External Funding Resources for Graduate Students

Georgia Ehlers, DirectorFellowships & Community Engagement

Graduate College Admin. 322The University of Arizona

How to get a grant

Know yourself Set goals Note timing Develop ideas Network with

faculty & peers Publish &

present

Get a variety of experiences, including travel, service & research

Write a variety of grants

Keep on applying!

Average Grad & First Professional Student Debt at Graduation 10-11 AZ Resident - $54,169 Non-resident - $46,095 All Students - $51,838

Source: Arizona Board of Regents, 2011 Financial Aid Report, pg. 60.

Cumulative US student debt is up 25% from 2008 to 2011 in sharp contrast to declining debt in other consumer sectors.

Source: NY Federal Reserve in the NY Times/Aug. 2011

World of Grad Funding1. Federal Financial Aid - loans, grants,

work study, remissions2. Internal Support - Assistantships,

research $, donors, UA scholarships3. Employer assisted educational

benefits (UA Qualified Tuition Reduction)

4. Extramural Funding – external scholarships, fellowships, travel awards, research awards

Types of Extramural Awards

Pre-dissertation awards - 1-3 year fellowships for study & training

Dissertation Research - thesis or dissertation Travel Awards – archives, conferences Internship, externship, coop, workshops Special Projects, Service & Outreach Post-doctoral Research/Young faculty awards

Searchable Databases

http://www.library.uiuc.edu/iris/

Pivot - http://pivot.cos.com/ GRAPES @ UCLA -

www.gdnet.ucla.edu/grpinst.htm Grants.gov – main government database

Foundation Directory Online @ Pima Co. Library

Scholarship Databases

UA’s Scholarship Universe – https://scholarshipuniverse.arizona.edu/splash/splash.aspx

Fin Aid - www.finaid.org/ Fast Web - www.fastweb.com/

Campus Resources

Grad College Finances website Gradfunding@list.arizona.edu CALS Grants Alert/CALS International Office of Nationally Competitive

Scholarships – Honors College website SBSRI – Social & Behavioral Sciences UA News, 3-D Memos, Chronicle of Higher

Ed Your advisor, peers and grad coordinator.

Training Grants/UA Selects

Education - FLAS, GAANN NASA Grad. Student Research

Program & Space Grant Fellowships NSF IGERT, VIGRE, CESUM NIH Training Grants USDA National Needs

Student Applies DirectlyNSF Grad Research FellowshipNational Defense Science &

EngineeringDOE Climate ChangeEPA STARNational Laboratories and

ObservatoriesNational Park ServiceNIH R-31 DissertationPresidential Management FellowshipSmithsonian

UA Applies on Behalf of Student Fulbright (IIE) NSEP David Boren Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation

Research Abroad NSF Dissertation Improvement

(DDIG) DAAD

Foundations Supporting Graduate Education AAUW Beinecke Jack Kent Cooke DAAD Ford Gates Hertz Inter-American Japan Kellogg Lindbergh

Mellon/ACLS Charlotte W.

Newcombe P.E.O. Rockefeller Sloan Social Science

Research Council Spencer Tinker Whitaker Woodrow Wilson Zonta – Amelia Earhart

Awards through Other Universities FLAS (San Diego State, U Wisconsin) Dartmouth – Thurgood

Marshall/Cesar Chavez Harvard Travel Award U Texas Harry Ransom Library

Join Your Professional Organization(s) Every field has one or more Join at a discounted student rate

scholarships conferences publications insurance in some cases scholars in your field and your peers

All Applications Have Common Elements The National Science Foundation

Graduate Research Fellowship

• Five Year Award – $126,000

• Three years of support• $30,000 Stipend per year• $12,000 Educational allowance to institution

• International research opportunities

• Access to XSEDE cyberinfrastructure resources

NSF GRFP Key ElementsNSF GRFP Key ElementsNSF GRFP Key ElementsNSF GRFP Key Elements

• Chemistry• Computer and Information

Science and Engineering• Engineering• Geosciences• Life Sciences• Materials Research• Mathematical Sciences• Physics and Astronomy• Psychology • Social Sciences • Science, Technology, Engineering

and Mathematics Education (research-focused)

GRFP Supported DisciplinesGRFP Supported DisciplinesGRFP Supported DisciplinesGRFP Supported Disciplines

Via NSF FastLane

• Personal statement (2 pages)

• Previous research experience (2 pages)

• Proposed plan of research (2 pages)

• Transcripts, uploaded into FastLane

• Three letters of reference required

• Additional information required for some candidates See Solicitation for eligibility requirements on www.nsfgrp.org

Complete ApplicationComplete ApplicationComplete ApplicationComplete Application

UA NSF GRF Mentoring Program Check your eligibility at

http://www.nsfgrfp.org/ Register at

http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/UANSFGRF

Look for an email from Dr. Shelley Hawthorne Smith with more information

Make it happen! Things Successful Applicants Do.

Where Do You See Yourself Going? Contemplate your path What do you want from further

education? Develop a map of educational goals Plan ahead with focused attention Develop a mix of funding strategies

Subscribe to GradFunding

Send an email to gradfunding@list.arizona.edu

Put “subscribe gradfundying Firstname Lastname” in the subject line and leave the message body blank

Receive upcoming deadlines, advice and notice of workshops

Timing Matters

Note deadlines – allow 6-12 months! Apply in fall of 1st & 2nd yr for

fellowships Use summers to research & write Advance to candidacy & have your

topic approved in time for deadlines File the FAFSA in Jan./Feb. each year

Make Connections Network – Professors/Staff/Peers Cultivate 4 solid recommenders Develop affiliations and contacts at

other institutions, research sites and conferences

Value of Travel & Interesting Experiences Conferences Internships Research Short term study Workshops Service/Outreach

Learn by Doing - Practice

Classes/Workshops Form a writing group Offer to read, help on

someone’s grant Use courses to prepare

background research Learn to self-edit Take a grant-writing class

Stay Focused

Each page of an application that you write may be worth thousands of dollars.

Make a plan & stay on track.

Write every day!

Value the Process Regardless of Results Your thinking & quality of

research will advance Valuable input from reviewers Strengthen writing skills Financial & academic

independence Steppingstone to other awards Valuable skill for future

Don’t be like Brad & Marissa. Apply for external funding!