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Letters of recommendation can be the determining factor in fellowship competitions. Because a good letter of recommendation is so much work to write, you want to do everything you can to make the process easy for your professors. With the help of Graduate College Dean, Andrew Carnie, and Graduate College Assistant Dean, Janet Sturman, I have outlined four tips to help you get the best letters possible.

1. Plan ahead:

The Summer 2022 Fellowship Application Development Program offers deadlines and writing support to assist UA students in completing fellowship applications over the summer. The program is free and online.

Applications: April 26 (priority) and May 17. Only the applications received by April 26 can be guaranteed a seat if meeting the other program criteria.

The program has two tracks for students at various stages of academic work:

Basic Funding Research

Databases and Information for Graduate Students

If you are just beginning your search for funding, begin with the following databases and websites:

The GradFunding Newsletter distributes information on current funding opportunities.

If you are just beginning your funding search, here are some answers to some basic questions:

How do students pay for graduate school?

Most students pay for graduate school through a combination of the following ten avenues.  

The purpose of the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad (FH DDRA) fellowship is to contribute to the development and improvement of the study of modern foreign languages and area studies in the U.S. by supporting full-time dissertation research abroad.

Gabby is here for all of your grant-writing questions! Submit any query, concern, or request to be answered in the monthly newsletter.

Pivot is a huge database of funding opportunities. And, as a University of Arizona student, you can use it for free. If you are a graduate student interested in funding, one of our top recommendations is to invest a little bit of time in Pivot. Forty minutes is enough to give you a good start.

Hello Graduate Students,

The summer is the best time to work on fellowship applications. But, because most people have frequent interruptions to their routines in the summer, it can also be the most difficult time to write. The unpredictability of the season is why the key to success in summer writing is deadlines.

Here are three tips for creating deadlines for yourself over the summer:

Dear Graduate Students,

Katherine Guns’ last NSF GRFP application was as close to perfect as I’ve seen an application. So I was surprised when she did not receive the fellowship. However, I was delighted to learn that, as she explains below, she did end up being very successful in receiving funding. Read her wonderful story below.

My name is Andrew Kunihiro and I am a 5th year PhD student in the Department of Nutritional Sciences. My dissertation research focuses on the metabolism and bioactivity of curcumin, a dietary polyphenol from the turmeric rhizome. Specifically, I look at how curcumin can prevent bone destruction caused by bone-metastatic breast cancer.

Dear Graduate Students,

Hello Graduate Students,

I first met Corbin in 2018 when he applied to the NSF GRFP. I helped him along that process, and, in the subsequent years, he has helped me help other students. Corbin has some advice for any fellowship applicant, but particularly those in the health sciences.

Dear Graduate Students,

Because many funding opportunities require US citizenship or residency, finding funding can be particularly difficult for international students. However, opportunities do exist for international students. As I have worked with Saleh Ahmed, an international student in Arid Lands Resource Sciences, I have been impressed with his persistence in looking for and applying for funding. I have also been impressed with the way in which his work and ideas have developed over the past year. I asked him to share his experience applying for funding with all of you.

Hello Graduate Students,

Please register for our Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad information session on Nov 9 from 9:30 - 10:30 on Zoom. The award supports dissertation research that is not in Western Europe or North America. The research should be in a language other than English.

The purpose of the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce in the United States. The program is an excellent source of funding for graduate students – providing awardees with $34,000 annually for three years, as well as additional benefits.  NSF Fellows at the University of Arizona receive full tuition, mandatory fees, student health insurance for the Fellow, and a $500 travel grant during tenured years.

Learn more about DAAD and the selection of the UA priority candidate on Tuesday, Sept 7, 2020 from 12:30 - 1:30 on Zoom.

Please review the information on the DAAD website, particularly eligibility, prior to attending the session.

Please follow the directions below to submit drafts for feedback. Questions for the additional document are below the directions.

D2L

To submit essays, please upload them to the Assignment folder on the program's d2l site. If you do not have access to the program's d2l site, please contact either of the program instructors: Shelley Hawthorne Smith (shellh@email.arizona.edu); Danielle Barefoot (dblalock@email.arizona.edu). 

DAAD Fellowships provide support for study in Germany. Each year, the University of Arizona facilitates the selection of one priority candidate. Applicants from the UA are not required to submit for priority candidacy; applying for the priority candidacy is optional and students can apply individually to the DAAD's various programs. The following opportunities through DAAD are generally most relevant for graduate students:

Completing this form will register you for our NSF GRFP Application Development Program. Please review your eligibility in the Program Solicitation or GRFP website prior to completing the form. If you have questions about eligibility, please email NSF.

Finding funding is a challenge for any graduate student. But it is particularly difficult for international students studying in the United States. Here are a few tips and resources for those of you who are international students at the UA.

Consider starting your search for funding in your country of citizenship. Some of the best funding can come from a student’s home country.

The Summer 2021 Fellowship Application Development Program offers deadlines and writing support to assist UA students in completing fellowship applications over the summer. The program can be done entirely online. The program has two tracks for students at various stages of academic work.

The purpose of the NSF GRFP is to help ensure the vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce in the United States. The program is a wonderful source of funding for graduate students–providing awardees with $34,000 annually for three years, as well as additional benefits. These information sessions will help you get started on your application.

If you are working on an intensive writing project like a dissertation, thesis, journal article, or grant proposal and you would like to increase your writing productivity, consider joining Writing Efficiency Sessions. WES is hosted by the Graduate Center, Postdoctoral Affairs, and the Think Tank Writing Center. They are free to attend and can help you move ahead on your writing projects. The atmosphere is a structured, yet laid back group writing space. You may attend an entire session or part of each three-hour session.

Hello Graduate Students,

Because the pandemic has pushed life online, the nature of conferences is changing. However, funding for conferences and opportunities to present your work are still available. Here are three ways that you can secure and maximize funding for travel to conferences during COVID.

Dear Graduate Students,

Please fill out the form below so that we can remain in communication regarding the DAAD. Thank you!

My name is Alison Elder and I am starting the first year of my PhD in Geography.  My research to date focuses on water resource issues in arid lands. My MA project examined the effects of large-scale irrigated agriculture development processes on rural livelihoods and water supply in southeastern Morocco.

The Fulbright-Hays is specifically for people doing dissertation research outside of the U.S. and Western Europe. Please visit this website prior to registering: https://grad.arizona.edu/ofce/application-support/fulbright-hays-doctora...

Tuesday, November 12 from 12:30 - 1:30 in University Services Building Room 209

Current postdoctoral scholars will share seven (maybe more!) insights on effective strategies for obtaining postdoctoral funding.

Tuesday, September 10 from 12:30 - 1:30 in ENR2 S215

Thank you for your interest in joining a Writing Efficiency Group. If you would like to commit to joining the group, please fill out this form. This will also help us select times for our in-person writing sessions.

Writing Efficiency Group are intended for you to help you move forward in your writing and to become a more efficient writer. The group lasts for one month. Please fill out this form if you are interested in being part of a Writing Efficiency Group.

In the funding world, we like to say that fellowships go to people and grants go to projects.

Generally, this is a fairly accurate description. But, you ask, does this matter?

The number one question I get in the Office of Fellowships, is “how do I find funding?”

Unfortunately, there is no simple answer to this question. The possibilities are endless; maybe a person you meet on the bus will decide she wants to pay your tuition or an anonymous donor will buy the equipment you need. I hope something like this this happens to you.

Collectively, the Graduate College Office of Fellowships has approximately 31 years of experience with fellowships. In this last newsletter of 2016 I will pass along some bits and pieces we have learned along the way.

Apply for the Summer 2018 Fellowship Application Support Program for support in completing fellowship applications over the summer. Participate from on or off campus. Select Track One if you are near the beginning of your graduate work. Select Track Two if applying for dissertation or postdoctoral support. Applications Deadlines: Priority Deadline - Wednesday, April 11 at 5:00 p.m.

In our office, we find that many students feel lost when thinking about fellowships and appreciate an explanation of the basic landscape of funding. Georgia Ehlers, director of the Graduate College Office of Fellowships and Community Engagement, and I have put together a few of the basics about fellowships which might be helpful as you make plans for the new year.

What is a fellowship?

My name is Diana Meter and I’m a 4th year PhD student in Family Studies and Human Development at the University of Arizona. I became a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in 2012.

Hi! My name is Ryan Watson I am receiving my PhD in Family Studies and Human Development (FSHD) at the University of Arizona. The National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) assisted my work from 2011-2014.

Hello everyone! My name is Katie Leight and I am a fourth year student in the Chemistry PhD program at the University of Arizona. I do analytical and organic research in the McGrath and Saavedra labs. I received a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP) in 2013, and I am a graduate editor.

My name is Tamee Albrecht. I am a second-year PhD student in the School of Geography and Development. My research explores the implications of changes in the timing and location of water availability on water security. In the Himalayan foothills of South Asia, groundwater springs are the primary source of water for domestic and irrigation uses in rural villages, however, groundwater spring flows have been declining due to climate change and expanding hydropower development.

Graduate students have a lot to do. On top of completing classes, passing exams, doing research, and writing papers, most graduate students plan to present at conferences, get papers published, teach, etc. When I encourage graduate students to apply for fellowships and grants, I realize this is one item on a long list.

So, when should students work on applications for funding opportunities and when should they focus on other things?

The Summer 2017 Application Support Program serves to assist UA students in completing fellowship applications over the summer and to improve the quality of UA student fellowship applications.

Hi!  My name is Ben Rackham.  I’m a PhD student in the astronomy program at the University of Arizona.  I started a National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) in 2014.

The beginning of a new year is a good time to update your curriculum vitae (CV) and resume. As most of you know, the main difference between a CV (from Latin for “course of life”) and a resume (from French for “summary”), is length. Whether you have a CV or resume will depend on your discipline and your professional goals. I will refer to CVs in this article, but the ideas apply to both CVs and resumes. You should have a template version of the document that you keep current and adapt to opportunities as you apply to them.

You may have heard of a student who decided to apply to a fellowship two weeks before it was due, dashed an application together, and received the fellowship.

Sometimes this happens. But not often. Although it makes for a less interesting story, most successful applicants plan well ahead of the deadline, work strategically towards making themselves good candidates, and then systematically apply.

As summer approaches, consider putting together a plan for fellowships to which you might apply. Below you will find a general guide to help you think about process.  

If the prospect of all the holiday social obligations fills you with unmitigated delight, you can stop reading this article now. Go ahead and click on another article.

Now that it is just those of us who feel at least some measure of anxiety anticipating social events we can discuss the topic at hand – holiday parties.

With all of the fellowship opportunities in the fall, a graduate student could spend the semester writing fellowship applications. Don’t.

Your main goal as a graduate student should be to, as quickly as is reasonably possible, set yourself up for the next step in your career. Applying to a few choice fellowships can help you achieve this goal.

But how do you decide which fellowship application is worth your time?

Do your research. Ask yourself, how well do I fit this opportunity?

With approximately 1,600 annual awards, the Student Fulbright is one of the largest and best recognized national fellowships. I often talk with graduate students who think that they might be interested in a Fulbright but are not sure about the details. If you are one of those people, read below for insight from Emily Kotay, the Scholarship Advisor in the Office of Nationally Competitive Scholarships (ONCS).

Thank you for participating in the NSF GRFP Application Support Program. We hope that it was helpful for you! We would greatly value your feedback in order to improve the program next year.

Elizabeth Stahmer, the Director of the Social and Behavioral Research Institute, has worked on applications for funding from multiple organizations such as the National Institutes of Health, the National Science Foundation, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Department of Defense, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the State of Arizona, and dozens of private foundations.

In my recent interview with her, she gave numerous nuggets of excellent advice for finding and applying for funding. I share them with you below.

What do you do?

Money for graduate fellowships generally comes from the following sources:

Finding funding is like finding a job. There is no one way to go about it and talking to people is usually your best strategy. However, an additional excellent strategy for finding funding is to sign up for funding alerts.

Yes, it is true, you can receive email alerts specially designed to fit your research interests! You can also receive funding alerts from organization that you think might be interested in your research.

Last spring a student came into my office to discuss a specific funding opportunity. I found her research compelling and I looked forward to learning more about it when she sent me her essays. But when I began to read the draft of her fellowship proposal, I soon found my mind drifting to topics like snacks. I gave her comments and we are still waiting to hear the results of the competition.

Librarians are treasure chests for graduate students. A few good tips from a librarian can provide a graduate student with just the right resources and save him or her hours of work. With this in mind, I interviewed University of Arizona librarian Jill Newby for a few tips on creating a bibliography for fellowships.

For a graduate student who is new to grant writing, or even a seasoned grant writer, an RFP (Request for Proposals) can be intimidating. Every organization arranges the document differently and the language used is often abstruse. Depending on the agency, there may not even be a single document but a scattering of information across webpages. This GradFunding article will help you navigate RFPs, in whatever their form, and get the information that you need. 

Application support is available for UA students applying to the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program! Registrants will have access to successful essays, assistance with an application plan, and more.