External Funding Resources for
Graduate Students
Office of Fellowships & Community
Engagement
Graduate College Admin. 322
The University of Arizona
Average Grad & First Professional
Student Debt at Graduation 11-12



AZ Resident - $61,681
Non-resident - $43,644
All Students - $56,469


Source: Arizona Board of Regents, 2012 Financial Aid Report, pg. 55.
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
Don’t be like Brad & Marissa.
Apply for external funding!
World of Grad Funding
1.
2.
3.
4.
Federal Financial Aid - loans, grants,
work study, tuition remissions
Internal Support - Assistantships,
research $, donors, UA scholarships
Employer assisted educational benefits
(UA Qualified Tuition Reduction)
External Funding –scholarships,
fellowships, travel awards, research
awards from funders outside the UA
Where’s the Money?
WHERE TO FIND FUNDING
Types of Grad Student Awards






Study and training - 1-3 year fellowships
Travel Awards – archives, conferences,
language learning, presenting
Internship, externship, coop, workshops
Special Projects, Service & Outreach
Dissertation Research - thesis or dissertation
Post-doctoral Research
Campus Resources



Grad College Funding site
Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships –
Honors College
College & Departmental Resources




SBSRI – Social & Behavioral Sciences
Scholarships & Financial Aid
Career Services (internships)
Join your professional society as a student!
Searchable Databases






Pivot – pivot.cos.com
Grant Forward - www.grantforward.com
GRAPES – Grad Scholarships at UCLA
http://www.gdnet.ucla.edu/grpinst.htm
Grants.gov – Federal government portal
Foundation Center – Pima Main Library
Sign up for Alert Services
through Pivot and Grant Forward!
Tips for Using Pivot



Sign up as a new user using your UA
email and affiliate with UA
Alerts - carry out a search, save your
query, click on receive weekly updates.
Pivot Support Documents
http://pivot.cos.com/support

Pivot Training Videos on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/user/ProQuestPivot
Scholarship Databases



UA’s Scholarship Universe – Scholarships
& Financial Aid
https://scholarshipuniverse.arizona.edu/s
plash/splash.aspx
Fin Aid - www.finaid.org/
Fast Web - www.fastweb.com/
Graduate College Support



GradFunding newsletter & advice
Workshops
Fellowship Application Support Programs


NSF GRFP Support Program
Grad College Funding Resources

grad.arizona.edu/financial-resources
GradFunding News & Advice
To subscribe, email list@list.arizona.edu.
In the subject line type:
"subscribe gradfunding Firstname Lastname"
Leave the message body blank and delete any
automatic signature.
More info on subscribing @
http://uits.arizona.edu/services/email/emaillists/help/subscribe
Application Support Programs





NSF GRFP, GROW, DDIG & EAPSI
DAAD Priority Research Candidate
Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation
Research Abroad
Inter-American Foundation Grassroots
Development
P.E.O. Scholar Award
UA NSF Grad Research
Fellowship Support Program
 Review your eligibility first
http://www.nsfgrfp.org/how_to_apply/eligibility_guide

Register for the UA Grad College Support
Program at:
grad.arizona.edu/gradfunding/applicationsupport/nsfgrfp
Favorite Opportunities
NSF Grad Research Fellowship
Fulbright (IIE)
Foreign Language & Area Studies (FLAS)
National Labs Internships
Natl. Defense Science & Engineering
Graduate Fellowship
EPA STAR
DAAD, Ford, Mellon, Tinker, Marshall, and
Spencer
NIH R-31 Dissertation/Ruth Kirschstein
A Brief Example

The National Science Foundation
Graduate Research Fellowship
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

To help ensure the vitality and diversity
of the scientific and engineering
workforce in the U.S. It recognizes and
supports outstanding graduate students
pursuing research-based master’s and
doctoral degrees in fields within NSF’s
mission.
NSF GRFP Key Elements
• Five Year Award – $132,000
• Three years of support
• $32,000 Stipend per year
• $12,000 Educational allowance to
institution
• International research opportunities
• Access to XSEDE
cyberinfrastructure resources
GRFP Supported Disciplines
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
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 (researchfocused)
NSF GRF Application
Via NSF FastLane
• Personal Statement, Relevant Background and
Future Goals
• Graduate Research Statement
• Transcripts
• Three letters of reference
• Additional information required for some candidates
See Solicitation at www.nsfgrp.org
Advice from experienced grant
writers.
Grantwriters Checklist







Set goals
Note timing
Read guidelines
carefully.
Develop ideas
Cultivate
references
Write regularly
Keep on applying!




Prepare yourself
Get a variety of
experiences,
including travel,
service & research
Network with
faculty & peers
Publish & present
Where Do You See
Yourself Going?





What do you want from your education?
Develop a map of life goals
Plan ahead with focused attention
Develop a mix of funding strategies
Be flexible
Timing Matters






Apply in fall of 1st & 2nd yr for fellowships
Note deadlines – allow 6-12 months!
Allot time to adequately prepare
Use summers and classes to write
Advance to candidacy & have your topic
approved in time for deadlines
File the FAFSA in Jan./Feb. each year
Make Connections



Network – Faculty/Staff/Peers
Cultivate 4 solid recommenders
Develop affiliations and contacts at other
institutions, research sites and
conferences
Travel & Enjoy Interesting
Experiences






Conferences
Internships
Research
Short term study
Workshops
Service/Outreach
Learn by Doing - Practice






Classes/Workshops
Offer to read or help on
someone’s grant
Use courses to prepare
background research
Learn to self-edit
Take a grant-writing class
Form a writing group
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






Advance thinking & quality of
research
Get valuable feedback
Strengthen writing skills
Valuable skill for future
Independence
Valuable skill for the future.
Graduate College Contacts



Georgia Ehlers, Director
Shelley Hawthorne Smith, Asst. Director
Katie Silvester – NSF GRF Program

ofce@grad.arizona.edu
More Opportunities for Graduate Students
APPENDICES
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 Directly
NSF Grad Research Fellowship
National Defense Science & Engineering
DOE Climate Change
EPA STAR
National Laboratories and Observatories
National Park Service
NIH R-31 Dissertation
Presidential Management Fellowship
Smithsonian
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
 Mellon/ACLS











AAUW
Beinecke
Jack Kent Cooke
DAAD
Ford
Gates
Hertz
Inter-American
Japan
Kellogg
Lindbergh










Charlotte W. Newcombe
P.E.O.
Rockefeller
Sloan
Social Science Research
Council
Spencer
Tinker
Whitaker
Woodrow Wilson
Zonta – Amelia Earhart
Awards through Other
Universities & Libraries





FLAS (San Diego State, U Wisconsin)
Dartmouth – Thurgood Marshall/Cesar
Chavez
Harvard Travel Award
U Texas Harry Ransom Library
Library of Congress, Rockefeller Archives,
Newberry