE scholarship and the personal statement for the Google Anita Borg scholarship will share substantial content — both evaluate academic achievement, community engagement, and commitment to women in STEM. A strong foundational statement, adapted for each application's specific prompts, produces significantly better outcomes than writing each application from scratch.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most valuable scholarship for women in engineering with spring deadlines?
The SWE scholarship portfolio collectively offers the most accessible significant funding (150+ scholarships totaling over $1.5M annually). For individual prestige and financial impact, the Hertz Fellowship ($38,000/year plus tuition for five years) is the most valuable for PhD-stage women, though it is among the most selective fellowships in the country.
Can I apply for multiple scholarships simultaneously?
Yes — most scholarships permit concurrent applications and concurrent receipt of multiple awards. Exceptions exist for some major fellowships (the NSF GRFP and Hertz Fellowship, for example, have rules about receiving both simultaneously) — read each program's terms carefully. When in doubt, email the program officer to confirm.
How do I find spring deadlines for women-in-STEM scholarships?
Maintain a scholarship tracking spreadsheet updated at the start of each semester. The SWE scholarship portal, AAUW, and your institution's fellowship advising office are the three best sources for aggregated information. Set calendar reminders 30 days and 7 days before each deadline.
Are there scholarships specifically for women of color in STEM?
Yes — the Ford Foundation Fellowship, the American Chemical Society's Project SEED for underrepresented groups, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers scholarships, the National GEM Consortium fellowships, and numerous others. The SWE scholarship portal and institutional fellowship advising offices maintain current databases.
What is the typical application requirement for women-in-STEM scholarships?
Most programs require: a personal statement (1–3 pages); a research or academic achievement narrative; 2–3 recommendation letters; official or unofficial transcripts; and sometimes a resume or CV. Large scholarship portfolios like SWE use a single application with essay prompts filtered to specific scholarships. One strong application package, systematically adapted, serves most programs.