Climate Science & Climate Modeling Scholarships for 2026

January Deadlines

1. AMS Graduate Fellowships

Amount: $5,000 to $26,000 for a nine-month academic year, plus partial travel support to the AMS Annual Meeting.
Deadline: January 23, 2026.
Apply/info: AMS Graduate Fellowships

Why It Slaps: This is one of the cleanest direct fits on the whole list for climate-modeling students because AMS explicitly welcomes applicants not just from atmospheric science, but also from chemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental science, hydrology, mathematics, oceanography, and physics. That matters because a lot of the best climate-modeling students live in interdisciplinary programs and can get overlooked when scholarship lists are too narrow. If your work sits at the intersection of atmosphere, Earth systems, code, math, or simulation, this one is built for you.

2. NOAA Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship

Amount: Up to $9,500 per year for two years, plus a 10-week paid summer internship and travel/conference support.
Deadline: January 31, 2026.
Apply/info: NOAA Hollings Scholarship

Why It Slaps: For undergrads, this is elite because it does not just hand you money and disappear. It also gives you a paid NOAA experience, which is the kind of resume line that can change your trajectory if you want to work in climate science, forecasting, ocean-atmosphere systems, environmental data, or federal research. Climate students need real-world datasets, mentors, and institutional credibility, and Hollings brings all three in one package.

3. DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship

Amount: $45,000 yearly stipend, full tuition and required fees, plus an annual academic or professional allowance; renewable for up to four years.
Deadline: Mid-January; DOE materials describe the deadline as the second Wednesday in January.
Apply/info: DOE CSGF

Why It Slaps: If your version of climate science is high-performance computing, Earth-system simulation, numerical methods, data assimilation, or model-heavy doctoral work, this is a monster opportunity. Climate modeling is one of those fields where computational skill is not a side bonus; it is often the engine of the research itself. That makes DOE CSGF especially powerful for students building serious technical depth in simulation, large-scale computing, and scientific software.

February Deadlines

4. AMS First-Year Undergraduate Scholarship

Amount: $5,000 total, paid as $2,500 in freshman year and $2,500 in sophomore year if renewal conditions are met.
Deadline: February 6, 2026.
Apply/info: AMS First-Year Undergraduate Scholarship

Why It Slaps: This is one of the best “start early” climate-science scholarships because it targets students heading into college, not just juniors and seniors who already know the game. If you are a high school senior planning to study atmospheric science, hydrology, or a related Earth-system field, this gives you money before your college track record is even fully built. That early boost matters because climate students often need lab time, field exposure, software skills, and sometimes expensive coursework sooner than people realize.

5. Richard Grotjahn Research Fellowship in Extremes

Amount: $10,000 stipend.
Deadline: February 1, 2026.
Apply/info: Richard Grotjahn Research Fellowship in Extremes

Why It Slaps: Extreme events are where climate science gets very real, very fast. Heat waves, drought, flooding, compound events, and severe weather are exactly the areas where climate-modeling students can do work that is both scientifically deep and publicly relevant. This fellowship is especially strong because it funds a defined research project with a mentor, which can help you turn a vague “I’m interested in extremes” idea into a real paper, thesis chapter, or launchpad for graduate momentum.

6. GSA Graduate Student Research Grants

Amount: Up to $3,000.
Deadline: February 18, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. MST.
Apply/info: GSA Graduate Student Research Grants

Why It Slaps: Climate modeling does not live in a vacuum. The best modelers often need field data, geologic context, paleoclimate records, hydrologic evidence, sediment archives, or Earth-surface observations to validate or sharpen their work. That is why a geoscience research grant can be a smart climate-science move. This one is great for students whose climate research crosses into geoscience methods, land systems, cryosphere, water, hazards, or long-term Earth change.

March Deadlines

7. June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship in Atmospheric Sciences for Women

Amount: $1,000 scholarship, plus an award certificate; the AGU page also notes AccuWeather-supported equipment and mentorship opportunities.
Deadline: Submission window runs January 5 to March 13.
Apply/info: June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship

Why It Slaps: This is a strong fit for students who want a scholarship that is not just about grades but also about visibility, representation, and long-term belonging in atmospheric science. The program is built for women in atmospheric science and meteorology pathways, with a specific emphasis on applicants from groups that have been underrepresented. For a climate student, that makes this more than a money award. It is also a credibility signal that says your place in the field matters.

8. Edmond M. Dewan Young Scientist Scholarship

Amount: $1,000 scholarship.
Deadline: Submission window runs January 5 to March 13.
Apply/info: Edmond M. Dewan Young Scientist Scholarship

Why It Slaps: This one is broader than a pure climate scholarship, but it is still a smart fit for students working on atmospheric science problems with modeling, theory, or advanced quantitative methods. If your work touches atmospheric dynamics, upper-atmosphere processes, Earth-system interactions, or computational atmospheric research, it can absolutely belong in your stack. The smaller dollar amount also makes it a classic “don’t skip it” application because the topical fit is stronger than many generic STEM awards.

9. Roy J. Shlemon Scholarship Award

Amount: Varies by year; the program aims to award at least one scholarship for master’s-level research and one for doctoral-level research.
Deadline: March 31.
Apply/info: Roy J. Shlemon Scholarship Award

Why It Slaps: Climate research increasingly overlaps with environmental and engineering geology through wildfire aftermath, slope failure, sediment movement, groundwater stress, reservoir systems, coastal change, and hazard adaptation. If your climate work is applied rather than purely theoretical, this is the kind of adjacent funding that can actually be a better fit than a narrower “climate” label. Students working on risk, resilience, land change, or environment-facing geoscience should take this seriously.

10. NWAF Meteorological Satellite Applications Award Grant

Amount: $500 grant, free registration at the NWA Annual Meeting to present the paper, and a $500 travel and hotel stipend.
Deadline: March 26, 2026.
Apply/info: NWAF Meteorological Satellite Applications Award Grant

Why It Slaps: Satellite data is central to climate science now. Remote sensing supports everything from cloud studies to sea-surface temperature analysis to drought tracking and extreme-event evaluation. If you are the kind of student who likes working with imagery, retrievals, observations, or satellite-informed analysis, this is a highly relevant niche award. It also rewards actual technical communication, which is a huge advantage in climate careers.

April Deadlines

11. AMS Senior Named Scholarships

Amount: Approximately $2,000 to $10,000.
Deadline: April 1, 2026.
Apply/info: AMS Senior Named Scholarships

Why It Slaps: This is one of the best “you’ve proven yourself, now get paid” options for juniors heading into their final undergraduate year. Because it is rooted in atmospheric and related oceanic or hydrologic sciences, climate students fit naturally here. It is especially strong for applicants who can already show course rigor, research momentum, internships, or a clear career direction in weather, climate, water, or Earth-system science.

12. J. David Lowell Field Camp Scholarship

Amount: $3,000 per recipient for the 2026 summer field season.
Deadline: April 10, 2026.
Apply/info: J. David Lowell Field Camp Scholarship

Why It Slaps: Modelers still need the real world. Field experience is one of the fastest ways to understand how messy natural systems are compared with clean equations and neat simulations. If your climate interests connect to land processes, hydrology, sediment, paleoclimate clues, geomorphology, or environmental change, field camp can make you a sharper scientist. This scholarship helps pay for exactly that kind of grounding.

May Deadlines

13. Richard A. Herbert Memorial Scholarships

Amount: At least one $2,000 undergraduate scholarship and at least one $2,000 graduate scholarship.
Deadline: Applications accepted March 2 through May 1, 2026.
Apply/info: Richard A. Herbert Memorial Scholarships

Why It Slaps: Water is one of the most practical entry points into climate science. Hydroclimate, drought, flood risk, watershed change, groundwater stress, water quality, and resilience planning all sit right at the climate-water intersection. If your academic path leans toward hydrology, water resources, environmental modeling, or climate impacts on water systems, this is a highly strategic application. It is especially useful because it supports both undergraduate and graduate students.

14. UCAR Next Generation Fellowship

Amount: $40,000 over two years, plus research-visit funding, conference support, and professional development programming.
Deadline: May 31, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. MDT.
Apply/info: UCAR Next Generation Fellowship

Why It Slaps: This is one of the most exciting direct-fit programs for climate and Earth-system graduate students because UCAR sits so close to the real center of atmospheric and climate research. The money is good, but the bigger win is the ecosystem: research visits, conferences, cohort support, and professional development. For a climate-modeling student, that kind of network can be just as valuable as the dollars because it plugs you into the community where collaborations and post-grad opportunities often begin.

15. David Sankey Minority Scholarship in Meteorology

Amount: Up to $1,000.
Deadline: May 21.
Apply/info: David Sankey Minority Scholarship in Meteorology

Why It Slaps: This is a good stacking scholarship for climate and atmospheric students from underrepresented backgrounds who are already building serious momentum in the field. The amount is smaller than a federal fellowship, but that does not make it unimportant. Smaller targeted awards often have better fit and less chaotic applicant pools than giant national scholarships. For a climate student, this is exactly the kind of application that can strengthen both funding and your overall scholarship profile.

16. Dr. Roderick A. Scofield Scholarship in Meteorology

Amount: Up to $1,000.
Deadline: May 21.
Apply/info: Dr. Roderick A. Scofield Scholarship in Meteorology

Why It Slaps: This is a strong fit for upper-level undergrads or grad students who already know they are staying in atmospheric science and want another official field-specific award on their record. Climate science students often compete better when they stop chasing only broad STEM money and start collecting targeted discipline-based awards. Scofield fits that strategy really well, especially if your work overlaps weather-climate processes, forecasting science, satellite use, or atmospheric analysis.

17. Ken Reeves Memorial AccuWeather Undergraduate Scholarship in Meteorology

Amount: Up to $1,000.
Deadline: May 21.
Apply/info: Ken Reeves Memorial AccuWeather Undergraduate Scholarship

Why It Slaps: This one is undergrad-only, which is great because it removes some of the pressure of competing against graduate students with bigger research resumes. If you are a sophomore, junior, or senior studying meteorology or a related atmospheric field with climate interests, this is the kind of award that can help cover practical education costs while also showing discipline-specific recognition. Those smaller field awards add up financially and look great on future fellowship applications.

18. Bob Glahn Scholarship in Statistical Meteorology

Amount: Up to $2,500.
Deadline: May 21.
Apply/info: Bob Glahn Scholarship in Statistical Meteorology

Why It Slaps: This is one of the most on-brand awards in the whole guide for students doing quantitative climate work. Statistical meteorology overlaps naturally with climate analysis, model evaluation, bias correction, probabilistic methods, ensemble thinking, and data-heavy atmospheric research. If your strength is math, coding, or statistics and you want a scholarship that actually rewards that identity, this one deserves real attention.

September Deadlines

19. AGU Michael H. Freilich Student Visualization Competition

Amount: $3,000 grant for the grand prize, plus AGU Annual Meeting registration.
Deadline: September 10.
Apply/info: AGU Michael H. Freilich Student Visualization Competition

Why It Slaps: Climate science lives or dies on how well you can explain complex data. This award is perfect for students who are good at turning heavy Earth-system information into visuals people can actually understand. If you work with maps, time series, model outputs, geospatial data, or interactive science communication, this is more than a side contest. It is practice for a real career skill that climate researchers, analysts, journalists, and policy-facing scientists all need.

November Deadlines

20. NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)

Amount: $37,000 annual stipend plus a $16,000 cost-of-education allowance for each of three years of support over a five-year fellowship period.
Deadline: Field-specific November deadlines. In the latest published cycle, geosciences were due November 14, 2025, for the 2026 fellowship competition.
Apply/info: NSF GRFP

Why It Slaps: This is the blue-chip graduate fellowship for a lot of climate students because it gives you serious freedom, serious prestige, and serious flexibility. If your path includes climate modeling, geosciences, atmospheric science, hydrology, environmental physics, or data-heavy Earth-system research, GRFP is one of the most important applications you can make. Even when it is brutally competitive, it is worth the effort because the upside is huge and the writing process itself often sharpens your research identity.

Best Bets by Student Type

Best for high school seniors and incoming freshmen

AMS First-Year Undergraduate Scholarship is the cleanest direct hit here, because it is built for students entering college in atmospheric or related oceanic or hydrologic sciences.

Best for current undergrads

NOAA Hollings, AMS Senior Named Scholarships, the Herbert Scholarships, and the NWA undergraduate-friendly meteorology scholarships are the strongest mix of money, fit, and field recognition.

Best for grad students

DOE CSGF, NSF GRFP, UCAR Next Generation Fellowship, GSA Graduate Student Research Grants, and the Richard Grotjahn Research Fellowship in Extremes are the most valuable grad-focused plays in this niche.

Best for climate modelers specifically

AMS Graduate Fellowships, DOE CSGF, UCAR Next Generation Fellowship, NSF GRFP, the Bob Glahn Scholarship in Statistical Meteorology, and the Freilich visualization award are the most natural fits for students whose edge is modeling, math, code, statistics, or climate-data communication.

FAQs

What counts as a climate science scholarship?

For this topic, I counted awards that directly support atmospheric science, Earth-system science, hydrology, geoscience, remote sensing, climate-data work, or computational research used in climate modeling. That is why the guide includes AMS, NOAA, UCAR, AGU, GSA, AWRA, DOE, and NSF opportunities.

Can I apply if my major is not literally called “climate science”?

Yes. AMS explicitly encourages applicants from atmospheric sciences, chemistry, computer science, engineering, environmental science, hydrology, mathematics, oceanography, and physics, which is exactly why climate-modeling students should not self-reject just because their department name is different.

Are there good climate scholarships for underrepresented students?

Yes. The June Bacon-Bercey Scholarship is specifically designed for women in atmospheric science and meteorology pathways, with additional underrepresented-group criteria on the AGU page, and the David Sankey Minority Scholarship is another clear targeted option in meteorology.

Should climate students apply to water, geology, and satellite awards too?

Absolutely. Climate science is deeply tied to hydrology, field observations, geologic records, and remote sensing. That is why AWRA’s water-resources scholarship, GSA research funding, and NWA’s satellite award all make sense for many climate students even if the title does not say “climate” in giant letters.

Which deadline months are busiest?

January through May is the most crowded stretch in this list. AMS, NOAA, DOE, GSA, AGU, AWRA, UCAR, and the NWA Foundation all show major opportunities in that early-year window.

Are the smaller $1,000 awards worth it?

Yes. Smaller field-specific awards can be easier to fit, easier to stack, and better for your resume than generic sweepstakes-style money. On this list, several $1,000 to $2,500 awards are highly targeted to atmospheric and climate-adjacent students, which often makes them smarter applications than random broad scholarships.

What is the smartest application strategy for this topic?

Start with the highest-fit and highest-value awards first: NOAA Hollings for undergrads, AMS programs for atmosphere-focused students, DOE CSGF and NSF GRFP for quantitative grad students, UCAR for Earth-system grad students, and then stack the smaller NWA, AGU, AWRA, and GSA opportunities around them. That gives you a balanced mix of prestige, probability, and total dollars.