Graduate Student Research Support Fund

The Graduate Student Research Support Fund provides small grants of up to $750 to graduate students to support dissertation or thesis research. To qualify for this award, students must be currently enrolled, in good academic standing and have an approved thesis or dissertation proposal. Funds may be used to purchase research-related supplies, materials and equipment; travel to archives and field research sites (not conference travel); and survey preparation and/or production.

Students are limited to one award for each graduate degree. A higher funding priority is given to projects that have a strong potential for publication in peer-reviewed journals. To apply for funding, please download the application [PDF], which includes a hard copy of the information below.  

Timeline

Proposals may be submitted July through June. Proposals received by 5:00 pm on the 20th of any month (July through June) will constitute a competitive pool for one award cycle. Awards are normally announced within the first two weeks of the following month. All correspondence and notifications regarding this award will be sent to the applicant’s EMU NetID email account. Because funds are limited, funding levels during winter semester may be lower than in fall.

Submission Procedure

Applications must be submitted to the Office of Graduate Studies and Research at 200 Boone. Your application must include the application form, which includes your EMU NetID email address. All correspondence and notifications regarding this award will be sent to this email address.

Proposal Elements

The proposal must contain the following elements:

  • Completed “Graduate School Research Support Fund Application” form.
  • A prospectus/proposal, visual portfolio, project summary or similar document that explains the proposed work.  Although this document is normally one or two pages, you may submit a copy of your committee-approved dissertation proposal or thesis proposal.
  • A brief timeline that lists the major milestones of the project and the expected completion dates.
  • An itemized budget with a short explanation for how the items will be directly used in the research/creative activity.
  • If Human Subjects approval is needed and has been granted, please submit a copy of acceptance. A copy of approval must be submitted to the Graduate School before funds can be released.
  • Documentation of your approved dissertation or thesis proposal.

Non-Allowable Items

  • Travel to conferences
  • Software that is already owned by and available at EMU
  • Computers
  • Equipment that is already readily available in the department, school or college.
  • Incentives to recruit research subjects.
  • Editing of dissertation or thesis.

Requirements of Award Recipients

  • Expenses should be allocated to the Graduate School using the department's procurement card.
  • Any equipment or laboratory supplies purchased under this program are considered the property of the department, school or college that is sponsoring the student’s research/creative activities. 
  • In accepting award funds, the recipient agrees to submit to the Graduate School a final report in the form of an approved thesis or dissertation.

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