Travel & Research Grants

When it comes to grants, start applying as soon as you get settled at UMass. Here is a partial list of some of the agencies and societies that OEB students have applied to for funding in the past. There are many grants from societies, so find out what your societies offer, or become a member of a relevant society that offers a grant that you would like to apply for. Talk to people in your field about specific funding options, especially for small research grants.

• NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program
  • Available to 1st and 2nd year students who are U.S. citizens
  • Students can only apply once during graduate school (either 1st or 2nd year)
  • Due in late October/early November each year
  • All eligible students should apply; they provide 3 years of funding
  • Students who hold a Masters are ineligible to apply
• Ford Foundation Fellowship
  • Available to underrepresented students who are U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or in the U.S. as a refugee, asylum, or protected under DACA, with at least 3 years remaining of their PhD
  • Due in early December each year
  • All eligible students should apply; they provide 3 years of funding
• Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research (GIAR)
  • Up to $1000, due March 15th and October 15th each year
  • Do not need to be a member of Sigma Xi to apply
• UMass Natural History Collections Grants
  • Awards range from $300 to $5,000
  • Geared towards collections-based research
  • More information emailed out to listserv as dates approach
• OEB Research Grants
  • Awards of up to $1,200 for summer research
  • 2022 deadline was April 15
• UMass Graduate School Grants
  • Travel grants specifically for travel to present at a meeting - up to $400 
  • Pre Dissertation Research Grants - up to $1,000
  • Dissertation Research Grants - up to $1,000
  • Dissertation Fieldwork Grants - up to $5,000
  • Others: Supplement for Travel with Children, Outreach Supplement, Inclusion & Diversity Fellowship, Dissertation Completion Fellowship, Supplement for Public Engagement
• IDGP Travel Fund
  • All PhD students in the MCB, NSB, OEB and PB programs, who are in good academic standing are eligible, dependent on budget availability, to receive supplemental funds to attend conferences and workshops once each fiscal year, up to a lifetime limit of $2,500.
    • $450/year before completing the prospectus
    • $800/year after completing the prospectus
• Other Funding Opportunities
  • SICB – GIAR and GSTG
  • Society of Systematic Biology
  • American Ornithologists Union
  • SARE: Sustainable Agriculture Research & Extension

This is just a partial list! Keep your eyes out for more.

The Graduate School also offers a neat service called GrantSearch for Grad Students that can help you find grants to apply for.