Scholarships

Zonta International Amelia Earhart Fellowships 2026-2027 Academic Year

At a glance

The Amelia Earhart Fellowship is a Zonta International program funded by contributions to the Zonta Foundation for Women. Zonta International is a leading global organization of professionals empowering women worldwide through service and advocacy.

Applications are open for the 2025-2026 academic year from qualified women for fellowships of US$10,000 each for graduate study in aerospace engineering or space sciences.

Applications must be submitted on the Amelia Earhart Fellowship website.

Eligibility guidelines

Women of any nationality pursuing a Ph.D./doctoral degree who demonstrate a superior academic record and who are conducting research applied to aerospace engineering or space sciences are eligible. It is imperative that students be registered in a full-time Ph.D./doctoral program and have completed at least one year of that program or have received a master’s degree in an aerospace-applied field at the time the application is submitted. Applicants must not graduate from their Ph.D. or doctoral program before April 2027. Please note that post-doctoral research programs are not eligible for the Fellowship.

To apply for the Amelia Earhart Fellowship, applicants must meet the following minimum requirements:

• Be registered in a full-time Ph.D./doctoral program in research applied to aerospace engineering or space sciences, and have completed at least one year of that program or  have received a master’s degree in an aerospace-applied field at the time the application is submitted. A verification of current enrollment must be submitted with the application. Acceptance letters are not verification of enrollment and will not be accepted.
• Demonstrate a superior academic record at a recognized university or college with accredited courses in aerospace-applied studies as verified by official transcripts and recommendations.
• Provide evidence of a well-defined research program applied to aerospace engineering or space sciences in the application essay (in general scientific terms), the academic documents (references, transcripts, verification of enrollment) and the list of publications.
• Clearly demonstrate that the Ph.D. research program is directly related to aerospace/space sciences and furnish verification of the research program through at least one of the reference letters required with the application. The thesis supervisor or advisor and a university professor must each be one of the referees.
• Applicant must be registered in a full-time Ph.D./doctoral program by 15 November 2025 and must not graduate before April 2027.

How to apply

Applications must be submitted by 15 November 2025 on the Amelia Earhart Fellowship website with the following documentation.

• three (3) recommendations from university professors (or supervisors)
• copies of official transcripts
• verification of enrollment for the 2026 Amelia Earhart Fellowships

About Amelia Earhart Fellowship

Established in 1938, Zonta International’s Amelia Earhart Fellowships memorialize famed air pioneer and Zontian, Amelia Earhart, who disappeared over the Pacific in 1937. By remembering Amelia Earhart through this fellowship, Zonta International encourages and supports women to expand their horizons by pursuing degrees and careers in aerospace engineering and space sciences. In the program’s 87-year history, Zonta has awarded 1,794 Amelia Earhart Fellowships, totaling more than US$12.2 million, to 1,365 Fellows from 80 countries. Up to thirty Fellowships of US$10,000 each will be awarded in 2026.

Further information

For full guidelines, further information and the online application portal, please visit the Amelia Earhart Fellowship website.