All GGD students receive full support for the period of time typically needed to complete the program (between 5-6 years), as long as they are making satisfactory progress in all aspects of their program (academic, research and teaching). This support includes a stipend, full tuition as well as individual medical insurance. (Supplemental family health insurance, dental, and vision insurance is also available for the students to purchase).

This support comes from a variety of sources.  The Field of GGD has received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with our Pre-doctoral Training Grant in Genetics, Genomics & Development, which can support domestic students (U.S. citizens and Permanent Residents).  A limited number of Cornell Fellowships and Weill Institute Awards are awarded on a competitive basis to domestic and international applicants.  The Field also participates in the Presidential Life Sciences Fellowship program, which allows the Admissions Committee to nominate excellent students for this competitive award.

The Field of GGD is also a participant in a number of fellowship opportunities available for under-represented minority and diversity students administered in other units at Cornell.  The Admissions Committee nominates outstanding under-represented-minority and diversity students for highly-competitive fellowships awarded through the Graduate School Office of Inclusion & Student Engagement (OISE) and the Cornell Sloan Diversity Fellowship Program.  These fellowships require not only an excellent application, but a supplemental diversity essay submitted in the application.

Support in subsequent years generally takes the form of Graduate Research Assistantships or Teaching Assistantships.  Many GGD graduate students are successful in obtaining their own fellowships from such places as the National Science Foundation.