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Scholarships for bioethics give advanced students the financial backing to examine questions of moral philosophy in the medical field. According to The Hastings Center, there are currently 47 graduate schools across the U.S. and Canada offering master’s and/or doctoral study in bioethics. Since the term was introduced by UW Professor Van Rensselaer Potter in 1971, bioethics has grown to evaluate the ethical implications of healthcare options.
Bioethicists generally work as researchers, professors, or clinical consultants to address various healthcare issues, such as stem cell therapy, reproductive technology, life support, cloning, cryonics, and psychosurgery, from a humanistic approach. The BLS reports that medical science jobs, including bioethics, will grow by 8 percent by 2024.
Post-baccalaureate scholars can utilize these 25 bioethics scholarships to enter this unique healthcare specialty.
1. Alden March Bioethics Institute Fellowship
Deadline: January 31st
Founded by John A. Balint, M.D., in 1993, the Alden March Bioethics Institute at the ACGME-accredited Albany Medical College offers a 12-month fellowship with a $42,500 stipend to clinicians who will provide ethics consultation services. Eligible fellows must hold at least a master’s degree in bioethics or pursue Albany’s Doctorate of Professional Studies in Bioethics and have licensed healthcare experience. Applications must include a resume/CV, personal statement, and two recommendations.
Contact
Alden March Bioethics Institute Fellowship
43 New Scotland Avenue
Albany, NY 12208
(518) 262-3125
bioethics@mail.amc.edu
2. BCBSM Foundation Student Award Program
Deadline: April 30th
The Blue Cross Blue Shield Michigan (BCBSM) Foundation funds the Student Award Program yearly to bestow $3,000 upon the state’s doctoral students pursuing PhD, DrPH, MD, and DO degrees in diverse specialties, including bioethics. Eligible candidates must be conducting applied research projects, such as a dissertation, with human subjects to enhance healthcare in Michigan and beyond. Don’t forget to submit an endorsement letter, three-page proposal, transcript, resume, and biographical sketch.
Contact
BCBSM Foundation Student Award Program
600 Lafayette East, Suite 520
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 225-8706
foundation@bcbsm.com
3. Cardiothoracic Ethics Forum Scholarship
Deadline: July 1st
Since 2000, the Cardiothoracic Ethics Forum has partnered with the American Board of Thoracic Surgery to award this $10,000 scholarship for CT surgeons interested in obtaining formal education in bioethics or medical ethics. Qualified ABTS members must hold a medical degree, exhibit promise for creating ethics-related questions, submit a resume of surgical experience, and attach a 500-word plan of study. Previous recipients have attended Georgetown, Columbia, Harvard, and more.
Contact
Cardiothoracic Ethics Forum Scholarship
800 Cummings Center, Suite 350V
Beverly, MA 01915
(978) 252-8330
info@abts.org
4. Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Fellowship
Deadline: November 15th
Named for the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine’s benefactress, the Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Fellowship awards $25,000 for 12 months of full-time dissertation writing from September to August by the Woodrow Wilson National Fellowship Foundation (WWNFF). Bioethics Ph.D. students could qualify if they’ve obtained ABD status at an accredited U.S. graduate school and proposed a dissertation that explores the ethical implications, values, and moral codes guiding medicine.
Contact
Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Fellowship
P.O. Box 5281
Princeton, NJ 08543
(609) 452-7007
newcombe@woodrow.org
5. Children’s Mercy Bioethics Center Scholarships
Deadline: December 15th
The Center for Bioethics at Children’s Mercy Kansas City offers several full-tuition scholarships for clinicians who are pursuing the Certificate in Pediatric Bioethics online with monthly live webinars and mentoring. Funding is reserved for trained doctors, nurses, social workers, and child life specialists from ISI developing countries, such as Indonesia, Ecuador, and Ukraine. Interested individuals should submit a one-page essay explaining their pediatric bioethics interests and two professional letters of recommendation.
Contact
Children’s Mercy Bioethics Center Scholarships
2401 Gillham Road
Kansas City, MO 64108
(816) 234-3000
cmbc@cmh.edu
6. Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowship
Deadline: April 15th or November 15th
Administered by JPMorgan Chase Bank, the Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowship gifts full tuition with an $18,000 stipend yearly to honor the Armenian philanthropist who actively supported research at Rockefeller University. Graduate students of any national descent who hold U.S. citizenship could qualify to fund training in the social or natural sciences, including medicine and bioethics. There are over 85 participating institutions, such as Duke, Fordham, Penn State, and Johns Hopkins.
Contact
Dolores Zohrab Liebmann Fellowship
P.O. Box 227237
Dallas, TX 75222
tina.gonzalez@jpmorgan.com
7. Downing-Montague Scholarship Fund
Deadline: Varies
At Western Washington University, the College of Humanities & Social Sciences has the Downing-Montague Scholarship Fund to present $1,500 each year upon students who displays promise at the junctions of philosophy and healthcare, especially bioethics. Qualified recipients will be continuing juniors or seniors, take 12+ credits per term, maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher in philosophy coursework, and intend to attend an accredited U.S. grad school.
Contact
Downing-Montague Scholarship Fund
Bond Hall 302B
516 High Street
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 650-3860
ryan.wasserman@wwu.edu
8. Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics
Deadline: February 10th
Named for the Auschwitz survivor who became the founding Chairman for the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council, the Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics provides $5,000 for first-place, $2,500 for second-place, and $1,500 for third-place winners. Any full-time juniors and seniors at accredited U.S. institutions can enter the competition. Students’ essays of 3,000 to 4,000 words are judged based on the clear articulation of ethical dilemmas in various fields, including bioethics.
Contact
Elie Wiesel Foundation Prize in Ethics
555 Madison Avenue, 20th Floor
New York, NY 10022
(212) 490-7788
info@eliewieselfoundation.org
9. Gallagher Student Health Careers Scholarship
Deadline: May 5th
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., the world’s third-largest insurance brokerage, started the Student Health Careers Scholarship in 2001 to provide six college scholars with $7,500 in two equal installments. Applicants must be graduating with a bachelor’s degree from a campus-based accredited U.S. institution in the next two years to pursue health professions. Suitable majors will include nursing, biology, child development, health science, and chemistry, perhaps with a bioethics minor.
Contact
Gallagher Student Health Careers Scholarship
500 Victory Road
Quincy, MA 02171
(617) 770-9889
info@gallagherstudent.com
10. Harold O.J. Brown Bioethics Scholarship
Deadline: May 1st
Trinity International University’s Graduate School sponsors the Harold O.J. Brown Bioethics Scholarship for up to $6,500 to financially bolster post-bachelor’s students who are accepted into the 30-credit M.A. in Bioethics program. Eligibility criteria requires taking at least one course in Deerfield or online each semester, carrying a minimum GPA of 3.0 overall, and undertake work where philosophy or ministry and contemporary issues of healthcare intersect.
Contact
Harold O.J. Brown Bioethics Scholarship
2065 Half Day Road
Deerfield, IL 60015
(847) 945-8800
aoppongmensah@tiu.edu
11. Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellowships
Deadline: September 1st
The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) has invested nearly $23.4 million in its International Student Research Fellowships, which are granted to 20 pre-doctoral scholars from diverse global nations each year. Claiming this $43,000 stipend requires being a non-U.S. citizen, enrolling in your third to fifth-year of a graduate school in America, and selecting biomedical science disciplines like bioethics. Recent fellows attend Harvard, Cornell, Baylor, Stanford, UC San Diego, and more.
Contact
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Fellowships
4000 Jones Bridge Road
Chevy Chase, MD 20815
(301) 215-8511
predoc@hhmi.org
12. IHS Humane Studies Fellowship Program
Deadline: February 12th
Worth up to $15,000, the Institute for Humane Studies (IHS) Humane Studies Fellowship is a non-residency program supporting PhD candidates at accredited U.S. institutions who have research interests in liberty-advancing fields. To apply, submit a curriculum vitae, transcript, maximum 3,000-word writing sample, 500-word research project proposal, and two references. Past dissertation topics have included market-based environmental policy, patient autonomy in bioethics, and legal property rights.
Contact
IHS Humane Studies Fellowship Program
3434 Washington Blvd., MS 1C5
Arlington, VA 22201
(703) 993-4880
funding@theihs.org
13. J.T. Barton Jr. Ethics Essay Scholarship
Deadline: April 16th
Celebrating its 16th year, the Robert J. Rutland Institute for Ethics at Clemson University sponsors the J.T. Barton Jr. Ethics Essay Scholarship contest to provide three prizes from $500 to $1,500 for full-time, currently enrolled undergraduates. Entrants select from five essay prompts, including one that asks future bioethicists whether healthcare providers should honor VSED in advanced dementia patients. Accepted essays must be typed, double-spaced, and less than 1,500 words.
Contact
J.T. Barton Jr. Ethics Essay Scholarship
240 Hardin Hall
Clemson, SC 29634
(864) 656-2473
jwareha@clemson.edu
14. Leonard Berlin Scholarship in Medical Ethics
Deadline: November 14th
The American Roentgen Ray Society (ARRS) offers the Leonard Berlin Scholarship in Medical Ethics for up to $50,000 per year or $100,000 total to licensed physicians with a M.D. or D.O. degree from an accredited institution. Funding can defray costs of tuition, course materials, and hands-on research concerning bioethics, patient safety, medico-legal principles, or overall medical professionalism. Radiologists should submit a current CV, three-page project summary, estimated budget, and nominating letter.
Contact
Leonard Berlin Scholarship in Medical Ethics
44211 Slatestone Court
Leesburg, VA 20176
(703) 729-3353
scholarships@arrs.org
15. Mark S. Ehrenreich Prize in Healthcare Ethics
Deadline: April 20th
At the University of Southern California, the Gould School of Law partners with the International Association of Bioethics (IAB) to award the Mark S. Ehrenreich Prize in Healthcare Ethics for $1,500 annually. Eligible candidates will be early-career professionals with a doctorate or professional degree, such as a Master of Bioethics, who provide a 500-word abstract for healthcare ethics research they’ve authored via a Word document.
Contact
Mark S. Ehrenreich Prize in Healthcare Ethics
699 Exposition Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90089
(213) 740-2523
mmiller@law.usc.edu
16. Mary A. Mades Volunteer Scholarship Award
Deadline: March 30th
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC), the Boston-based Level I trauma center with nearly $200 million in annual research funding, grants the Mary A. Mades Volunteer Scholarship Award through the Special Funds Office. The $1,500, service-based scholarship is reserved for outstanding volunteers with a minimum of 125 hours who are pursuing healthcare degrees at accredited U.S. institutions. Accepted majors range from nursing and speech therapy to bioethics and pharmacology.
Contact
Mary A. Mades Volunteer Scholarship Award
330 Brookline Avenue
Boston, MA 02215
617) 667-3026
sklawson@bidmc.harvard.edu
17. Miles Brand Endowed Fellowship in Bioethics
Deadline: February 1st
In collaboration with the Melvin and Bren Simon Cancer Center, the College of Liberal Arts at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis provides the Miles Brand Endowed Fellowship in Bioethics with a $10,000 stipend and health/dental insurance. New or returning students must be enrolling full-time in the Philosophy M.A. program with the Bioethics or International Research Ethics Concentration. Applications must include a two-page proposal outlining a bioethical problem they’ll investigate.
Contact
Miles Brand Endowed Fellowship in Bioethics
425 University Blvd.
Indianapolis, IN 46202
(317) 274-1456
libarts@iupui.edu
18. NIH Department of Bioethics Fellowships
Deadline: January 15th
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Clinical Center’s Department of Bioethics awards a limited number of pre-doctoral fellowships for students at accredited U.S. institutions who will obtain a PhD, JD, or MD degree. Qualifying applicants must have completed a bachelor’s degree no more than three years prior, be committed to scholarship for bioethics, exhibit strong analytical thinking skills, have high academic achievement with a minimum 3.0 GPA, and provide a 1,000-word goals statement.
Contact
NIH Department of Bioethics Fellowships
10 Center Drive, Room 1C118
Bethesda, MD 20892
(301) 496-2429
bioethics-inquiries@mail.nih.gov
19. ONS Ethics Career Development Award
Deadline: November 1st
The Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) Foundation gifts the one-time Ethics Career Development Award for $3,000 to support advanced registered nurses who are attending continuing education programs to gain knowledge in healthcare ethics, or bioethics. Eligible RNs must be affiliated with accredited U.S. graduate schools, practice at least 75 percent in oncology nursing, submit two references, and provide a research proposal concerning ethical issues in cancer treatment.
Contact
ONS Ethics Career Development Award
125 Enterprise Drive
Pittsburgh, PA 15275
(412) 859-6100
clinical@ons.org
20. Richard Geyser Memorial Ethics Scholarship
Deadline: April 15th
The San Diego Chapter of the Parents, Families and Friends of Lesbians and Gays (PFLAG) started the Richard Geyser Memorial Ethics Scholarship to gift $2,000 to outstanding bachelor’s and graduate students. Deserving applicants must identify as LGBT, attend U.S. higher education, permanently reside in California’s San Diego County, and carry a 3.0 GPA or better. Applications must include a 1,000-word essay describing an ethical issue affecting gay people, such as the bioethical dimensions of HIV/AIDS.
Contact
Richard Geyser Memorial Ethics Scholarship
P.O. Box 827624
San Diego, CA 92138
(888) 398-0006
scholarships@pflag.com
21. Rick and Sherry Murray Medical Futures Scholarship
Deadline: July 13th
Valued at $5,000, the Rick and Sherry Murray Medical Future Scholarship is donated by the ALS Association Florida Chapter to outstanding students who’ve had spouses, parents, or grandparents diagnosed with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Florida residents must be pursuing accredited U.S. undergraduate or graduate programs for medical disciplines, such as bioethics, with a minimum 2.5 GPA. Submit an official transcript, 500-word essay, and two recommendations to qualify.
Contact
Rick and Sherry Murray Medical Futures Scholarship
3242 Parkside Center Circle
Tampa, FL 33619
(888) 257-1717 ext. 101
gharrison@alsafl.org
22. Rotary Club of Erie Ethics Scholarship
Deadline: April 15th
Sponsored by the Merwin Foundation, the Rotary Club of Erie Ethics Scholarship distributes $2,500 yearly to college students from Northwest Pennsylvania who will be enrolling full-time in an accredited U.S. institution this Fall. Eligible entrants must type a double-spaced, five-page essay outlining an ethical dilemma that they’ve faced, whether related to medicine or not. Recipients are judged primarily on content and grammar, then announced at the Rotary Club’s Ethics Symposium.
Contact
Rotary Club of Erie Ethics Scholarship
P.O. Box 1424
Erie, PA 16512
clubinfo@erierotary.org
23. Terry Seidler Bioethics Scholarship
Deadline: November 1st
At Loyola Marymount University, the Terry Seidler Bioethics Scholarship awards at least $2,000 to graduate students registering for 6+ credits in the Master of Arts or Graduate Certificate in Bioethics programs. For admission, individuals must have finished a bachelor’s degree at an accredited U.S. institution, graduated with a 3.0 GPA or better, and successfully passed the GRE or MAT exam. Applications need a transcript and one-page typed essay of relevant accomplishments.
Contact
Terry Seidler Bioethics Scholarship
1 LMU Drive, Suite 4517
Los Angeles, CA 90045
(310) 258-5416
Gianna.McMillan@lmu.edu
24. Tylenol Future Care Scholarship Program
Deadline: June 30th
McNeil Consumer Healthcare, the long-time Johnson & Johnson medical products subsidiary, founded the Tylenol Future Care Scholarship Program to grant 30 awards for $5,000, 10 prizes for $10,000, and up to 20 scholarships for $2,500 each summer. Interested undergrad or graduate students from the U.S. or Puerto Rico could receive funding for health-related education, including bioethics majors. Recipients are chosen based on GPA, medical experience, community involvement, and their personal essays.
Contact
Tylenol Future Care Scholarship Program
7050 Camp Hill Road
Fort Washington, PA 19034
(866) 851-4275
Tylenol@applyists.com
25. Winston Graduate Health Policy Fellowship
Deadline: October 13th
Named after President Reagan’s adviser who served as Director of the California Department of Health, the David A. Winston Graduate Health Policy Fellowship grants $10,000 yearly. United States citizens who are starting their second or third graduate year in any AUPHA-member program, including those in bioethics, who display academic excellence and policy interests. To apply, send a resume, 1,000-word personal statement, transcript, and three letters of recommendation.
Contact
Winston Graduate Health Policy Fellowship
1341 G Street NW, 11th Floor
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 585-0288
info@winstonfellowship.org
Bioethics is an exciting discipline that blends philosophy with the life sciences to protect people’s welfare in healthcare. According to Salary.com, clinical ethicists report a median annual wage of $71,583. Average salaries rise higher for bioethics graduates who also attend medical school ($208,000) or law school ($118,160). Pursuing the requisite advanced education in bioethics can set you back hundreds of thousands without proper funding though. Lower your out-of-pocket expenses by considering these 25 scholarships for bioethics and other healthcare programs like the NHSC Loan Repayment Program.
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