Doctoral Student Fellowships

Students applying to the Comparative Biology Ph.D. Program at the Richard Gilder Graduate School are automatically eligible for fellowship support from the school, provided in part by the generous support of Richard Gilder and the Gilder Foundation, Norma Hess (Hess Foundation, Inc.) and Sibyl Golden Family Foundation.

We also offer Ph.D. Graduate Fellowships for students interested in earning a Ph.D. at one of our partner institutions (Columbia University, CUNY, NYU, Stony Brook and Cornell University), when they are advised by an AMNH curator. Graduate Fellowship applicants (Ph.D.) may also apply for co-funding in the following areas: the Theodore Roosevelt Memorial Fund: North American terrestrial fauna or the Lerner-Gray Fund for Marine Research: Marine Biology. 

Students who plan to apply to both the RGGS Comparative Biology Ph.D. Program and to the Graduate Fellowship Program complete one single application, indicating on the application the program(s) to which they wish to apply. Students applying for the Graduate Fellowship must also apply for admission to at least one Ph.D. Program at one of the Museum's Partner Institutions. See below for more information.

AMNH Comparative Biology Ph.D. Program

The AMNH Ph.D. Program in Comparative Biology is training the next generation of biologists through an integrative approach focused on the history, evolutionary relationships, and interactions among species. It builds on the Museum’s strength and experience in research and training, educating a new generation of scientists to become leaders in understanding the history and diversity of life on Earth and in disseminating their work in ways that will support advances in biological research, human health, biodiversity conservation, and other related fields. This is an accelerated program, designed for students to complete their degrees in four years. The Richard Gilder Graduate School will typically provide full financial support to students matriculating in the Comparative Biology Ph.D. Program.

The Richard Gilder Graduate School provides full financial support to students matriculating in the Comparative Biology Ph.D. Program.

Late applications and applications that do not conform entirely with our specifications will not be considered.

Graduate Student Fellowship Program (Collaborative Ph.D. Programs)

The AMNH Graduate Student Fellowship Program is an educational partnership with selected universities, dedicated to the training of Ph.D. candidates in those scientific disciplines practiced at the Museum. Our current collaborations are with Columbia University, City University of New York (CUNY), Cornell University, Stony Brook University, and New York University (NYU). The host university in which the student enrolls exercises educational jurisdiction over the students and formally awards the degree. In these partnership programs, at least one Museum curator must serve as a graduate advisor, co-major professor or major professor, and adjunct university faculty member. Each student benefits by having the staff and facilities of both the university and the Museum to support his/her training and research. To be eligible for the AMNH Graduate Fellowship, students must apply to both the host University’s Ph.D. program and to the AMNH Graduate Student Fellowships Program. Students already matriculated in a Ph.D. program are not eligible to apply; only new, first-time Ph.D. applicants will be considered. 

Late applications and applications that do not conform entirely with our specifications will not be considered.

Notice of Non-Discrimination

The American Museum of Natural History is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. The Museum does not discriminate with respect to employment, or admission or access to Museum facilities, programs or activities on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, age, disability, marital status, partnership status, gender, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, pregnancy, alienage or citizenship status, current or former participation in the uniformed services, status as a veteran, or national or ethnic origin, or on account of any other basis prohibited by applicable City, State, or Federal law. If special accommodations are needed in applying for a position, please call the Office of Human Resources. 

Inquiries or complaints regarding any form of harassment, discrimination or retaliation may be directed to Benjamin Marzolf, the Museum’s Title IX Coordinator / Equal Opportunity Specialist, at [email protected] or 212-769-5316, or Kala Harinarayanan, Vice President of Human Resources, at [email protected] or 212-769-5226.

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