Nationally competitive postdoctoral fellowships are a logical next-step for many graduate students, especially those pursuing a tenure-track career. These awards typically fall into two basic categories: those with an emphasis on teaching, and those with an emphasis on research. As a dissertating graduate student beginning to think about applying for postdoctoral fellowships, it will be […]
Stage of Study
Stage of Study
Ambassador, Scholar, Fellow
Applicants for nationally competitive fellowships are often focused on the financial benefits of the award, and may overlook the funders’ larger purpose: To nurture a community of scholars devoted to advancing the program’s research goals. To develop that community, funders seek fellows who will engage with one another, and with former fellows, by networking and […]
Fellowships, Grants, and Scholarships: Which Award Fits My Graduate Program?
Merit-based awards for graduate students typically fall into one of three categories: Fellowships, grants, and scholarships. Each type of award supports graduate study in a different way, and each is tailored toward a specific type of graduate program. Knowing which type of award is a good fit for your program is an important first-step toward […]
Time to Plan: The Spring Semester
The funding calendar of external grants and fellowships to support graduate study has a distinct rhythm that we at GradFund know well: Small grants, scholarships, and pre-dissertation research grants have a concentration of deadlines during the early spring semester, but are broadly distributed throughout the academic year. Awards with large financial payoffs, such as early […]
The Power of Small Grants
Nearly every graduate student seeking funding for their dissertation research project starts out focused on finding one award that will pay for all their expenses at one fell swoop (and in one application season). However, there are many reasons to consider the power of small grants offered by professional societies, private companies, and foundations. From […]
Improvement: The “I” in the NSF DD(R)IG
NSF Doctoral Dissertation (Research) Improvement Grants- DD(R)IGs- are available in various fields of the sciences and social sciences to support dissertation research costs. While the specific requirements and submission details vary somewhat from one field to another, these awards are all intended to support the improvement of an existing dissertation project and its ultimate scholarly […]
Submitting an NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Application
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) is one of the most applied-to early graduate study fellowships for students in STEM fields. The 2012 deadlines are 8 pm E.S.T. Nov. 13 through Nov. 19, depending on field of study (for more information, see http://www.nsfgrfp.org). Unlike most NSF programs, students applying to the NSF GRF program must […]
Parlez-vous français? The Ins and Outs of Funding for Language Training
Graduate students who conduct research on non-English speaking countries need to achieve a degree of fluency in a foreign language that will support their research. Many graduate programs require competency in one or more foreign languages. Even if your program doesn’t require this training, a language competency evaluation is part of the application package for […]
Predissertation Research Grants as a Foundation for Successful Dissertation Research
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 […]
External Funding Tips for Early Graduate Study
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 […]