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Kelsey Bitting

Kelsey Bitting

Arguing for the Importance of Your Research: The Literature Review

Posted on October 24, 2012 by Kelsey Bitting

An effective literature review (sometimes called “background and significance” or “theoretical orientation”) is essential to every successful proposal, from art history to chemical engineering, and from early graduate study fellowships and small grants to completion fellowships and postdocs. True, the role of this section depends partly upon your discipline. In the humanities and social sciences, this […]

Filed Under: Proposal Writing Advice Tagged With: bibliography, literature review, proposal structure

The Art of the Introduction

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Kelsey Bitting

Where to begin? Introductions are tricky beasts: Part meet-and-greet, part sales pitch, and all balancing act, a good introduction can seem like more art than science. However, behind the rhetorical craft, effective introductions to fellowship and grant proposals generally follow a simple set of guidelines that every writer can employ. Generally, the length of an […]

Filed Under: Proposal Writing Advice Tagged With: introduction, proposal structure

Predissertation Research Grants as a Foundation for Successful Dissertation Research

Posted on September 24, 2012 by Kelsey Bitting

In the last few weeks, our blog posts have focused on the early stages of graduate study, including early graduate study fellowships and general advice for planning award applications long-term. Today, to round out this picture of the first few years of a graduate student’s external, merit-based funding perspective, we’d like to discuss pre-dissertation research […]

Filed Under: Early Graduate, Planning When to Apply, Predissertation, Proposal Writing Advice, Understanding Award Types Tagged With: predissertation

External Funding Tips for Early Graduate Study

Posted on September 21, 2012 by Kelsey Bitting

The first month (or even year) of graduate school can be both exciting and overwhelming. Looking back, for me that time was a blur of new faces, new places, and new ideas, all rushing past at NJ Turnpike speeds. The idea of tackling the process of applying for grants and fellowships in the midst of […]

Filed Under: Early Graduate, Planning When to Apply, Predissertation, Proposal Writing Advice Tagged With: early graduate study

Early Graduate Study Fellowships

Posted on September 12, 2012 by Kelsey Bitting

Fall is upon us, campus is again flooded with students, and classes are already in full swing. To the new students in all programs, we at GradFund would like to say, “Welcome!” Especially for first- and second-year graduate students, we would also like to remind you that now is the time to apply for early […]

Filed Under: Early Graduate, Planning When to Apply, Predissertation, Understanding Award Types Tagged With: early graduate study fellowships

Give yourself an hour to think about postdocs…

Posted on March 30, 2012 by Kelsey Bitting

As April begins, graduate students (even those of us who have been doing this for what seems like forever!) begin to shift into end-of-semester mode: Grading exams and term papers begins to take precedence over just about everything else. However, if you will be entering your final year of dissertation writing in the fall, now […]

Filed Under: Planning When to Apply, Postdoctoral, Understanding Award Types Tagged With: fellowships, postdoctoral fellowships

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Founded in 2000, GradFund’s mission is to assist Rutgers graduate students in securing merit-based research grants and fellowships to support their graduate study and research. Read about our history and approach to working with graduate students. Learn more →

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