Most fellowship and grant applications require a research proposal and personal statement; few ask you to write a cover letter. Still, there are some dissertation and postdoctoral fellowship applications where knowing how to write a strong cover letter can come in handy (take the Consortium for Faculty Diversity Dissertation Fellowship, for example). Because these types […]
Welcome to the GradFund Blog
Welcome to the GradFund Blog
Join the GradFund Team!
Apply to be a part of the GradFund Fellowship Advising Team. The deadline to apply is February 19, 2020 Submit your Fellowship Advisor application here Submit your Peer Mentor application here
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Mentoring Program – Apply today!
We invite applications to the GradFund Spring 2020 NSF GRF Mentoring Program! The program runs for 7 weeks (March 12th – May 1st) and consists of group seminars and individual advising opportunities. • Develop a competitive NSF Graduate Research Fellowship application for the Fall 2020 cycle • Benefit from structured time to organize your proposal development • Receive mentorship from […]
One Project, Many Frames (and Many Awards!)
Framing your research Most grad students have had at least some practice writing about the major disciplinary contributions of their dissertation. Indeed, a dissertation proposal defense requires in-depth knowledge of how your project speaks to major research conducted in your field. More challenging is figuring out if and how to highlight some of the smaller […]
Do I Have to? Motivation to Apply for External Funding
Applying for grants and fellowships can be daunting on top of the typical graduate student workload. It is easy to convince yourself to delay the application process when faced with coursework, teaching, research, and meetings. Here are several motivating factors to consider if you are contemplating postponing your grant application process: Develop perspective on the […]
Make the Case That Your Project Will Contribute to Your Field
From a funder’s perspective, your passion for your project isn’t enough. Funders want to know that you have designed a project that does more than simply exercise your own intellectual curiosity. Even when it is not explicitly stated among the priorities listed in the program solicitation or guidelines, funders typically want to support a scholar […]
Developing a Relationship with your NSF Program Officer
*This blog is in preparation for GradFund’s upcoming Applying to the NSF workshop The National Science Foundation funds graduate students every year in a wide array of disciplines, from cultural anthropology to biomedical engineering. Awards are available for almost every level of graduate study, whether it be applying for the Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) during […]
The NSF INTERN Program: Supplement Funding for Non-Academic Research Internships
On August 27, 2018, the National Science Foundation published a “Dear Colleagues” letter announcing a supplemental source of funding for principal investigators to help provide non-academic research experience to their graduate students. The INTERN program, as it is called, is geared at increasing the competitiveness of STEM workforce in the US. This program is a […]
Strategies for Revision Series (Part 2)
Have a draft of a research statement or personal narrative for your fellowship application? Feel like it’s in pretty good shape, but not sure how to give it that top-level shine? This post suggests a strategy of revision for seeing each part of your essay in a new light. Unlike my previous post, this one […]
Strategies for Revision Series (Part 1)
Have a draft of a research statement? Sometimes get a sneaking suspicion that it’s not quite hanging together? This post suggests a strategy for revision that’s quick, straightforward, and yet often effective in shedding light on structural problems. I can’t claim credit for the exercise. It was first suggested to me by Emily Bartels, Professor […]