Graduate Funding 101

1. Graduate Funding 101 Linda Vong Office of Graduate Studies May 13, 2009

2. Outline for today • Who I am and what I do • Types of funding • Where to look for funding • A few of the major players • Where to go from here

3. Who I am and what I do • Financial Support Unit • Help navigate application procedures • Act as a liaison between agency and student • Act as a second (or third, or fourth…or seventh) pair of eyes for proposals -basic editing, grammatical errors, etc.

4. Types of funding • Departmental • Travel • Research • Training • Fellowship • General Scholarship

5. Where to look for funding

6. UCSD’s SURF database (http://research.ucsd.edu/surf/) Community of Science (http://www.cos.com) Other UC’s funding databases -UCLA’s GRAPES (Grad and Postdoc Extramural Support) (http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/grpinst.htm) Favorite professors and department advisors Blog: http://ucsdgraduatefunding.wordpress.com Where to start

7. A few of the major players

8. Ford Foundation Predoctoral Awarded in a national competition administered by the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies on behalf of the Ford Foundation. The awards will be made to individuals who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. Basic Eligibility Requirements U.S. citizens who are enrolled or planning to enroll in an eligible research-based program leading to a Ph.D. at a U.S. educational institution. http://www7.nationalacademies.org/FORDfellowships/

9. David L. Boren Graduate Fellowships[National Security Education Program (NSEP)] The NSEP David L. Boren Graduate Fellowships enable U.S. graduate students to pursue specialization in area and language study, or to add an important international dimension to their education. NSEP supports students studying languages, cultures, and world regions other than Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. Boren Fellowships are intended to support U.S. graduate students who will pursue the study of languages and cultures deemed critical to U.S. national security and who are motivated by the opportunity to work in the federal government. Basic Eligibility Requirements Be a U.S. citizen and a graduate student http://www.borenawards.org/boren_fellowship

10. Fulbright U.S. Student Program The IIE Fulbright U.S. Student Program equips American leaders with the skills they need to thrive in an increasingly global environment by providing funding for open academic year of study or research abroad. Grantees undertake self-designed programs in disciplines ranging from social sciences, business, communications and performing arts to physical sciences, engineering and education. The U.S. Student Program awards approximately 1,000 grants annually and currently operates in over 140 countries worldwide. Basic Eligibility Requirement Be a U.S. citizen & have a Bachelor’s Degree *Please note that OGS administers this award for UC San Diego* [Institute of International Education (IIE)] https://us.fulbrightonline.org

11. Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research The ED Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (DDRA) Fellowship Program provides opportunities for graduate students to engage in full-time dissertation research abroad for 6 to 12 months in modern foreign languages and area studies. Basic Eligibility Requirements Be a graduate student and be a U.S. citizen or national or a permanent resident of the U.S. Abroad Fellowship Program [U.S. Department of Education(ED)]

12. Social Science Research Councilhttp://www.ssrc.org The SSRC sponsors fellowship and grant programs on a wide range of topics, and across many different career stages. Most support goes to predissertation, dissertation, and postdoctoral fellowships, offered through annual competitions. Some programs support summer institutes and advanced research grants. Although most programs target the social sciences, many are also open to applicants from the humanities, the natural sciences, and relevant professional and practitioner communities.

13. UC Research Institutes Pacific Rim Research Program UC Institute for Research in the Arts UCIRA: http://www.ucira.ucsb.edu/ UC-MEXUS: http://ucmexus.ucr.edu/ UC Humanities Research Institute: http://www.uchri.org/ http://ucop.edu/research/

14. DissertationWriting UCSD: Fletcher Jones and President’s Dissertation Year Fellowships Harry Frank Guggenheixm Fellowships Woodrow Wilson and Charlotte Newcombe Fellowships Wenner-Gren Foundation Spencer Dissertation Fellowships CILAS Grants

15. Thinking ahead Agencies: Fulbright IIE DoE DDRA Ford DAAD Pacific Rim Boren Deadlines: September 11 and October 20 Late October or early November November 14 Early to mid November Early January Early to mid January

16. Where to go from here

17. Okay…now what?? • Do the research • Devise a plan of attack • Rally the troops • Submit your applications • Constant vigilance! • Dot the i’s and cross the t’s

18. Tips for success • Be concise and be clear. Don’t make the reviewer search for the “who, what, when, where, how and why.” • Know your limitations/pitfalls and be ready to address them. If you are the slightest bit unclear about an aspect of your research, be ready to address that. • Formatting may seem like something you can get around – it’s not.

19. Tips for success • Avoid jargon-heavy wording. Can someone outside of your field of expertise understand what you’re trying to do? • Demonstrate evidence as to WHY your project needs to be carried out in the country you are proposing. There is a definite difference between NEED and WANT. The use of vague, general or broad terms in the proposal should be avoided. • Keep in mind that you’re writing a persuasive piece, you have to make the reader feel like they NEED to fund you.

20. Tools for success Dissertation writing: http://globetrotter.berkeley.edu/DissPropWorkshop/ Grant writing tips: • HHMI"Making the Right Moves" Chapter 9: Getting Funded • ScienceCareers.org Grant Doctor articles • NIH Grant Writing Tip Sheets • Proposal Writing Websites collected by University of Wisconsin-Madison

21. Tools for success General writing: • Joseph Williams. 2006. Style: Toward Clarity and Grace. University of Chicago Press. Chicago, IL. • Joseph Williams. 2008. Style: The Basics of Clarity and Grace. University of Chicago Press. Chicago, IL.

22. Thank you!Any questions? Linda Vong Graduate Fellowship Advisor 4th Floor, Student Services Center lkvong@ucsd.edu