Financial Support

Single-spaced, two pages maximum.

Research proposals should briefly summarize relevant background/context information, study question(s) and hypotheticodeductive framework, study design/methods, expected outcomes, feasible timeline, and budget with justification. Collaborative proposals should also clearly indicate unique contributions of each applicant.

Materials should emphasize relevant research or training experience(s).

This letter should provide additional context for the needs and qualifications of the applicant(s) and merits of the project/workshop; if applicants are from multiple labs, a letter from any
applicant’s major advisor is acceptable.

The Department of Integrative Biology Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching Award is meant to recognize graduate students who have distinguished themselves by the attention they have given to the position and the skills they have shown in meeting their teaching assistantship responsibilities. The purpose of the award is to bring department-wide recognition to outstanding graduate teaching
assistants and by so doing to underline the important contribution they are making to creating a constructive learning environment for our undergraduate students while also highlighting their skills in teaching. To be nominated for the Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching Award, the individual must be a graduate student in the Department of Integrative Biology, have taught at least two semesters while a graduate student at MSU, whether in lecture, recitation, and/or laboratory sections for
undergraduate courses.

Ideal candidates for the Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching Award will have/provide:
• Evidence of dedication to instruction through experimentation and successful implementation of innovative techniques and/or contribution to the scholarship of teaching and learning.
• Evidence of excellence in instruction as demonstrated by the impact on student learning and careers.
• Evidence of excellence in instruction as demonstrated by the impact on colleagues’ teaching and advising practice.

The application package should include:
• A one-page statement written by the student explaining their qualifications for this award.
• A letter of support from one faculty member for whom the student acted as graduate teaching assistant that specifically speaks to the graduate student’s dedication to innovative instruction and examples of impact on student learning. The letter should explain the nominee’s teaching
duties and responsibilities and comments on their interactions with undergraduates, knowledge of and preparation of the material, and specific examples of how they made significant contributions to the course.
• A spreadsheet indicating each semester, course, section(s), and number of students the individual has taught over the course of their graduate career at MSU.
• Three letters of support from undergraduate students who took a course for which the student was a graduate teaching assistant. Ideally letters of support will include students from more than a single section or course. Student letters should provide specific examples of how the graduate student impacted their learning experience.
• A recent CV

The Department of Integrative Biology Excellence in Graduate Student Service Award is conferred in recognition of exemplary community-engagement and service to and for the department, college, and university. To be nominated for the Excellence in Graduate Student Service Award, the individual must be a graduate student in the Department of Integrative Biology.
The student should show a commitment to serving the community through leadership roles, outreach initiatives, contributions to student organizations, advocacy for fellow students, and overall positive impact on the department, and significant time dedicated to service activities beyond academic coursework, emphasizing breadth and depth of involvement. Student efforts that are in service to or for our department will be more heavily weighted than those to or for other MSU entities. Finally, service efforts must go beyond academic coursework and any accomplishments as Graduate Teach or Research Assistant.

Ideal candidates for the Excellence in Graduate Student Service Award will have/provide:
• Evidence of dedication to service within the department, indicated by serving on IBIO’s Graduate Student Organization
• Evidence of excellence in demonstrating leadership, through peer or undergraduate mentoring.
• Evidence of representing the department outside of our immediate community (e.g. organizing Biology on Tap, participation in MSU Science Festival, local outreach, visits to classrooms, etc.).

The application package should include:
• A one-page statement written by the student explaining their qualifications for this award.
• A letter of support from the advisor, addressing specific efforts, for example, contributions to departmental-related student organizations and committees.
• A letter of support from someone in the community who can speak to the applicant’s positive impact on the department through their service.
• A letter of support from at least one other IBIO graduate student.
• A recent CV

The Department of Integrative Biology Outstanding Student Research Award is conferred each year in recognition of exemplary research contributions, accomplishments, and impacts. To be nominated for the Excellence in Graduate Student Research Award, the individual must be a graduate student in the Department of Integrative Biology.

Ideal candidates for the Outstanding Graduate Student Research Award will have/provide:
• A record of independent research excellence, which can include first-author publications, meeting presentations, research grants, and other indicators of research leadership (e.g. collaborations or programs created by the student, workshops led, methods or field-systems developed).
• Research should be integrative, incorporating multiple levels of biological organization and/or combinations of approaches to solving challenging research questions.
• Research should be creative, rigorous, and novel.

The application package should include:
• A one-page statement written by the student explaining their qualifications for this award.
• A letter of support from the advisor detailing the student’s record of research excellence.
• A letter of support from a research partner or collaborator, whether it be a committee member or peer graduate student or external university researcher.
• A recent CV

All doctoral and Masters of Science Plan A students accepted into the graduate program in Integrative Biology are offered financial support in the form of teaching assistantships, research assistantships, and/or fellowships from the College of Natural Science or Michigan State University. Graduate student salaries for the academic year range from $2,630 to $2,836 per month (based on a half-time appointment), plus medical benefits, as well as a 9 credit tuition and fee waiver per semester.

Half-time teaching assistantships require 20 hours per week during the semester, helping with undergraduate courses. Half-time research assistantships require an average of 20 hours per week of work on a faculty member's research grant.

Recruiting fellowships, offered by the Graduate School or by the College of Natural Science, are available only for the very strongest candidates. These fellowships require nomination by the Graduate Affairs Committee and the Director of Graduate Studies. University Recruiting Fellowships offer 12-24 month support packages for those starting study in the academic year, which include a $24,000 stipend plus medical benefits, a 9 credit tuition and fee waiver for each of fall and spring semesters, and a 4 credit tuition and fee waiver for the summer semester.

Students with especially strong academic records may be competitive for fellowships from governmental agencies such as the National Science Foundation (NSF) or the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), or from non-profit organizations that support higher education and research training. The student is responsible for applying for such fellowships, although this is commonly done in consultation with a faculty advisor. Learn more about funding from extramural sources.

The Graduate School maintains a funding opportunities website that provides links to hundreds of funding sources for support of graduate students and their research. The MSU Libraries also maintains a electronic funding database page.

These are 3-year stipends from the National Science Foundation (NSF) that come complete with additional funds to support grad student research. For other funding opportunities from NSF, check out their Funding for Graduate Students website.

These generous awards are similar in size to those offered for NSF graduate fellows, but these HHMI awards are generally made to grad students working in areas of biology with direct applications to human health.

Many professional societies offer (generally small) grants to support graduate student research in relevant fields. Information about these awards is usually available either in the back of the journal published by each society or on the website maintained by the society.