[Plsgs] FW: Four Steps to Fall Funding

[Georgina Lambert]

From: gradfunding-request at list.arizona.edu
[mailto:gradfunding-request at list.arizona.edu] On Behalf Of Shelley Hawthorne
Smith
Sent: Wednesday, May 01, 2013 12:03 PM
To: GradFunding at list.arizona.edu
Subject: Four Steps to Fall Funding

 

Fall is the season to apply for fellowships. This edition of GradFunding
brings you four steps you can take this summer to prepare successful fall
applications. 

 

1.      Find the right fit: 

This is the time to search for the opportunities that fit your research. 

*	Play around on the several databases that are available to you as a
U of A student. Begin as broadly as possible and then narrow your search.
Several searchable databases are linked to this page:

*	http://grad.arizona.edu/node/689

 

*	The internet is full of comprehensive lists of big fellowships such
as these:


*	Indiana University:
http://www.indiana.edu/~grdschl/external-awards.php
*	National Association of Fellowship Advisors:
http://www.nafadvisors.org/scholarships.php

 

*	International students find searching for funding particularly
challenging. Try narrowing the searches on the databases for opportunities
available to international students. Also, here are a few helpful websites:

*	A list from Swarthmore College:
http://www.swarthmore.edu/student-life/fellowships-and-prizes/opportunities-
for-international-students.xml
*	A list from the Aga Khan Foundation:
http://www.akdn.org/akf_scholarships_links.asp
*	Listings from Scholarship.net: http://www.scholarshipnet.info/

 

2.      Do your homework: 

Writing an application for a fellowship requires different skills than other
kinds of academic writing. No matter where you apply, it is important to
thoroughly research the organization to which you are applying and the
details of the opportunity. Carefully examine the projects that were
previously funded. Do your best to find examples of successful applications.
Find out who will review the applications and what they use for review
criteria. This is an excellent opportunity to articulate the importance of
your research to a wide audience. 

 

3.      Help your professors write strong letters of recommendation:

Every student who is competitive for national awards is an outstanding
student. Letters of recommendation are often the determining factor in who
is and who is not funded. But writing a strong letter of recommendation is a
lot of work. Give professors plenty of time, and a deadline, when you ask
for letters of recommendation. Ask if he or she would like an outline of
what you would like included in the letter. Sit down with your professor and
have a discussion about the letter. Just saying that you are intelligent and
hard-working is not enough; the letter must include specific examples and
anecdotes. 

 

4.      Develop your argument - and yourself:

The proposal will invariably ask for a summary of your project. No matter
where you are in the process, work to move toward a solid research question
and hypothesis. Continuously develop your bibliography. But reviewers will
look at more than your proposal. If you do not have solid publications, work
at having an article "in review" before the application deadline. If your
research involves travel, be sure to take preliminary research trips to the
site. And many funders are interested in outreach. So if graduate work has
squeezed out your service project, use the summer to resume outreach work.

 

_______________________

Shelley Hawthorne Smith, PhD

University of Arizona Graduate College

Office of Fellowships and Community Engagement

Administration Building, Room 322

520-626-0870 

ssmith at grad.arizona.edu

 

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