Funding

There are a number of ways to fund your graduate education including:

• BGSU Funds for Graduate Research & Professional Development  
• Graduate Teaching Assistants
• Federal and State Grant Programs

BGSU Funds for Graduate Research & Professional Development

The Graduate College offers funding opportunities (see links below) for graduate students at BGSU to offset the costs of research and professional development. Application Deadlines: Fall Semester - November 15; Spring Semester - March 15

Katzner Fund

Winifred Stone and Presidential Graduate Scholarship

Paul D. Coverdell Peace Corp Fund

The Graduate Student Senate also offers a number of funding opportunities for graduate students at BGSU to offset the costs of research and professional development. This includes travel money for attending scientific conferences.

Check here for the latest information and deadlines.

Graduate Teaching Assistantships

Graduate teaching assistantships are available to qualified students (i.e., M.S. Plan I, Ph.D.); stipends are normally for nine months and include a waiver of instructional and nonresident fees.  Fee waivers and stipends may also be available during the summer term for continuing graduate assistants based on budgetary constraints and progress towards degree.

All awards are made on a competitive basis. Students must be pursuing a research thesis degree--M.S. Plan I or Ph.D. Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 (M.S.) or 3.2 (Ph.D.) or higher to remain eligible for funding. Renewal of assistantships and fellowships is contingent upon satisfactory completion of assignments and progress towards the degree. These awards provide a stipend and a waiver of instructional and nonresident fees. 

FUNDING LIMITS: M.S. Plan I students are eligible for up to two years of funding and Ph.D. students are eligible for up to four years of funding.

For more information, please visit the Graduate Assistantship page of the Graduate College website.   

Federal and State Grant Programs

A number of federal and state agencies offer support for graduate student research projects. A few are listed here:

1) The National Science Foundation offers a number of specialized funding programs for graduate students and postdocs, such as:

• Graduate Research Fellowships (Funding available for both research-based master's and doctoral degrees)
• NSF Graduate Teaching Fellowship Awards
• Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grants

       Many of these programs cover salary as well as equipment for eligible graduate students. Make sure you check the NSF web site for all of the details and deadlines, which usually occur only once a year.

2) The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation Grants program funds projects to conserve and restore fish, wildlife, and native plants through matching grant programs.

Private Funding Sources

In addition, opportunities for financial aid are available to graduate students through various small grants awarded on a competitive basis (Sigma Xi and Shanklin Awards), Federal Perkins Loans, Federal Work-Study, and short-term loans. Please visit BGSU's Office of Sponsored Programs and Research for a detailed list of funding opportunities. Some good sources:

• Sigma Xi Grants-in-Aid of Research
• BP's Conservation Programme
• The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation
• Ford Foundation
• Garden Club of America 

Funding through Your Advisor

Once you identify a faculty advisor, you should contact them for opportunities to participate in their research. Many granting agencies encourage graduate support on grant-funded research projects. You could also explore the possibility of assisting in a grant proposal that incorporates your research project.

All awards are made on a competitive basis and applications received by February 1 will be more competitive. Please visit BGSU's Office of Sponsored Programs and Research for a detailed list of funding opportunities.