Google.org awards $13 million to 148 PhD fellows across 38 countries

• Google.org is providing $13 million to 148 new PhD fellows across 38 countries for the 2026 program.
• Fellows receive direct funding, access to compute resources, and entry into a global scientific peer network.
• Research areas include medical imaging, natural language processing for Nigerian languages, and efficient microchip design.
• Since 2009, the program has supported more than 1,100 graduate students worldwide.

Research Focus

• Health and life sciences projects include integrating genetic data in Brazil and improving medical-imaging neural networks in South Africa.
• Inclusive systems work covers speech recognition for Nigerian languages and accessible security tools for Deaf communities in Germany.
• AI and hardware projects involve designing faster microchips in Taiwan and testing quantum theory.

Program Scope

• The fellowship provides resources to pursue high-risk, high-reward foundational science.
• Alumni of the program include tenured professors, startup founders, and research leaders at Google.