So you started working on your award application, but you are unsure of how your research project advances the goals of the funding agency. What do you do? In a grant or fellowship application, you will want to make a compelling connection between your research and the goals of the granting institution. However, to learn this […]
Planning for Travel Funding
Does your research require travel to a research site? There are a wide range of grants and fellowships that fund dissertation research at archives, ethnographic work, and scientific training abroad. As such, if your doctoral training will require travel at some point, we suggest that you get an early start identifying grants that will facilitate […]
How to Choose the Best Awards for You
Do you know what fellowship or grants you will apply for this year and in the coming years? In this blog post we will look at how to choose what awards to apply for and when. If you are eligible for multiple awards and you are trying to decide what to apply for, prioritize your […]
Understanding your funder and the awards it offers
Why do organizations provide money for grants and fellowships? Knowing the answer to this question (which varies depending on the specific funder) helps elucidate the ways in which graduate students need to approach applying for external funding. Without knowing the underlying mission behind an award, be it public or privately funded, it is difficult to […]
The Art of the Abstract
Applications for competitive fellowships and grants often require a research abstract, but condensing big research ideas into a short blurb can be a challenging task. How does one go about writing an effective abstract? Think of the abstract as a highly compressed version of your research proposal. It should follow a similar structure and formula […]
Giving and Working with Peer Feedback
How does one approach providing feedback to peers on grant and fellowship application drafts? This summer, many of you will be participating in the Graduate Funding Mentoring Program where you will work with peers to develop competitive application essays. The following advice is meant to guide through process of both giving and receiving critical feedback. […]
Completion Fellowships: Understanding your Options
Completion fellowships provide doctoral students a year of financial support to finish writing their dissertation. These fellowships not only provide financial support for those whose funding packages may have run out by the time they start working on their dissertation, they also stamp a mark of prestige on your research and your promise as a […]
How to Describe Teaching in a Fellowship Application
Applications for external funding competitions occasionally require a teaching statement or personal statement that focuses on teaching. However, even if you have years of classroom experience, it may be challenging to succinctly communicate your effectiveness in the classroom. The following tips are meant to guide you through writing any part of an application that involves […]