The Graduate Student Research grant program provides support for graduate student research and creative activity, including theses, field studies, and scholarly studies. Awards are competitively selected, and can reach a sum of up to $750 to be used for operating expenses and supplies. Supplemental support is expected from the department and/or student(s). Students supported through this program are expected to participate in the MSU Texas Celebration of Scholarship held during the spring semester.
Overview and Requirements
The Office of Sponsored Programs and Research invites graduate students to apply for the Graduate Student Research Grants program. Students should apply using the designated application materials. Grants will be awarded through a competitive process. Students may be awarded one Graduate Student Research Grant per year.
Students currently enrolled in a graduate degree program at MSU Texas are eligible to apply. Before submitting a proposal, students must obtain approval from their faculty mentor, graduate coordinator, and department chair.
The maximum funding for Graduate Student Research Grants is $750.
All projects must receive supplemental support from the applicant’s department. Departments may choose to provide supplemental support in two ways: 1) additional funding that contributes to the conduct of the research or creative project, and/or 2) in-kind support, such as the use of university resources and facilities that contributes to the conduct of the research or creative project. Scholarships do not qualify as supplemental support for the purposes of this grant. Supplemental support must be described in the application on the Project Summary page.
Funds will be awarded for operating expenses, supplies, equipment, and research-related travel. Grants will not fund travel for dissemination purposes (e.g. conferences and scholarly meetings).
Funds must be expended before the end of the academic year. Extensions through Aug. 31 may be available for summer research. Contact OSPR (sponsoredprograms@msutexas.edu) to request an extension.
Complete proposals will be read and evaluated on the basis of intellectual and creative merit and adherence to proposal guidelines. Incomplete proposals will not be evaluated. Moreover, the quality and clarity of the written text will be important considerations.
Title to all permanent materials and equipment purchased with MSU Texas funds rests with Midwestern State University. Current university policy will prevail to answer questions regarding intellectual property rights for research or creative productions resulting from projects supported by MSU Texas funds. If the grant recipient’s enrollment at MSU Texas terminates during the award period, the grant terminates on the same day.
All Graduate Student Research Grant Awardees are required to present a summary of their project results at the Celebration of Scholarship in the Spring on the Celebration of Research in the Fall.
Proposal Guidelines
Proposals will be accepted throughout the academic year. Students may apply at any time.
The application must be completed through the Graduate Student Research Grant Application Microsoft Form. No paper or email applications will be accepted.
To aid in the thorough evaluation of your proposal, please ensure that the language within the application is jargon-free and clear to readers.
The application link can be found on the Graduate Student Research page of the OSPR website. All applications should be completed on the Graduate Student Research Grant Application Microsoft Form.
Form Questions are listed below
- Graduate Student Researcher’s Last Name
- Graduate Student Researcher’s First Name
- Graduate Student Researcher’s Major
- Graduate Student Researcher’s Faculty Advisor Name
- Abstract (Limit 150 words)
- Description of Supplemental Support: Please describe supplemental support (as described in the guidelines)
- Research question(s) and/or hypothesis(es): state the research question(s) and/or hypothesis(es) that will be examined through this project
- Justification of the importance of the project;
- Research or creative design and methodology: clearly describe how the project will be carried out; If you are submitting this proposal in conjunction with a faculty intramural grant, clearly explain your role in the faculty member’s project.
- Budget justification: For the budget justification, clearly explain all budget expenditures and what the funds will be used for. The maximum budget for this project is $750
- Timeline for the project: Please provide a timeline for the project, by month, with completion of the project no later than the end of the current academic year. Extensions through Aug. 31 may be available for summer research.