Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship North America 2027
Qualcomm pays $50,000 per student to PhD teams of two at 25 US and Canadian universities. Abstracts are due October 19, 2026.
The Qualcomm Innovation Fellowship North America 2027 is open to teams of two PhD students. Winning students receive a cash award of $50,000 each. The money goes to the university academic department of each winning student, not to the student directly, and can be used for research expenses during the program year. Qualcomm also provides mentors to the winners.
Both students must be enrolled in a PhD program for the whole Fall 2027 to Spring 2028 academic year. At least one of them must be from an electrical engineering or computer science department or a related department. The program is open to PhD students at 25 named universities in the US and Canada, including MIT, Stanford, UC Berkeley, Carnegie Mellon, the University of Toronto and the University of Waterloo. The two students may come from different universities.
The first step is an application with a one page abstract, a letter from one or two faculty members, a CV for each student and a signed copy of the official rules, all in one zip file. The submission site opened on September 21, 2026, and the deadline is October 19, 2026 at 10:00 PST. Late submissions are not accepted.
Selected teams are announced between November 3 and 11, 2026 and then write a three page proposal, due December 1, 2026. Finalists are announced in January 2027, present their work and a poster to Qualcomm researchers in March 2027, and winners are announced in April 2027.
The research areas listed by Qualcomm include generative and foundation models, embodied AI and robotics, compilers for machine learning, AI for wireless networks, security, and chip and circuit design. Reviewers are Qualcomm researchers, and the faculty recommendation is an important factor in judging.
Quick answers
How much does it pay?
Cash awards of $50,000 per Entrant, paid to the university academic department. It is a grant and takes no equity.
When is the deadline?
The deadline is 19 October 2026.
Who can apply?
Teams of two PhD students at one of 25 named universities in the US and Canada, enrolled for the whole Fall 2027 to Spring 2028 academic year. At least one team member must be from an electrical engineering or computer science department or a related department. It is limited to applicants in North America, CA.
How do I apply?
Through the official page at extsfdccos.qualcomm.com. The link is at the top of this page.