Graduate Student Research Grants

The Graduate School administers two grant funds that support the research, scholarship, and creative work of graduate students from all departments. Made possible by the generosity of our donors, the Graduate School administers these grant funds, up to $1,200, to support the research, scholarship and creative work of graduate students from all departments. 

Eligibility

Any full-time, Boulder campus, graduate degree-seeking graduate student pursuing a Traditional Master's or Doctoral degree with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 may apply for an award. Students should be graduating no sooner than fall of the following year. Applicants should submit an original proposal based on their research or creative work. Students in joint Bachelor’s/Master’s programs may apply for a grant if they have been admitted to graduate status and if the grant is to support Master’s degree work (i.e. a Master’s thesis). Master's students may only receive this grant once, and Doctoral students may only receive this grant twice.

All proposals that involve the use of human subjects or animals must be approved by the appropriate committee before an award can be made. If you are in the process of receiving approval when you apply, you must state that in the application and notify the graduate school once you have the approval.  Students whose human research has been approved must include their IRB protocol number on the application form.

Types of Projects Funded

Almost any type of research or creative project may be funded. Projects directly related to work on a master's thesis or doctoral dissertation generally receive priority, although other projects also receive funding.

Conference travel must contribute to the applicant’s research or creative work. Grants are not awarded to present findings of research that has already been completed. Conference travel may be given lower priority in some disciplines.

Types of expenses not eligible for funding:

  1. Reimbursement for expenses incurred before awards are announced,
  2. Thesis or dissertation preparation expenses such as typing or copying,
  3. Salary or stipend payments to the applicant,
  4. Salary to others for work that the applicant should do for professional development,
  5. Local travel expenses (travel within 50 miles of Boulder),
  6. Computer hardware or software that is easily accessible to the student, and
  7. CU tuition expenses.

Any equipment purchased with a Graduate Student Grant becomes the property of the university. All university fiscal policies regarding purchasing, travel, etc., apply to the distribution of funds for these awards.

Award Criteria

Applications will be evaluated by committees of faculty according to the following criteria

  1. Overall quality and clarity of proposal,
  2. Importance of project to the student's professional development,
  3. Student's academic record,
  4. Appropriateness of the proposed budget,
  5. Adherence to the prescribed format, and
  6. Letter of support.

Applications that are incomplete or that do not adhere to the format will be disqualified

To Apply

  • A single-spaced, two-page description of the project (written in language a non-expert can understand, at size 11 font or higher) with any necessary figures and tables.
  • A reference/bibliography page listing citations of the work of other scholars found in your project description.
  • An itemized budget explaining the expenses for which you are requesting funds, quoting specific prices, equipment, etc.
    • Please include information regarding any other sources of funding for your project.
  • Transcript (official or unofficial).
  • A letter of support from your advisor or a faculty member familiar with your work (please upload alongside your other application materials).

Deadline to apply: Nov. 8, 2024 @ 11:59 p.m. Mountain Time