Applications are now open for the Spring 2022 Graduate School Grant Programs!

Three types of competitive awards are available to current UMass doctoral students in campus-based degree programs: Dissertation Research Grants, Fieldwork Grants, and Predissertation Grants. In addition, applicants to any of these three grant programs may also apply for a Supplement for Travel with Children or the new Supplement for Public Engagement. General information on each program is provided below; detailed eligibility information and application instructions are on the Graduate School’s Internal Funding website.

Dissertation Research Grants

Overview: Dissertation Research Grants  provide up to $1,000 for expenses related to dissertation research.

Eligibility: UMass Amherst doctoral students in good standing, enrolled in a campus based degree program, and who have achieved candidacy at the time of application are eligible to apply.

Spring Deadline: Tuesday, March 8, 2022. This cycle will fund research expenses beginning on or after May 15, 2022.

Fieldwork Grant

Overview: Fieldwork Grants provide up to $5,000 for expenses related to dissertation data collection that requires travel for an extended period outside the Western Massachusetts geographical area.

Eligibility: UMass Amherst doctoral students in good standing, enrolled in a campus based degree program, and who have established a solid dissertation research plan are eligible to apply.

Spring Deadline: Tuesday, March 26, 2022. This cycle will fund research expenses beginning on or after May 15, 2022.

Predissertation Grants

Overview: Predissertation Grants provide up to $1,000 for recipients to address questions or problems in the early stages of dissertation research design, with the aim of helping students develop more feasible dissertation research projects. 

Eligibility: UMass Amherst doctoral students enrolled in campus based degree programs, in good academic standing, and who have completed at least one semester of doctoral study at UMass at the time of application (but have not yet filed their dissertation prospectus) are eligible to apply. 

Spring Deadline: Tuesday, March 29, 2022. This cycle will fund research expenses beginning on or after May 15, 2022.

Supplement for Travel with Children

Applicants may submit a Supplement for Travel with Children request with their Predissertation, Fieldwork, or Research Grant application. Supplements of up to $500 are intended to cover expenses incurred by the grantee while traveling with children under the age of 18 during activities funded by a Graduate School Grant. Recipients must first be awarded a Graduate School Grant, then their Supplement for Travel with Children application will be considered. Additional details are in the Supplement for Travel with Children section of the Graduate School’s Internal Funding website. 

New! Supplement for Public Engagement

Applicants may submit a Supplement for Public Engagement request with their Predissertation, Fieldwork, or Research Grant application. Applicants should outline a mutually beneficial collaboration between the graduate student researcher and an off-campus community, organization, or group with the aim of sharing or applying knowledge for the betterment of society. Recipients must first be awarded a Graduate School Grant, then their Supplement for Public Engagement application will be considered; most awards will be between $500 and $1,000. Additional details are in the Supplement for Public Engagement section of the Graduate School’s Internal Funding website.

Questions?

Questions about these awards should be directed to Heidi Bauer Clapp at researchgrant@umass.edu.