Category: Funding Opportunities

Opportunities for funding graduate education.

NASA NSPIRES Research Opportunities

Supporting research in science and technology is an important part of NASA’s overall mission. NASA solicits this research through the release of various research announcements in a wide range of science and technology disciplines. Please bookmark and visit often  http://nspires.nasaprs.com/external to search for NASA research opportunities that may fit with your graduate research focus.

Current Opening:  NASA Space Technology Research Fellowships (NSTRF)

This Fall 2011 Fellowship opportunity is open to US citizens and permanent residents who are pursuing Master’s or Doctoral degrees in relevant space technology disciplines in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics.   Selected fellows will perform research on their respective campus and at NASA Centers and US Research and Development laboratories.

The maximum amount of an NSTRF award is $60,000 per year for a Master’s candidate and $66,000 per year for a Doctoral candidate – this includes a faculty advisor allowance of $9,000.

If interested, please contact Jodi Lehman (jglehman@mtu.edu).

Central Intelligence Agency Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program

This Research Solicitation by the Central Intelligence Agency announces a Fiscal Year 2011 solicitation for the Intelligence Community Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program.  The Program was created in response to the Intelligence Community (IC) requirement to address long-term IC research and technology needs.  The Program serves the IC and research communities by engaging experts in the solution of problems critical to IC goals and missions.  Science and technology are fundamental drivers of global developments, and the IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program facilitates the necessary research in leading-edge technologies to support broad IC technology needs.  The Program awards multi-year postdoctoral research fellowship grants to address these needs.  In addition to facilitating research for the long-term needs of the IC, the mission of the IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program is to establish long-term mentoring relationships with its Postdoctoral Fellows and provide research institutions with an understanding of the IC’s research requirements.  The Program fosters partnerships with these Fellows as they move into career positions and provide innovative solutions to address critical IC problems.

Through this solicitation, the Program expects to make twelve or more grant awards in the specific research topics described herein.  If additional funding becomes available, the Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Program may choose to make additional awards under the terms of this Research Solicitation from the remaining selectable proposals.  The grant will be awarded for two years and funded up to $120,000 per year ($240,000 total), with a potential for a one-year option in the third year for up to $120,000.

Applicants may submit a proposal under this Research Solicitation without having a Postdoctoral Fellow identified. The applicants must be associated with a U.S. domestic accredited college, university, or other degree granting institution or a U.S. Government Laboratory.  Although all research in this program is unclassified, each Postdoctoral Fellow MUST be a U.S. citizen.  Fellows must have completed and have been awarded their doctorate degree before starting the IC Fellowship, and the degree must have been conferred within the last five years prior to the submission of this proposal.  The Principal Investigator (PI)/mentor is NOT required to be a U.S. citizen.  If a grant is awarded as a result of the proposal submitted, the PI has one year from the award date of the grant to recommend a postdoctoral research candidate, who must be approved by both the Program Manager and Government IC Advisor prior to starting the IC Postdoctoral Fellowship. Funding is limited until a Postdoctoral Fellow is identified and approved (see Section 8, paragraph B).

As required by the terms and conditions of the award, Fellows must participate at the annual IC Postdoctoral Research Fellowship Colloquium (both as an attendee and as a presenter), and publish yearly in a peer-reviewed journal, with the full article submitted to the Journal of Intelligence Community Research and Development (JICRD), or an original publication in JICRD.  Yearly publications submitted to a journal other than JICRD must include permission, following copyright law, for the CIA to reprint the article.

Please contact Jodi Lehman (jglehman@mtu.edu) if you are interested in applying.

US Department of Justice Ph.D. Graduate Research Fellowship Program

The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice, and the National Institute of Justice is now accepting applications for their PhD Graduate Research Fellowship Program.  Applicants must be US citizens who are conducting  research related to crime, violence, and/or other criminal justice-related topics that will hep advance objective, independent, evidence-based knowledge and tools to meet the challenges of crime and justice, particularly at the State and local levels.

If interested in applying, please contact Jodi Lehman (jglehman@mtu.edu) in Michigan Tech’s Sponsored Program Enhancement office.

Research Associateship Programs

The mission of the NRC Research Associateship Programs (RAP) is to promote excellence in scientific and technological research conducted by the U. S. government through the administration of programs offering graduate, postdoctoral, and senior level research opportunities at sponsoring federal laboratories and affiliated institutions.

In these programs, prospective applicants select a research project or projects from among the large group of opportunities listed on this website.  Prior to completing an application, prospective applicants should contact the proposed Research Adviser to assure that funding will be available if their application is recommended by NRC panels.  Once mutual interest is established between a prospective applicant and a Research Adviser, an application is submitted through the NRC WebRap system.  Reviews are conducted four times each year and review results are available approximately 6-8 weeks following the application deadline.

There are four review cycles annually. Deadlines for 2011 are:

February 1

May 1

August 1

November 1

Click here for more information: http://sites.nationalacademies.org/pga/rap/

George L. Disborough Trout Unlimited Research Grant

Scholarship Information

The research grant was established by the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited (KVCTU) for the purpose of recognizing and supporting studies of trout habitat or other projects consistent with the goals and objectives of Trout Unlimited. KVCTU’s goals are to preserve wild rivers, clean up polluted waters, maintain early warning Water Quality Surveillance programs, educate the public through workshops and seminars, and speak for the concerns of all anglers and conservationists.

Eligibility Criteria

The grant will be awarded based on the merit of the proposed project and not on the financial need of the applicant. The project must be consistent with the mission of Trout Unlimited (see below) and take place in North America. The recipient must be a U.S. Citizen or a Permanent Resident Alien and a graduate student at an accredited college or university. Normally, the grant will be for one year. However, it is possible that the grantee may apply again providing the applicant is able to demonstrate the merit of another grant to the Advisory Committee and the Kalamazoo Community Foundation Board of Trustees.

The mission of the Kalamazoo Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited is to preserve, protect and enhance cold-water resources. The Chapter’s goals are to preserve wild rivers, clean up polluted waters, maintain early warning Water Quality Surveillance programs, educate the public through workshops and seminars and speak for the concerns of all anglers and conservationists. In addition, members of Trout Unlimited monitor pollution and fight environmental abuse, work with state government agencies for better water resource management and work with congress and federal government agencies for the protection and wise management of America’s fishing waters.

Application Requirements

The following must be submitted to the Kalamazoo Community Foundation:

One copy of the application.

One copy of your research grant proposal that includes a description of your research project and addresses the following:

1. The location of your project.
2. The subject of your project.
3. The goal of your project.
4. The method(s) you will use to complete your project.
5. The unique talents or special abilities, if any, that will be required of you in order to complete
this project.

A description of anticipated project costs.

An explanation of why you believe you deserve this research grant.

One letter of recommendation from an individual who supports your application for a research grant.

Award

Varies

Deadline

February 15

Graduate Research Diversity Supplement

The Directorate for Engineering (ENG) and National Science Foundation (NSF) are again offering Graduate Research Diversity Supplements (GRDS).  Requests for funding of a GRDS should be made by the Principal Investigator of a currently active ENG research award.

GRDS candidates must be United States citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States.  Eligible graduate students must be newly enrolled in, or planning to pursue a PhD in an engineering discipline.

Visit the COS Funding Opportunities site for more information.

2011 Summer Internships for Undergraduate Students

10 week research experience; $5,000 stipend plus travel expenses

  • Areas of research: Engineering, computer science, mathematics, physics, chemistry, biological/life sciences, agricultural sciences, environmental science, emergency and incident management, psychology, social sciences
  • Projects offered at:

National research laboratories: Argonne,  Lawrence Livermore, Los Alamos, Oak Ridge, Pacific Northwest, Sandia, Savannah River

DHS laboratories: Transportation Security Laboratory

Other research facilities, including Battelle, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Naval Research Laboratory

  • Locations include CA, CO, IL, MD, NM, NJ, SC, TN, WA
  • U.S. citizenship required
  • Application deadline: January 5, 2011
www.orau.gov/dhsinternships

Administered by Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education

Kauffman Lab’s Women in Science and Engineering Business Idea Competition

Kauffman lab is looking for ideas from femal scientists or engineers.

This is not a business plan competition. This is about letting breakthrough ideas be heard, and identifying the people who will make them a reality. No idea is too early stage and no dream is too big.

The winning woman will receive an all-expense-paid trip to TED 2011 in Long Beach, California, as a guest of the Kauffman Labs. The annual TED conference brings together the world’s most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives. Kauffman Labs provides a new approach to developing the next generation of high-growth firms.

For more information please visit:  http://kauffmanbusinessideapitch2011.istart.org/

IIE Social Sciences and Humanities Opportunity in China – POST DOC and Mandarin skills required

This IIE China opportunity is looking ahead to life after completion of PhD, however, it is an exceptional opportunity that might be of interest to many of you down the road.  Please also note the requirement of Mandarin proficiency.

Assistant professors must be three years beyond the receipt of their Ph.D. at the time of application. Nonacademic professionals with a record of scholarly or professional publications may apply.

The monthly base stipend is $1,870 to $4,400. Housing allowance and travel and relocation expenses will be provided for the grantee and his or her dependents. Reimbursement of tuition and some schooling fees for grades 1-12 up to $7,500 per child per semester to a maximum of $30,000 per family for a ten-month grant is available. The grant activity will begin after September 2011, but work must be completed by September 30, 2012, and will last 3 to 10 months. Three awards are available.

Proficiency in Mandarin is required for the project.

Applicants must meet all of the following eligibility requirements:
1. United States citizen at the time of application; status as a permanent resident is not sufficient.
2. A Ph.D. or equivalent professional or terminal degree at the time of application.
3. College or university teaching experience is required at the level and in the field of the proposed lecturing activity.
4. Previous Fulbright scholar grantees are eligible to apply only if five years will have elapsed between the ending date of one award and the beginning date of the new award. This rule does not apply if the previous grant was for less than two months.
5. Employees, spouses or dependent children of the United States Department of State or public and private organizations under contract to the United States Department of State are ineligible to apply for a Fulbright grant until one year after the employee’s termination.
6. Applicant must be in sound physical and mental health.

Multi-Country Research Fellowship Program

Council of American Overseas Research Centers (CAORC)

This fellowship program supports advanced regional or trans-regional research. The program is open to United States doctoral candidates and scholars who have already earned their Ph.D. in fields in the humanities, social sciences, or allied natural sciences and wish to conduct research of regional or trans-regional significance. Fellowships require scholars to conduct research in more than one country, at least one of which hosts a participating American overseas research center.

Fellowship awards will not exceed $12,000 for doctoral candidates and post-doctoral scholars and $8,000 for master’s students.

Eligibility requirements apply at the time of application. Applicants must meet all of the following requirements and will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin and/or disability.

  • Must be a U.S. citizen. Proof of citizenship (photocopy of passport) must be shown upon award notification.
  • Must have a Ph.D., be a U.S. doctoral candidate who has completed all Ph.D. requirements with the exception of the dissertation, or be enrolled in a Master’s degree granting program.
  • Must be engaged in the study of and research in the humanities, social sciences, and allied natural sciences.
  • Must wish to conduct research of regional or trans-regional significance in two or more countries outside the United States, one of which must host a participating American overseas research center (ORC).

Fellowships require scholars to conduct research in more than one country, at least one of which hosts a participating American overseas research center. CAORC member centers to which fellows may affiliate include
– the American Academy in Rome,
– the American Center of Oriental Research (Amman, Jordan),
– the American Center for Mongolian Studies,
– the American Institute for Maghrib Studies (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia),
– the American Institute for Sri Lankan Studies,
– the American Institute for Yemeni Studies,
– the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies,
– the American Institute of Bangladesh Studies,
– the American Institute of Indian Studies,
– the American Institute of Iranian Studies,
– the American Institute of Pakistan Studies,
– the American Research Center in Egypt,
– the American Research Center in Sofia,
– the American Research Institute in Turkey,
– the American School of Classical Studies at Athens,
– the Center for Khmer Studies,
– the Cyprus American Archaeological Research Institute,
– the Mexico-North Research Network,
– the Palestinian American Research Center,
– the American Academic Research Institute in Iraq,
– the West African Research Association (Senegal), and
– the W. F. Albright Institute of Archaeological Research (Jerusalem).