NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program Offers Up to $60,000 for PhD Research

Unveiling a new era in accelerated computing, NVIDIA has announced up to $60,000 research fellowships to ten exceptional Ph.D. students. The NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program is a prestigious initiative that supports students engaged in groundbreaking research closely aligned with NVIDIA’s innovative technologies. This program, established in 2002, has become a beacon of opportunity for aspiring tech experts worldwide, fostering innovation and collaboration in areas such as AI, machine learning, and high-performance computing.

Fostering Innovation and Excellence

In its 24th year, the NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program stands as a testament to NVIDIA’s commitment to cultivating a new generation of computing innovators. Over two decades, the program has awarded nearly 200 grants totaling more than $6.5 million. By financially supporting Ph.D. students and facilitating their research in cutting-edge technology, the Fellowship aims to address some of the world’s most formidable computational challenges. “NVIDIA’s fellowship recipients are among the most talented graduate students in the world,” remarked NVIDIA Chief Scientist Bill Dally. “They’re working on some of the most important problems in computer science, and we’re delighted to support their research.”

The 2025-2026 Fellowship Cohort

Selected from a highly competitive pool, the new cohort encompasses researchers from top institutions focusing on diverse disciplines. Their research spans key technological arenas including Artificial Intelligence, Autonomous Vehicles, Robotics, and Computer Graphics. Each recipient is required to undertake a summer internship at one of NVIDIA’s research facilities, offering immersive experiences deeply rooted in NVIDIA’s AI-Powered ecosystems.

• Anish Saxena from Georgia Institute of Technology is exploring data movement across system architectures to improve efficiency in training large language models.
• Jiawei Yang of the University of Southern California is pioneering self-supervised learning for scalable and adaptable autonomous systems.
• Seul Lee from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology is developing generative models for drug discovery, propelling advancements in AI-driven healthcare.

These projects illustrate the fellowship’s broad scope, supporting developments in fields with the potential for significant real-world impact.

Real-World Applications and Advancements

The research initiatives supported by NVIDIA’s fellowships are more than academic endeavors; they are essential to the AI Transformation across industries:

• Autonomous Vehicles: Research like Jiawei Yang’s is critical in refining autonomous driving technology, which promises to transform transportation by improving safety and reducing congestion.
• Robotics: Developments by students such as Tairan He at Carnegie Mellon University in humanoid robotics hold great promise for industrial automation, enhancing productivity and operational efficiency.
• Healthcare: Innovations in AI and machine learning, championed through projects like those of Seul Lee, are tapping into new potentials in drug discovery, potentially leading to faster, more efficient therapeutic solutions.

Predictions for Future Integration

As these students continue to push the boundaries of what is possible, their work predicts exciting future advancements. The integration of NVIDIA’s AI Solutions with emerging technologies like quantum computing and the Internet of Things could herald transformative changes across industries. More robust AI systems could lead to broader adoption across sectors like healthcare, finance, and support customer satisfaction through more personalized user interactions.

Moreover, the escalation of AI capabilities is anticipated to drive the development of more sophisticated autonomous systems, enhancing both human-machine collaboration and cost reduction in operations. High-performance computing, bolstered by NVIDIA’s resources, stands to embark on bold computational explorations that redefine data analysis and complex simulations.

In a world that demands ever-innovative solutions, the NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program is more than a funding opportunity—it is an incubator for the future of AI and related fields. By empowering talented minds, NVIDIA continues to lead in shaping a world where technological wonders solve ground-level real-world issues. This program, by nurturing extraordinary research potential, represents NVIDIA’s commitment to advancing the envelope of what technology can achieve in our lives.

Discover more about how these fellowships fuel innovation at NVIDIA Graduate Fellowship Program.