Josephine de Karman Fellowship

The Josephine de Karman Fellowship Trust was established in 1954 by the late Dr. Theodore von Karman in memory of his sister, Josephine, who died in 1951 in Pasadena. The purpose of this Fellowship program is to recognize and assist students whose scholastic achievements reflect Dr. von Karman’s high standards.

In 2023, the Pasadena Community Foundation became the steward of the Josephine de Karman legacy. PCF will oversee the Fellowship awards going forward in partnership with a selection committee of qualified PhD application reviewers. The purpose of the fellowship award is to assist outstanding PhD students in their final year as they prepare to defend their dissertation.

Eligibility

Only applications from final-year PhD students enrolled at one of the following universities will be accepted:

• California Institute of Technology
• Stanford University
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of California, Davis
• University of California, Irvine
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of California, Riverside
• University of California, San Diego
• University of California, Santa Barbara
• University of California, Santa Cruz
• University of Southern California

The de Karman Fellowships are open to PhD students in any discipline, including international students, who are currently enrolled in one of the California universities listed above. Only PhD candidates who will defend their dissertation in or about June 2027 are eligible for consideration for a fellowship.

Undergraduate students, master’s degree students, JD candidates, and postdoctoral scholars are not eligible for consideration.

Special consideration will be given to applicants in the Humanities.

Potential applicants should note that the competition for de Karman Fellowships is extreme. To be competitive, applicants should have outstanding letters of recommendation, significant early scholarly contributions, and have completed a significant portion of the dissertation at the time of application.

Eligible Fellowship candidates can apply online on PCF’s Scholarship Portal. The 2026-2027 application will open no later than August 1, 2025.

Additional reporting requirements post-award are provided on the Scholarship Portal:

Applications are due 11:59 PM Pacific Time, January 29, 2026. Late applications will not be considered. Announcement of 2026-2027 award recipients will be made in May 2026.