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Navigating the Universe of Funding: Securing Graduate Fellowships

Navigating the Universe of Funding: Securing Graduate Fellowships . Kathy Purnell, Ph.D. Director, External Funding and Special Projects, PSD. FUNDING FOR ACADEMIC RESEARCH IS NOT PRIMARILY ABOUT MONEY Why apply for external support?. Secure (Relative) Independence.

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Navigating the Universe of Funding: Securing Graduate Fellowships

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  1. Navigating the Universe of Funding: Securing Graduate Fellowships Kathy Purnell, Ph.D. Director, External Funding and Special Projects, PSD

  2. FUNDING FOR ACADEMIC RESEARCH IS NOT PRIMARILY ABOUT MONEY Why apply for external support?

  3. Secure (Relative) Independence • Articulate long term plans for independent research • Distinguish yourself through demonstrating an awareness of the significance of the research • Many federal programs provide funds for tuition + relatively large stipends ($30K+ annually)

  4. Prestige Factor • Join distinguished cohorts of scholars • Gain recognition for your accomplishments

  5. Build Research Collaborations Increasingly large numbers of grants provide travel and other opportunities to collaborate with scholars in the U.S. and abroad.

  6. Pursue Special Interests (Research and Curricular) Special programs for Graduate Students include: • Summer internships with industry • Development of community outreach programs to enhance science instruction • Special opportunities to volunteer your expertise abroad

  7. Most Importantly: Your Future • Research Faculty are expected to successfully compete and secure external funding for their research. • Building (early) your capacity to articulate your research, to network and to write grants will enhance your chances for success.

  8. Securing Funding in a Competitive Environment • Grantsmanship for Graduate Student Fellowship Programs • “Do-It-Yourself” Tips for Identifying Funding Opportunities • Resources (Divisional and University)

  9. Tips for Competitive Grantsmanship • Know Yourself • Know Your Funder (I): Public vs. Private Funders and Their Specific Interests • Know Your Funder (II): Submission and Review Processes • Strategic & Effective Communication

  10. A. Know Yourself • Level (new graduate student, dissertation, postdoc) • Application management (timing clearance of multiple hurdles for submission) • Funding Goals (Competitive award? special initiative ? travel?)

  11. B. Know Your Funder (I): Public vs. Private Funding • Federal Agencies (Public mandate; basic and applied research to advance specific scientific initiative or mission) • Private Independent Foundations (High-risk, innovative investment in new talent and scientific leadership) • Corporations (support for innovative research subject to corporate recruiting and strategic interests) • Associations (membership-based societies with a special mission/goal)

  12. C. Know Your Funder (II): Submission and Review Processes • Federal Agencies (NSF, DOD, EPA, DOE, NASA, etc.)

  13. NSF (National Science Foundation): NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Website: http://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2006/nsf06592/nsf06592.htm Goal: “to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science in the United States” by investing in early career graduate students Requirements: transcripts; 3 reference letters; Proposed Plan of Research; personal profile information and various statements (see website). Eligibility: 12 months of graduate study (max); US Citizenship or permanent residency required. Deadline (Varies): Nov. 1-13, 2006;letters of reference due Dec. 1, 2006. Submission: Through NSF FASTLANE. Create own account. Access at: https://www.fastlane.nsf.gov/grfp Special tips: - NSF Review Criteria (“intellectual merit” and “broader impacts”)

  14. DoD: National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program Website: http://www.asee.org/ndseg Goal: “to increase the number of US Citizens trained in disciplines of science and engineering in fields important to national defense” Requirements: personal statements; external letters of reference Eligibility: No more than one academic year of graduate study; US Citizenship required. Deadline : January 8, 2007. Submission: Online. Create own account. Access at: http://www.asee.org/ndseg Special tips: - Extremely competitive: 5% of applicants received funding - Successful applicants are able to identify and map their research onto current research interests of the DoD. This information is available at the following websites: Department of the Army (http://www.aro.army.mil);Office of Naval Research(http://www.onr.navy.mil); Air Force Office of Scientific Research (http://www.afosr.af.mil)

  15. EPA: STAR Fellowships Program Website: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/2007/2007_star_fellow.html Goal: “to encourage promising students to obtain advanced degrees and pursue careers in an environmental field” Requirements: transcripts; 3 reference letters; Education and experience; statement of objectives + additional supporting information, see website. Eligibility: If MA student, no more than one year of study; if Ph.D. student, no more than 4 years of study; US Citizenship or permanent residency required. Deadline: Nov. 28, 2006. Submission: May either be mailed OR submitted through Grants.gov (electronic portal) Special tips: • You must immediately set up an individual profile if submitting through Grants.gov • Your research should fit into one of the 19 research areas of interest (see website).

  16. C. Know Your Funder (II): Submission and Review Processes • Private Independent Foundations, Corporations & Associations

  17. John and Fannie Hertz Fellowships Website:http://www.hertzfndn.org/eligibility.shtml http://www.hertzfndn.org/eligibility.shtml Goal: Merit based fellowships in the applied physical sciences. Supports scholars who demonstrate exceptional creativity, broad understanding of physical principles, and outstanding potential for innovative research. Requirements: online application, interview, letters of reference. Eligibility: current graduate students early in their careers may apply. Deadline: October 27, 2006. Submission: Through website: http://www.hertzfndn.org/application.shtml Special tips: - “Applied" is broadly construed to mean fields of endeavor in which one applies, invents, and/or develops results from the basic physical sciences to generate solutions to problems of comparatively near-term, widespread human interest.

  18. Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans Website:http://www.pdsoros.org Goal: to provide opportunities for continuing generations of able and accomplished New Americans to achieve leadership in their chosen fields. Requirements: online application, interview, letters of reference. Eligibility: applicants must be under 30, be a “new american” and have no more than two years of graduate study. Deadline: November 1, 2006. Submission: Through website listed above. Special tips: - Successful applicants must demonstrate: 1) creativity, originality and initiative; 2) a capacity for exceptional accomplishment; 3) a commitment to the values expressed in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights. -”New Americans” are naturalized US citizens, resident aliens, or children of naturalized citizens.

  19. IBM Fellowship Program Website: http://www.developer.ibm.com/university/scholars/fellowship/phd Goal: honors exceptional Ph.D. students in an array of focus areas of interest to IBM and fundamental to innovation. Requirements: faculty nomination; online application submitted by nominator. Departments may only submit two nominations annually. Eligibility: must have completed at least one year of graduate study. Deadline: October 31, 2006. Submission: Through website above. Special tips: - Areas of current interest are provided on the program website - Fellowships may be renewed for up to three years. An IBM mentor is assigned and an IBM Think Pad is provided. NO citizenship restrictions, but must be affiliated with an US university.

  20. Other Private Sector/Fund Opportunities Abbott Laboratories Science Internships Resumes accepted between November and March annually for Summer 12-week program (undergrad, grad and postdocs) http://abbott.com/career/intern_science.cfm *Link Foundation Energy Fellowships http://www.linkenergy.org/guidelines.html Deadline: December 1, 2006 Special tips: Companies often come to campus to recruit students for paid internships and other opportunities. Contact Heather Sevener in CAPS at: hsevener@uchicago.edu

  21. A Sampler of Additional Opportunities For travel NSF East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes Website: http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5284 Deadline: 12/12/06 Belgium American Educational Foundation: Graduate Study or Research in Belgium Website: www.baef.be Deadline: October 31, 2006 Alexander von Humboldt Foundation: Postdoctoral Research Fellowships in Germany Website: http://www.humboldt-foundation.de/en/programme/stip_aus/stp.htm Deadline: Open/Rolling

  22. Sampler (continued) To launch a career in… Biophysics Burroughs Wellcome Fund: Career Awards at the Interface Website:http://www.bwfund.org/programs/interfaces/career_awards_ba ckground.html#ProgramBackground Deadline (estimate): May 1, 2007 Public Policy American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellowships Website: http://fellowships.aaas.org/ Deadline: December 20, 2006 Christine Mirzayan Science and Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Website:http://national-academies.org/policyfellows Deadline: Multiple deadlines annually

  23. Sampler (Continued) To conduct research at National Laboratories Global Change Education Program, Graduate ResearchEnvironmental Fellowships Website: http://www.atmos.anl.gov/GCEP/GREF/index.html Deadline: Early February 2006. Los Alamos National Laboratory: Graduate Research Assistantships Website: http://www.lanl.gov/education/grad/about.shtml Deadline: Rolling/open Argonne National Laboratory: Graduate Research Appointments Website: http://www.dep.anl.gov/highered/labgrad.htm Deadline: Open/Rolling

  24. Sampler (continued) For Women and Minorities L’Oreal Women in Science Fellowships Website: http://www.lorealusa.com/?uid=forwomeninscience Deadline: October 31, 2006 American Association of University Women: Dissertation Fellowships Website: http://www.aauw.org; Deadline: November 15, 2006 National Consortium for Graduate Degrees for Minorities in Engineering and Science: Ph.D. Science Fellowships Website:http://was.nd.edu/gem/gemwebapp/public/gem_01_100.htm Deadline: November 1, 2006 Kosciuszko Foundation (Graduate Fellowships for Americans of Polish descent) Website: http://www.kosciuszkofoundation.org/EDScholarships.html Deadline (estimate): January 2007

  25. Special Programs for Non-US Citizens Several international, private and intergovernmental organizations provide support to non-US citizens studying in the US. Examples include: American-Scandinavian Foundation Website: www.amscan.org American Association of University Women: International Fellowships (all fields; women graduate students that are non US citizens) Website: http://www.aauw.org/fga/fellowships_grants/international.cfm Vietnam Education Foundation Website: http://www.vef.gov/fieldsofstudy.htm

  26. D. Strategic and Effective Communication • Learn about your funder • Tailor your application (why one size does not fit all) • Why letters of reference are critical • Review Boards • “Thinking outside the disciplinary box”

  27. Resources and Support Resources (Funding Search Tools) GrantsNet International Funding Index: Website: http://sciencecareers.sciencemag.org/career_development/previous_issues/articles/2005_11_04/grantsnet_international_funding_index llinois Research and Information Service (IRIS) Website: http://www.library.uiuc.edu/iris/ Community of Science (COS) Website:http://fundingopps.cos.com/ Fellowship Kiosk (UC Office of Graduate Affairs) Website: http://grad-affairs.uchicago.edu/programs/fellowships.html PSD-GrantsWeb Website http://psd-externalfundingdev.uchicago.edu/index.shtml

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