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Welcome to the GradFund Blog

Welcome to the GradFund Blog

Follow the GradFund Blog for current advice and insights on best practices in applying for research support, written by the GradFund Fellowship Advising Team.

Parents: Here’s Why You Should Make Time to Apply for External Funding

Posted on November 26, 2018 by rutgersgradfun

This is the first post of a series on navigating the world of external funding as a parent in graduate school. Students with children undoubtedly face a unique set of challenges and time constraints in graduate school. As graduate students, we’re taking courses; studying for exams; grading exams; teaching classes; conducting, presenting, and publishing our […]

Filed Under: Proposal Writing Advice

Bringing Your Previous Research Experience into Your Current Application

Posted on November 19, 2018 by rutgersgradfun

Many of us have had several research experiences prior to graduate school. These experiences may have been within or outside of the discipline in which we have chosen to pursue our dissertation research. For some lucky few, all of these research experiences connect to one another and center around a clear research focus and trajectory. […]

Filed Under: Proposal Writing Advice Tagged With: writing about previous research

What to Expect: Application Review Meeting

Posted on November 12, 2018 by Fellowship Advisor

I’ve had this experience often: At the end of an exhaustive meeting with a fellowship applicant—after we’ve gone over specific points of structure and tone in minute detail; after we’ve reviewed broader issues of purpose and audience; after we’ve discussed background information on the funder who’s sponsoring the fellowship— the applicant says, with a certain […]

Filed Under: About GradFund Tagged With: individual funding plan

Unpacking Jargon—Part Two

Posted on November 8, 2018 by JORIE HOFSTRA

Part One of this post described reasons to limit jargon in your proposal, and two strategies to help you minimize your use of jargon. Part Two offers more specific advice for addressing jargon in your writing. Define for yourself each term you or your readers have identified as jargon. You may discover that some of […]

Filed Under: Proposal Writing Advice Tagged With: eliminating jargon, revision tips

Unpacking Jargon—Part One

Posted on November 5, 2018 by JORIE HOFSTRA

Jargon serves important functions in any field of activity. It lends accuracy and efficiency to communication within a subfield, and terms that begin as jargon may eventually enter into common use: consider the current popularization of specialized terms like “intersectionality,” “epigenetic,” or “VPN.” But in grant writing, jargon can be risky. The need for precision […]

Filed Under: Proposal Writing Advice Tagged With: eliminating jargon, revision tips

4 Things to Do Before Applying for Funding

Posted on November 1, 2018 by rutgersgradfun

If you’re thinking about applying for external funding (and you should be!), it’s important to prepare yourself for the application process. Here are four things to do before diving into your proposal. 1. Schedule an appointment with GradFund– Whether you’re still figuring out which awards to apply for or you already have one in mind, […]

Filed Under: Planning When to Apply

A Visit from the SSRC- Part II

Posted on October 29, 2018 by DAWN WELLS

Looking to apply for the Social Science Research Council’s International Dissertation Research Fellowship (SSRC IDRF)? Recently, GradFund hosted an information session on the IDRF presented by its Program Director Daniella Sarnoff. The presentation provided a wealth of information on what SSRC reviewers are looking for as they assess the applications. Check out part one of […]

Filed Under: Dissertation Research, Humanities, Proposal Writing Advice, Social Sciences Tagged With: Social Science Research Council, SSRC

A Visit from the SSRC-Part I

Posted on October 25, 2018 by Fellowship Advisor

At Rutgers, we recently had a visit from the program officer of one of the most prestigious fellowship awards for which we help graduate students apply: the Social Science Research Council International Dissertation Research Fellowship. The IDRF supports 9-12 months of continuous, on-site dissertation research in countries outside the United States. Consistently among the most […]

Filed Under: Dissertation Research, Funder and Award Spotlight, Humanities, Proposal Writing Advice, Social Sciences Tagged With: Social Science Research Council, SSRC

Alternative grants for STEM graduate students

Posted on October 22, 2018 by rutgersgradfun

Although the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) and National Institutes of Health (NIH) F31 grants are two of the most well-known research fellowships for STEM graduate students, they are not the only sources of substantial funding for graduate research. Below are some grants to consider if you are not eligible or […]

Filed Under: Biological Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Funder and Award Spotlight, Physical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering, Social Sciences Tagged With: funding options, STEM

“But What If It’s Just a Waste of Time?”: How the Process of Grant Writing Can Advance Your Career—Part Two

Posted on October 15, 2018 by JORIE HOFSTRA

Part One of this post described ways to use the application process to expand and strengthen your professional network. Part Two describes how attention to detail in the grant writing process offers benefits beyond increasing your application’s chance of success. -While it may be tempting to try to write an all-purpose proposal or simply to […]

Filed Under: Planning When to Apply, Proposal Writing Advice

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