Graduate Student Grants Proposal Information

Funding is available to CALS graduate students for research expenses on a range of selected topics (details described below). Students are advised to work with faculty members to develop scientifically relevant and well-circumscribed research proposals and must have a faculty mentor sign their proposal prior to submission. Applications can be submitted through the CALS Graduate Student Grant Application Form

Deadline for Spring 2025: Friday, March 7th at 12 p.m.

Decisions made in early April

Andrew W. Mellon Student Research Grants

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation provides funds to support student research relating to ecological, environmental, and natural resources issues, broadly defined to include issues in biological, economic, social and agricultural areas.

The primary objective of this program is to increase the involvement of students by stimulating original research, especially research embodying synthetic concepts and multi-disciplinary approaches. Graduate and undergraduate students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and the Biological Sciences majors in the College of Arts and Sciences are invited to submit research proposals in competition for funding. Undergraduate students should work with a faculty mentor to develop a proposal that will be competitive with graduate student proposals.

Applications may be from individuals or groups; projects may involve basic or applied research. Proposals involving areas not traditionally associated with the study of environmental problems are particularly encouraged.

Proposals will be chosen for a maximum award of $1,000 each. No student may receive the award for more than two consecutive years.

Arthur Boller Research Fund

The Arthur Boller Research Fund provides funds to support research on apples and cherries. The primary intent of the grants is to foster research on these commodities and to increase the involvement of students in research.

Graduate and undergraduate students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit research proposals in competition for funding. Two to four proposals will be chosen for a maximum award of $1,000 each.

Kieckhefer Adirondack Fellowships

The Kieckhefer family has generously established an endowment to support graduate student research related to the Adirondack region. The primary intent of the fellowships is to stimulate original research specifically focused on the Adirondack region.

Graduate students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit proposals in competition for these fellowships. Projects may involve basic or applied research in any discipline, with priority given to proposals that appear to offer the greatest benefit to the Adirondack region.

Two to ten proposals will be chosen for a maximum award of $10,000.

Smith Clinton Dewitt Fellowship.

The Smith Clinton Dewitt family has generously established an endowment to support graduate student research conducted by  students who come from agricultural backgrounds and have significant agricultural training. Selection is to be made on the basis of scholarship and strength of proposed research work for its impact on agriculture.

Graduate students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences are invited to submit proposals in competition for these fellowships. Projects may involve basic or applied research in any discipline, with priority given to proposals that appear to offer the greatest benefit to the Adirondack region.

Grant Proposal Application Instructions

Proposals must adhere to the guidelines described below; those that do not, may be returned.

Proposals should include:

• Cover Page/Application Proposal for Research funds. You can either print a hard copy and fill it out manually, or make a copy of this file to complete the application digitally. Eligible applicants may apply to more than one program using a single application. Your advisor can either sign this manually or digitally.
• Abstract
• Statement of Objectives and Significance
• Brief Review of Relevant Literature
• Description of Methodology (detail adequate to evaluate the probability of project completion; statement(s) of expected results helpful if known)
• Time frame (research to be completed within a 12-month period)
• Budget
• Literature Cited
• Resume/Curriculum Vitae

Additional considerations:

• Proposals should be written in 12-point font with single or double spacing between lines and at least 1-inch margins. Abbreviations within the proposal must be defined. No appendices may be included.
• Proposals should be a maximum of 6 pages, excluding cover page, list of literature cited, and a resume or curriculum vitae (CV) of up to two additional pages. Page numbers should be included at the bottom, middle of the page.
• The budget should list the actual project cost; other sources of funding received, expected, or for which the student has applied; and the amount of funding requested from the Office of Academic Programs, including an explanation of how those funds will be used.
• If the student has already received funding for this research from one of these sources, an additional page must be added to the proposal describing the research progress.
• Computers and software purchased with these funds are the property of Cornell University and must remain at  Cornell after the student graduates.
• The faculty mentor must review the proposal, make suggestions for improvement, and sign the cover sheet.

Sample proposals are available for review: sample.

Funding is limited to full-time students only.  Only one (1) proposal per student may be submitted.

These awards can be used for research or travel related to research, including attending research conferences.

Should you have any questions please contact:

Melinda Oltz, Administrator & OAP Program Manager
607-255-3081
mo442 [at] cornell.edu (mo442[at]cornell[dot]edu)
177 Roberts Hall