RESEARCH SUPPORT & OPPORTUNITIES
INTERNAL SUPPORT FOR GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Academic Challenge Grants Program
Graduate students are encouraged to submit proposals to our Academic Challenge Grant Program, where they will be considered by a panel of faculty. Students can access up to $2,000 per proposal for research support and in doing so not only acquire funds for their own work but also gain valuable experience in grant writing. We spend over $25,000 in departmental funds each year on graduate student research projects. An additional source of funding helps support field research. Two deadlines per year, one in Fall and one in Spring. Guidelines for Academic Challenge Proposals Cover page for Academic Challenge Proposals
W.S. Turrell Herbarium Fund
The W.S. Turrell Herbarium Fund is an endowment which benefits the herbarium, and is restricted to support of the research activities of the staff and students in systematic botany.
Support for travel to professional meetings
Attending scientific conferences and presenting your work at national and international meetings is essential for a graduate student’s professional development. To assist you in this effort, our policy is to provide at least $250 per meeting in departmental support to you if you are presenting a national/international paper, and $100 per meeting if you are attending and not presenting; the Graduate School contributes additional support when needed. Form for Botany graduate students to request support for travel to meetings. Miami University’s Graduate Student Association also provides grant to support travel to meetings. Many professional societies, such as the American Society of Plant Biologists provide travel grants to student presenters.
Miami University
The Office for the Advancement of Research and Scholarship at Miami University assists graduate students as well as faculty in locating sources of support for research funding and preparation of grant proposals. In addition, it provides a comprehensive listing of internal funding programs for graduate students, as well as external grant opportunities. A unique program is DUOS, the Doctoral Undergraduate Opportunities for Scholarship program, which is aimed at heightening the synergy between graduate and undergraduate programs at Miami University. This program enables Miami undergraduates to do research with the guidance of a doctoral student mentor. Applications may be initiated by either graduates or undergraduates, but the undergraduate student is to have intellectual ownership of the project and the submitted application must be agreed to and signed by both students.
The Graduate School makes awards up to $300 through the Graduate Students’ Achievement Fund Competition to recognize significant completed achievement in research or creative activity. The awards will normally not exceed $300. The deadlines are November and April of each year. Application forms are available in The Graduate School. Contact: CHRISTIE KELLER, The Graduate School, 102 Roudebush Hall, 529-3734; kellermh@muohio.edu.
EXTERNAL SUPPORT FOR GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH
Graduate students are encouraged to submit proposals to government agencies, foundations, corporations, non-profits, and other entities to support their research and to build their professional skills. Your faculty advisor, and other faculty members, assist you in identifying funding sources and writing proposals, as part of mentoring. Below we list some of the sources that have funded research in the Botany Department, but please also visit the Office for the Advancement of Scholarship and Teaching’s website or office for additional resources.
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships
This program awards fellowships for graduate study leading to research-based master’s or doctoral degrees in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Applicants must be United States citizens, nationals, or permanent resident aliens, and either preparing to enter graduate school or in their first year of full-time graduate study or the equivalent in part-time study States. The Fellowship award is currently $40,500 (which includes the stipend, educational allowance, and travel) for a 12-month period. Deadlines are in November of each year.
National Science Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants in biological sciences
These grants provide partial support of doctoral dissertation research to improve the overall quality of research. Allowed are costs for doctoral candidates to conduct research in specialized facilities or field settings away from the home campus, to participate in scientific meetings, and to provide opportunities for greater diversity in collecting and creativity in analyzing data than would otherwise be possible using only locally available resources. The applicant must have advanced to candidacy for a Ph.D. degree before the submission deadline. Check the NSF website for deadlines.
National Science Foundation Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education
This program provides funding to graduate students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to acquire additional skills that will broadly prepare them for professional and scientific careers in the 21st century. Through interactions with teachers and students in K-12 schools, graduate students can improve communication, teaching, collaboration, and team building skills while enriching learning and instruction in K-12 schools. Check the NSF website for deadlines.
U.S. Department of Agriculture National Research Initiative funds research, education, and extension activities to address key problems of national and regional importance in biological, environmental, physical, and social sciences relevant to agriculture, food, the environment, and communities on a peer-reviewed, competitive basis. Various deadlines.
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) National Center for Environmental Research runs competitions for STAR grants, graduate and undergraduate fellowships, and other research assistance programs. The STAR (Science to Achieve Results) program offers Graduate Fellowships for master’s and doctoral level students in environmental fields of study. The deadline for receipt of pre-applications is typically November of each year. Master's level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of four years. The fellowship program provides up to $37,000 per year of support per fellowship.
The Ohio Plant Biotechnology Consortium (OPBC) supports a comprehensive, cooperative research program across Ohio through a competitive grants program to encourage the assembly and development of the strongest and most relevant inter-university and interdisciplinary teams. There are two categories of OPBC Competitive Grants: Full Research Grants ($20-60K) and Research Initiative Grants ($10K or less).
Sigma Xi makes awards in amounts up to a maximum of $1,000. October 15 and March 15 are the annual closing dates for applications and supporting letters.
The American Society of Plant Taxonomists (ASPT) makes awards up to $1000 for research grants for graduate master’s and doctoral students conducting fieldwork, herbarium travel, and/or laboratory research in any area of plant systematics. Guidelines are available from ASPT ; the annual deadline is typically in March.
Garden Club of America administers several scholarships and awards in botany and related field, including some targeted at students in Ohio. Various deadlines.
Garden Club of Ohio supports student research in plant science. Deadline is typically March 1 of each year. Contact Scholarship Chairman Mrs. Margaret Bertin, 530 Mapleview Dr. Seven Hills, Ohio 44131