Graduate School honors student grant and fellowship recipients Panelists share their secrets of success

by Michael Simsik, special to the Chronicle

ore than 100 graduate students who received grants and fellowships during the past academic year were honored Oct. 29 at the annual Graduate Student Recognition Luncheon in the Lincoln Campus Center.

     The event recognizes the scholarly achievements of graduate students who have obtained external funding or Graduate School fellowships during the course of the preceding academic year. Co-sponsored by the Graduate School and the Graduate Student Grants Service (GSGS), the luncheon was an opportunity to acknowledge the efforts of those students that had been successful in their quest for external funding.

     The highlight of the luncheon was hearing about the research and grant-seeking experiences of four students who made up a panel at the luncheon. About 70 graduate students, their program directors, and Graduate School and other University administrators listened as the panel shared the secrets of their success in securing grants and fellowships to fund their graduate research. The panelists were Mark Besonen, Geosciences; Lynn Comella, Communication; Laura Shine, English; and Tim Willig of History. Each student spoke about their challenges and triumphs in finding sponsors to support their scholarly endeavors.

     Graduate School interim dean James Walker, Jr., congratulated the students for their personal successes and was impressed with the various ways that students had learned about and subsequently sought their grants. Interim Chancellor Marcellette Williams also commended the students for their hard work in securing grants and discussed how their successes contribute to the University's reputation as a research and scholarly institution.

     Besonen, who received a Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant from the National Science Foundation, is using his research funds to compile a record of hurricane and storm activity of the northeast region based on sediment samples taken from the ocean floor around Boston.

     His suggestions to students seeking grants were to think creatively about the ways in which they could focus and to "dress-up" their research project to make it more attractive to potential funding agencies. He also advised students to speak with mentors and others who have received similar grants. Besonen noted that the proposal writing experience helped him to reorganize his project in a way that gave it a clear focus. He also added that one should allow plenty of time for the preparation of the proposal, and that the budget proposal shouldn't be too modest, since it may hinder the successful completion of the project. Besonen also reminded people that when graduate students are seeking funding opportunities, they should start preparing their proposals well in advance of the deadlines.

     Comella spoke of her experiences in seeking and receiving the Human Sexuality Research Program Dissertation Fellowship from the Social Science Re-search Council. With this funding Comella has been able to embark on her project which involves comparative research examining female-owned sex toy stores as cultural institutions. Her field research will take her from New York City to Austin, San Francisco and Seattle.

     Comella advised would-be grant-seekers to do some "homework" about the organizations from which they are seeking funding. She said it is helpful to know what kinds of projects the organization funds, as well as the organizational mission, objectives, and research focus. This will help grant-seekers to craft their project in ways that are most appealing to the potential donor. Likewise, constructing a genealogy of those who received awards and what kind of work they are doing is also helpful for those applying to grants.

     Comella noted for example that a colleague of hers in the Communication Department received the same award last year, and sharing his experiences with her proved to be very beneficial. Comella also mentioned that it is helpful to know something about the committee of scholars who will eventually review your proposal. If they are an interdisciplinary team, it would be more appropriate to use colloquial language, rather than using terms that are limited to one's particular field.

     Comella suggested that people be selective about the organizations to which they apply, so that they can write three or four solid proposals, rather than sending out several weak ones. She also noted that a winning proposal is 'literally worth its weight in gold' in that it could be used and reframed in different ways for future funding opportunities.

     For Shine, having plenty of drive and a passion for her studies helped her through the arduous task of seeking and applying for grants. Shine received a Jacob K. Javits Award from the U.S. Department of Education to pursue her interests in writing poetry while enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts (MFA) Program in the English Department. The Javits Award, she said, allows her to devote her time entirely to poetry instead of working two or three jobs.

     Willig explained how his fellowship from the American Philosophical Society has allowed him to conduct field research in a number of places, including Ottawa, Toronto, Detroit, Ann Arbor, Chicago and Indiana University. Willig's research is examining relations between Native Americans and the British in the Great Lakes Region during the War of 1812.

     According to Willig, would-be grant-seekers should be able to respond to the question "So what?" by explaining why their research work is important and why they should do it. Willig added that grant applicants should also be sure to mention what they bring to their respective fields, and how their work is different from, or contributes to, the body of knowledge that other scholars have already done. He also mentioned that the more detailed the proposal budget, the better it shows reviewers that plenty of thought has been given to a project.

     Additional speakers included Charlena Seymour, interim provost and vice chancellor for Academic Affairs and Fred Byron, the interim vice chancellor for Research. Seymour acknowledged how difficult it is to find funding for graduate research. Byron highlighted the confidence-building aspects of receiving a grant, noting his own experience of having received a grant while he was in graduate school at Columbia University.