Graduate Student Research Fellowship Awards

This award may be used to fund research related expenses including, but not limited to, research related travel, workshops, field trips, performances, exhibitions, lab equipment and so on. The Graduate Student Research Fellowship provides up to $2,000. Funding will be awarded in four categories: Arts & Humanities, Social and Behavioral Science, Life Sciences, and Physical Sciences & Engineering. 

The Graduate Student Research Fellowship is not intended for conference travel. To apply for conference travel, see the Graduate College Conference Travel Award. These two funding mechanisms are not related to one another. Receiving funding from one mechanism does not influence consideration for the other.

Please note: Due to university policies, the Graduate Student Research Fellowship may not be used for any of the following:

• To purchase electronic items such as laptop, PC, iPad, watches, Kindle, mobile device, etc. (Purchase of software/GPU/lab equipment maybe allowed depending on the strength/need of the application. All software and electronic item purchases must go through the university procurement process.)
• To fund survey awards/gifts, except VISA or equivalent gift cards, and only in cases for IRB approved research.
• To pay for tuition.

All applicable university policies apply to these funds, and this list is not exhaustive. 

To qualify for the Graduate Student Research Fellowship, the student must:

• Must be a graduate student enrolled in a UC graduate program. Students who are solely in an MD, JD, PharmD, or undergraduate program are not eligible.
• Must be an active graduate student. That is, you have registered for at least 1 graduate credit hour in the academic year.

All research proposals will be considered. The Graduate Student Research Fellowship is a once-per-degree award. If a student graduates after receiving a Graduate Student Research Fellowship and pursues another degree at the University of Cincinnati, they may be eligible for another Graduate Student Research Fellowship. Graduate Student Research funds will remain available to the awardee until their date of graduation. Funds are disbursed via the department through a business or financial manager.

Apply for the fellowship via the Graduate Student Research Fellowship Awards Application. Upon submission of the form, you will receive an email confirmation, and your mentor will be notified to submit their letter of support. 

Applications for the current funding cycle are due by February 28, 2025, 11:59 PM. The mentor letter of support must also be submitted by this deadline. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed by the committee. Applicants will not be allowed to add any missing materials nor update materials after the deadline. 

Description of the Research, maximum 2 pages double-spaced, with no less than 1″ margins and 12pt font. The Description of the Research should detail your research project for a non-specialist audience (i.e., someone outside your field). Please include:

• Research Methods: Your research area and topic (aims, research questions or hypotheses), how you are doing the research (research methods), who is involved (project personnel), and in what locations.
• Status and Timeline: The current status of your research (e.g., IRB approval obtained, research project proposed to committee, data collection ongoing) and timeline for major elements of the project. If the Graduate Student Research Fellowship will be used for research related travel, the location and dates must be mentioned here.
• Broader Impact: The relevance of your research to related fields and the contribution that your research will make (broader impact of the research). The impact of your research might not be immediate. 
• Plans for dissemination of the outcomes of the project, such as conference presentation, publication, pilot data for grant submission, etc.
• Budget: Detailed budget description of how you plan to spend your Graduate Student Research Fellowship funds and justifications for your spending plan (budget and budget narrative). Please outline other sources of funding either already obtained or that you are pursuing.

Curriculum Vitae. Your CV cannot exceed 20 pages.

Please inform your mentor that they will receive an email from Jotform <noreply@jotform.com>, Subject: "Letter of Support for [Name], Research Fellowship Awards," with a link to provide their letter of support.  

The student's mentor for the research project will submit one letter of support:   

• The letter must be on UC letterhead and must identify the recommended student by name, program, and college. 
• The letter must come from a current faculty member who is familiar with the applicant’s research. They should describe your research activity and your ability to accomplish the tasks put forward in your proposal. 
• The letter must be signed.  

The Graduate Student Research Fellowship Review Committee will select proposals and notify recipients by the end of Monday, March 24. Applicants will be assessed on organization and coherence of the description of research, timeline, broader impact, plan for dissemination, and budget. Preference will be given to projects that support the research outcomes of your degree program. 

Due Dates: Awards will be made in 2 cycles, due February 28 and September 26. 

The Graduate Student Research Fellowship Review Committee is comprised of 3 graduate students, a member of the Office of Research Staff, and a member of the Graduate College staff. 

Please contact Graduate College program director Megan Carroll (carrolm2@ucmail.uc.edu).