How to Make Progress on a Fellowship Application
Getting started on a grant or fellowship can be intimidating, and the Graduate Center Office of Fellowships is here to help. The Fellowship Application Development Programs offer writing support, examples, and feedback for fellowship applicants.
The numbers speak for themselves. 92% of responding participants said that the Fellowship Application Development Program helped them make progress on their application. 90% said that the Fellowship Application Development Program helped them feel more confident in their ability to apply for funding opportunities.
How the Fellowship Application Development Program supports applicants
Deadlines
One of the most useful parts of the Fellowship Application Development Program is having deadlines. These early internal deadlines encourage writers to finish drafts of their application prior to the fellowship deadline. One participant said that having deadlines “helped keep me on track, organize my thoughts, and come up with unique ideas and approaches.” Not only do the deadlines ensure that writers complete the application on time, but they also give students time and space to develop the best possible version of the final draft.
Resources
Program participants receive invitations to workshops and, when available, access to examples of successful proposals. All students can find fellowship support materials on the Brightspace resource “Graduate College Office of Fellowships.” Look for it; the site is full of helpful material. Instructions for accessing the resource are available under resources on our Phase 2: Application Development webpage.
Feedback
Writers in the program get feedback on their drafts from trained writing consultants. Participants consistently rank the feedback they receive as one of the most helpful parts of the program. "The feedback from the writing consultants was very helpful in giving me direction,” said one participant. Getting a perspective on your draft from someone outside of your discipline can help writers identify key terms that need defining, bring ideas into a cohesive storyline, and connect ideas to the concerns of the fellowship to which they are applying.
Students can choose between the Deluxe program, which gives students 12 weeks of fellowship support, and the Sprint program, a 6-week offering. We also offer ad hoc support, which basically means the Office of Fellowships is there for you whenever you need us.