A graduate fellowship will fund 48 international doctoral students in the United States and is seeking another 50 awardees in early September. Recognizing that graduate students from abroad often have trouble securing funding, the Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) in Chevy Chase, Maryland, established the programme, an annual US$2-million commitment, this year. The fellowship provides $43,000 a year for science and engineering PhD students in their third, fourth and fifth years of graduate school. Candidates, who must demonstrate creativity and innovation, are nominated by their institution. “We're looking for superstars,” says Maryrose Franko, HHMI senior programme officer for graduate science education. “We expect these people will become scientific leaders.”