LGBTQ+ Researchers

Strong, community-focused support network with both STEM-specific and field-agnostic funding opportunities.

šŸ“Š Overview

  • Two Primary Types: STEM-specific and field-agnostic support
  • Community Evolution: Organizations like NOGLSTP ā†’ ā€œOut to Innovateā€ for broader inclusion
  • Funding Range: $1,000 - $100,000+
  • Corporate Partnerships: Strong support from tech companies (Google, Microsoft, Veralto, Ansys)

STEM-Specific Support

Out to Innovate Scholarships

Organization: Out to Innovate (f.k.a. NOGLSTP) Amount: $2,500 Deadline: May (annually) Eligibility: LGBTQ+ & ally undergraduate students in STEM

Important: This program is now for undergraduates only. Graduate students should apply to the Career Development Fellowship.

Out to Innovate Career Development Fellowship

Organization: Out to Innovate Amount: $2,000 - $5,000 Deadline: Rolling Eligibility: LGBTQ+ & ally graduate students and postdocs in STEM

NEW PROGRAM for graduate students and postdoctoral researchers. Awards support research-related expenses (conference travel, materials, training). Does not cover personal expenses like rent or salary.

Amy A. Ross Scholarship in Bioscience

Organization: Out to Innovate Amount: Varies Deadline: May (annually) Eligibility: Applicants committed to LGBTQ+ visibility in biosciences

Specialized scholarship within the Out to Innovate portfolio for students demonstrating commitment to LGBTQ+ visibility in the biological sciences.

oSTEM Scholarship Program

Organization: oSTEM (Out in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) Amount: $2,500 - $5,000 Deadline: Multiple deadlines Eligibility: LGBTQ+ & ally students at all levels in STEM

Multiple Scholarships Available:

  • Veralto Scholarships for LGBTQ+ Excellence in STEM - $5,000
  • Actalent Engineering: Queer Excellence Scholarships - $5,000
  • Ansys Scholarships - $4,500
  • oSTEM-Funded Scholarships - $2,500 (community college, undergraduate, graduate)

oSTEM Grad School Application Funding

Organization: oSTEM Amount: Varies (covers application fees) Deadline: Rolling Eligibility: LGBTQ+ & ally students applying to STEM graduate programs

Micro-grants designed to alleviate the significant financial barrier of graduate school application fees, which disproportionately affect LGBTQ+ students.

Field-Agnostic Support

These grants support LGBTQ+ students in any field of study, not just STEM.

Point Foundation Flagship Scholarship

Organization: Point Foundation Amount: Varies (need-based, multi-year) Deadline: January (annually) Eligibility: LGBTQ+ & ally students (undergraduate, graduate, professional degrees)

The largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ+ students of merit in the United States.

Comprehensive support including:

  • Multi-year financial support
  • Mentorship
  • Leadership development
  • Access to community of scholars and alumni

Point Foundation Access Scholarship

Organization: Point Foundation Amount: Varies (need-based) Deadline: January (annually) Eligibility: LGBTQ+ & ally students who are first-generation and/or low-income

Intersectional Program specifically targeting LGBTQ+ and ally students who face additional obstacles:

  • First in family to earn bachelorā€™s degree (first-generation)
  • From low-income backgrounds

PFund Scholarship

Organization: PFund Foundation Amount: Varies Deadline: January (annually) Eligibility: LGBTQ+ students from Upper Midwest (IA, MN, ND, SD, WI)

Financial support for LGBTQ+ students from the Upper Midwest region at all stages of education.

Gamma Mu Foundation Scholarship

Organization: Gamma Mu Foundation Amount: Varies Deadline: Varies Eligibility: Gay men pursuing higher education

Provides support to gay men who wish to further their education at a college, university, or vocational training program.

Point Foundation Community College Scholarship

Organization: Point Foundation Amount: $4,800/year Deadline: November (annually) Eligibility: LGBTQ+ & ally community college students

One-year program with coaching and transfer guidance for community college students. Includes support for transferring to four-year institutions. Less intensive than the Flagship program but provides critical bridge funding for students at two-year colleges.

Pride Foundation Scholarships

Organization: Pride Foundation Amount: Average $6,700 (up to $31,500 total possible) Deadline: January 9 (annually) Eligibility: LGBTQ+ residents of AK, ID, MT, OR, WA

60+ named scholarship funds for Pacific Northwest LGBTQ+ students. Single application gives access to all funds. Covers undergraduate, graduate, and vocational/technical programs. One of the largest regional LGBTQ+ scholarship programs in the US.

Geographic Focus: Alaska, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington

Academic Research Fellowships

CLAGS Duberman-Zal Fellowship

Organization: Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS), CUNY Amount: $3,000 Deadline: December 2 (annually) Eligibility: Graduate students, independent scholars, adjuncts conducting scholarly research on LGBTQ experience

For scholarly research on LGBTQ experience. University affiliation not necessaryā€”open to independent scholars. Supports archival research, fieldwork, or other research activities.

CLAGS Fellowship Award

Organization: Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS), CUNY Amount: Varies Deadline: December 2 (annually) Eligibility: Grad students, academics, independent scholars

For dissertations, first book manuscripts, or second book manuscripts in LGBTQ studies. Supports completion of major scholarly work advancing LGBTQ studies.

CLAGS Scholar-in-Residence Fellowship

Organization: Center for LGBTQ Studies (CLAGS), CUNY Amount: No monetary stipend (office space & library access) Deadline: June 1 or October 1 (semi-annual) Eligibility: Graduate students through faculty

Up to 6 months residence at CLAGS with office space and full CUNY library access. No stipend, but provides invaluable research access and community. Ideal for scholars needing archival access in NYC.

Yale LGBT Studies Research Fellowship

Organization: Yale University Amount: $4,000 Deadline: Late June (annually) Eligibility: Graduate students, independent scholars, faculty

One-month fellowship at Yale. Minimum 20 days residence required. Access to Yale libraries and LGBTQ studies resources. Supports research using Yaleā€™s collections.

ONE Archives LGBTQ Research Fellowship

Organization: ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at USC Amount: Up to $1,500 Deadline: March 1 (check current year) Eligibility: Faculty, graduate students, independent scholars

For on-site research at the largest LGBTQ repository globally. ONE Archives houses 2 million items documenting LGBTQ history. Fellowship covers travel, lodging, and research expenses for scholars using the collection.

Discipline-Specific Research Grants

AHA LGBTQ+ History Research Grants

Organization: American Historical Association (AHA) Amount: Up to $500 Deadline: February 15 (annually) Eligibility: AHA members; preference to doctoral students and untenured faculty

Supports research in LGBTQ+ history across all temporal and geographic fields. Small but crucial grants for archival travel, copying documents, or other research expenses.

Roy Scrivner Memorial Research Grant

Organization: American Psychological Foundation Amount: Up to $12,000 Deadline: November 1 (annually) Eligibility: Graduate investigators; preference to dissertation stage

For study of LGBTQIA+ family psychology and therapy. Supports empirical research that advances understanding of LGBTQ+ family dynamics, relationships, and therapeutic interventions.

Wayne F. Placek Grants

Organization: American Psychological Foundation Amount: Up to $15,000 each (two grants annually) Deadline: May 1 (annually) Eligibility: Doctoral-level researchers or graduate students

For empirical research on LGBTQIA+ issues from behavioral/social sciences perspective. Two grants awarded annually. Supports rigorous quantitative or qualitative research advancing LGBTQ+ psychology.

Kinsey Institute Scholars of Sexology Fellowship

Organization: Kinsey Institute, Indiana University Amount: $5,000 Deadline: February 14 (annually) Eligibility: Graduate students in U.S. programs

For research using Kinsey Institute library and archival materials. Fellows conduct 2-4 week research period on-site. Access to one of the worldā€™s premier sexuality research collections.

Williams Institute Summer Law Fellowship

Organization: Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law Amount: Up to $6,000 Deadline: Early February (annually) Eligibility: Law students (1L-LLM) or recent graduates

10 weeks full-time work in sexual orientation and gender identity law and policy. Work with leading scholars on cutting-edge LGBTQ+ legal issues. Includes research, writing, and policy analysis.

Williams Institute Summer Social Science Fellowship

Organization: Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law Amount: Stipend provided (varies) Deadline: March 17 (annually) Eligibility: UCLA upper-level undergraduates and graduate students

Work with senior scholars on LGBTQ law and policy research from social science perspective. Supports empirical research on LGBTQ+ demographics, economics, health, and social issues.

Corporate & Research Grants

Microsoft Research Dissertation Grant

Organization: Microsoft Amount: $25,000 Deadline: September (annually) Eligibility: Ph.D. students in computing from diverse backgrounds (explicitly includes LGBTQI+)

Major grant for Ph.D. students from underrepresented groups, including LGBTQI+ individuals, in computing-related fields.

Ben Barres Spotlight Awards

Organization: eLife (journal) Amount: Up to $5,000 Deadline: Rolling applications Eligibility: Scientists from underrepresented groups (LGBTQ+, women, researchers in developing countries) globally

Named after Dr. Ben Barres, a transgender neurobiologist, these awards support activities that advance a researcherā€™s work and visibility. Funds can be used for conference travel, research equipment, or other needs not covered by traditional grants.

Launched: 2018 to highlight and uplift researchers who contribute to diversity in science.

International (UK)

Royal Society of Chemistry LGBT+ Inclusion Grant

Organization: Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) Amount: Varies Deadline: Rolling Eligibility: Researchers studying LGBT+ attrition/retention in STEM (UK)

Funds pilot research studies investigating the attrition and retention of LGBT+ groups in STEM fields. Demonstrates data-driven commitment to inclusion.

šŸ“‹ Complete Grant Table

Grant Name Organization Amount Type Field Link
Point Foundation Flagship Point Foundation Varies Multi-year Any Apply
Point Foundation Access Point Foundation Varies Intersectional Any Apply
Out to Innovate Scholarships Out to Innovate $2,500 Undergrad STEM Apply
Out to Innovate Career Dev Out to Innovate $2,000-$5,000 Grad/Postdoc STEM Apply
oSTEM Scholarships oSTEM $2,500-$5,000 All Levels STEM Apply
oSTEM Grad App Funding oSTEM Varies Pre-Grad STEM Apply
PFund Scholarship PFund Foundation Varies All Levels Any Apply
Microsoft Dissertation Grant Microsoft $25,000 PhD Computing Apply

šŸŒŸ Key Organizations & Communities

Out to Innovate (f.k.a. NOGLSTP)

Premier professional society for LGBTQ+ people in STEM. Offers advocacy, networking, and funding.

Why the name change? To be ā€œall inclusiveā€¦ so that all LGBTQ+ people in STEM will know that they are welcome.ā€

oSTEM

Major professional society with strong corporate partnerships. Large, multi-faceted scholarship program.

Point Foundation

Largest scholarship-granting organization for LGBTQ+ students in the US. Emphasis on mentorship and leadership.

šŸ’” Application Strategy

For STEM Students:

  1. Apply to oSTEM Scholarships (multiple opportunities)
  2. Consider Out to Innovate (undergrad vs. career dev)
  3. If in biosciences, apply for Amy A. Ross Scholarship

For All Fields:

  1. Point Foundation should be first priority (largest, most comprehensive)
  2. If first-gen/low-income, apply to Point Access (intersectional)
  3. Regional students: check PFund (Upper Midwest)

For Grad School Applicants:

  • Use oSTEM Grad App Funding to cover application fees
  • Then apply to Out to Innovate Career Dev once enrolled

šŸ”— Related Opportunities

Also see:

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