GSC Research Grants

Overview

  • The Graduate Student Council has a fund to support graduate student research. This fund is intended to assist students who face expenses related to research, such as equipment costs, acquiring data sets, etc. Priority is given to students without funds for their research needs, who would otherwise be expected to pay out of pocket.
  • The GSC Research Grants are not intended for travel use. Please apply for a Travel Grant if you need money to attend a conference. However, if your travel is related to acquiring data, you may apply for a research grant.
  • Students may request up to $500 maximum. The research fund committee reserves the right to fund partial or full grants.
  • Those awarded a GSC Research Grant will be required to present either a poster or a short (10-12 minute) oral presentation on their work at the GSC Regional Research Conference. This is a mandatory requirement of receiving a GSC Research Grant.
    • Please be noted that the deadline to submit an abstract to the 2024 UofL GSC Regional Research Conference is Feb 9, 2024
  • At the conclusion of the research project (or at the end of the academic year, if the project is ongoing), the Research Grant recipient agrees to submit a brief but detailed Research Grant Report to the Research Grant committee, and to recognize the Graduate Student Council's support in any publication that results from this research. Students who do not submit their research report will not be eligible for future GSC Research Grants.
  • For more information about the GSC Research Grants, please check the GSC By-Laws
  • Questions? Contact the GSC Director of Finance at . (2023 Director of Finance: Yuan Zhao) 

Application Process 

Spring 2024 application deadline: the application window is closed

Fall 2024 application deadline: TBD 
Funds must be used within the fiscal year. 

To apply, please complete the Graduate Research Grant Application where you will attach the following materials:

  • A) Your CV
  • B) Project description with a DETAILED budget (include all income; support from Department, etc) (no more than 1-2 pages)
  • C) A letter of support from your Department Chair, Director of Graduate Studies, or Dissertation/Thesis director in support of the student and attesting to the appropriateness of the proposed budget and project. The letter of support will be collected by the student and submitted along with the other application materials.
**Make sure all materials are completed before uploading the materials**

Application Samples

Funding Priority

Funding priority will be given for the following reasons:

  • First time applicants
  • If monetary help is NOT received from School/Department; Out of pocket expense
  • Relevance to graduation
  • Timeline of study (i.e. progression or status of study)
  • Presentation of Application package (i.e. organization, clarity, professionalism)
**Detailed rubric below.**

Disclaimers

  • The grant is up to $500 for academic year 2023-2024 and will be transferred to the student's department.
  • No reimbursements will be considered.
  • No single student can receive a GSC Research Grant more than once per academic year, and priority in subsequent years will be given to first-time applicants. If you have already received a Research Grant, you must complete this form to be considered again.
  • Any incentives utilized for research must comply with University policy https://louisville.edu/policies/policies-and-procedures/pageholder/pro-payments-for-research-study-participants
  • The student is responsible for assuring compliance with regulations regarding human and animal research and all other university research guidelines.
  • The GSC Research Grant is not intended for conference travel. For more information see GSC Travel Grants.
  • Grant monies awarded will be transferred to the student's respective department to be disbursed according to University Policy.
  • All items purchased with University funds remain property of the researcher's department.
  • Recipients of the Research Grant will be asked to sign a statement acknowledging these Disclaimers.

Rubric

Criteria Value
First time applicant Y/N
Follows application guidelines Y/N
Detailed budget Y/N
Outside Funding Y/N
 
Budget 1--5
Financial Need 1--5
Timeline of Study 1--5
Relevance to graduation 1--5
Contribution to research 1--5
Strength of Letter of Support 1--5
Organization and clarity 1--5
Writing quality 1--5

Overall impression

1--5

Total (45)

 

An excellent application includes: 

  1. An excellent letter of support (should include glowing recommendation for you as a researcher and confirm the detailed budget is appropriate), 
  2. A research summary that is compelling and understandable to a wide audience (a committee of grad students from various backgrounds review the grant applications), 
  3. A detailed and realistic budget (Max amount is $500, please say exactly what the award will pay for, where the money comes from if the award is not received, if the full amount is essential to the project or if partial funding can be used to help the project),
  4. Clearly outlines the project timeline,
  5. Clearly outlines the benefit to the field of research,
  6. Well-organized and easy to read,
  7. Demonstrates financial need (Priority goes to students who might otherwise pay for funds from their own pocket, but demonstration of need can sway the reviewers)
  8. Priority is given to students who demonstrate need based on urgency to graduate
  9. Priority is given to students who have not been awarded a research grant in the past