Graduate Student Funding Opportunities
In addition to the standard financial support package for doctoral students, which typically consists of a combination of teaching/research assistantships and fellowships, the Chemistry Department provides information and assistance on external funding opportunities for graduate students. Fellowships, training grants, and internships are available to pre-doctoral students from federal agencies and private institutions.
For further information on and assitance in applying for external funding opportunities please contact Caroline Morris or call 919-660-1503.
Duke University Office of Research Support--a website dedicated to posting grant, fellowship, scholarship, and internship opportunities for undergrad and graduate students, postdocs, and faculty.
Community of Science--Community of Science (COS) is the leading international resource for medical, health related, and scientific research funding information and opportunities.
Funding opportunities below are listed by deadline.
--Alternatives Research & Development Foundation - Alternatives Research Grants Program (Non-Animal Methods in Biomedical Research)
Deadline:April 30, 2012
Citizenship: unrestricted
The mission of the Alternatives Research & Development Foundation (ARDF) is to fund and promote the development, validation, and adoption of non-animal methods in biomedical research, product testing, and education. Preferential consideration will be given to proposals that utilize human rather than nonhuman vertebrate tissue. Proposals are judged primarily on the basis of (1) the extent to which the project will significantly reduce or replace laboratory animals and (2) scientific merit and feasibility
--California Institute of Technology - Maurice A Biot Fund (for Caltech Archives Use)
Deadline: May 1, 2012
Citizenship: unrestricted
The Maurice A. Biot Archives Fund and other designated funds offer research assistance up to $2000 to use the collections of the Caltech Archives. For all funds, applications will be accepted from students working towards a graduate degree or from established scholars. For the Biot award, preference will be given to those working in the history of technology, especially in the fields of aeronautics, applied mechanics and geophysics.
--National Academies -Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program
Deadline:May 1, 2012
Citizenship: unrestricted
The National Academies Christine Mirzayan Science & Technology Policy Graduate Fellowship Program is an early career educational and training opportunity. It is designed to engage its Fellows in the analytical process that informs U.S. science and technology policy. Fellows develop basic skills essential to working or participating in science policy at the federal, state, or local levels. Graduate and professional school students and those who have completed graduate studies (degree awarded) within the last five years may apply. Areas of study may include any social/behavioral science, medical/health discipline, physical or biological science, any field of engineering, law/business/public administration, or any relevant interdisciplinary fields.
--U.S. - Israeli Binational Science Foundation - Prof. Rahamaimoff Travel Grants for Young Scientists
Deadline:May 2, 2012
Citizenship: U.S. or Israeli citizens
The Prof. Rahamimoff Travel Grants Program is open to PhD students and Post-Doc fellows doing research that requires facilities or expertise not available in their home countries and provide $4000 in travel funding to a higher education or research facility in the U.S. or Israel for a maximum of 2 months.
--National Institute of Health - Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellows
Deadline:May 7, 2012
Citizenship: U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awards individual predoctoral research training fellowships to promising applicants with the potential to become productive, independent investigators in research fields relevant to the missions of participating NIH Institutes and Centers.The purpose of this individual predoctoral research training fellowship is to provide support for promising doctoral candidates who will be performing dissertation research and training in scientific health-related fields relevant to the missions of the participating NIH Institutes and Centers (ICs) during the tenure of the award.
--Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds - Ph.D. Fellowships for Basic Biomedial Research in Europe
Deadline: June 1, 2012
Citizenship: unrestricted
The Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds awards PhD Fellowships to outstanding young scientists (max. age: 27 years) who wish to pursue an ambitious PhD project of approximately 3 years in basic biomedical research in an internationally leading laboratory.
-- National Science Foundation - U.S./Ireland R&D Partnership for Nanoscale Science and Engineering & Sensors
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unrestricted
In order to foster an increase in collaborative research relationships, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI, Republic of Ireland), Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI, Northern Ireland), and the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL, Northern Ireland) have agreed to enter into a partnership to support research in the areas of nanoscale science and engineering and sensors and sensor networks through competitive awards via existing (core) programs in the case of NSF and SFI, and, in the case of Invest NI/DEL, via these organizations’ R&D funding mechanisms.
-- National Science Foundation - NSF/FDA Scholar-in-Residence at FDA
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unrestricted
For science, engineering, and mathematics graduate students for one to four semesters of full- or part-time work at FDA in an area related to his/her research under the guidance of an academic advisor and an FDA mentor.
--Boehringer Ingelheim Fonds - Travel Allowances to Ph.D. Students and Post-Doctoral Students
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unrestricted, but applicant must be under 30 years of age at time of application
These travel allowances are aimed at supporting young scientists in acquiring experimental qualification necessary in basic research. Vocational training or the attendance of conferences, symposia and workshops are not financed. Travel allowances are intended to enable the recipients to visit laboratories further afield in order to study clearly-defined techniques useful for their ongoing research and the work of their research group at home. These visits may also ensure that both graduates from abroad as well as their potential supervisors are provided with the scientific and personal prerequisites before beginning a PhD thesis.
-National Science Foundation - Grant Opportunities for Academic Liason with Industry (GOALI)
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unrestricted
The NSF Grant Opportunities for Academic Liaison with Industry (GOALI) program promotes university-industry partnerships by making project funds or fellowships/traineeships available to support an eclectic mix of industry-university linkages. Special interest is focused on affording the opportunity for these interactions:
- Faculty, postdoctoral fellows, and (graduate) students to conduct research and gain experience in an industrial setting;
- Industrial scientists and engineers to bring industry's perspective and integrative skills to academe; and
- Interdisciplinary university-industry teams to conduct research projects.
--Chemical Industry Institute of Toxicology --CIIT Centers for Health Predoctoral Program in Toxicology
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unrestricted
The Hamner awards predoctoral fellowships to Ph.D. students at area universities whose programs mesh with on-going research projects. Predoctoral fellows conduct their dissertation research at The Hamner. The staff scientist guiding the research serves on the student's doctoral committee and typically holds an adjunct faculty appointment at the university awarding the degree.
--National Science Foundation - United States/Ireland R&D Partnership for Nanoscale Science and Engineering & Sensors
Deadline: varies depending on field of specialization, see link for more details
Citizenship: unrestricted
In order to foster an increase in collaborative research relationships, the National Science Foundation (NSF), the Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), Invest Northern Ireland (Invest NI), and the Department of Employment and Learning (DEL) have agreed to enter into a partnership to support research in the areas of nanoscale science and engineering and sensors and sensor networks through competitive awards via existing (core) programs in the case of NSF and SFI, and, in the case of Invest NI/DEL, via these organizations’ R&D funding mechanisms.
--RTI - University Collaboration Fund - Small Grants for Collaborations between Carolina, Duke, NCSU and RTI Researchers
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unrestricted
The RTI-University Collaboration Fund has been created by Duke University, North Carolina State University (NCSU), Research Triangle Institute (RTI), and UNC-Chapel Hill to provide small grants for activities that will promote greater dialog among researchers at the four participating institutions. The broader aim is to enhance collaborative scientific work. Small grants (less than $20,000) will be available for activities that bring together researchers from at least three of the four institutions (one of which must be RTI). These collaborations should ultimately lead to joint proposal development for external funding.
--National Science Foundation - Developing Global Scientists and Engineers, Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement Projects
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unrestricted
The United States needs to educate a globally-engaged science and engineering workforce capable of performing in an international research environment in order to remain at the forefront of world science and technology. To support this aim, the Developing Global Scientists and Engineers program provides highest quality international research experiences for U.S. students. The Doctoral Dissertation Enhancement Projects (DDEP) supports the dissertation research abroad of one doctoral student in collaboration with a foreign investigator.
--American Foundation for Aging Research - Graduate & Undergraduate Grants and Fellowships for North Carolina Students
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unrestricted
The American Foundation for Aging Research (AFAR), a Raleigh based non-profit, awards both Fellowships and Grants to undergraduate and graduate students conducting cellular, molecular and genetic research in age-related diseases (cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, etc.) or the biology of aging. The following awards are open to students who are in bachelors, masters, Ph.D., MD, DDS, DVM degree programs and are conducting research at an institution in the United States. Areas of interest to AFAR include but are not limited to: Molecular and Cellular Biology, Immunobiology, Cancer Research, Neurobiology, Biochemistry, Molecular Biophysics, Genomics. Proteomics.
--Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education (ORISE) - Research and Internship Opportunities
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: U.S. citizens only
The Maryland Office of Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) administers research participation programs that allow senior scientists; faculty; high school, bachelor's, master's, and doctoral students; and recent graduates to enhance their science education experiences. Participants join programs, projects, and activities at our customers’ laboratories and research facilities worldwide. These programs provide a flow of qualified researchers and technical experts to participate in current research and development activities related to our customers’ critical missions.
--Oak Ridge Associated Universities - Research Participation Program at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD)
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: U.S. citizens only
The Research Participation Program for the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (USAMRICD) provides opportunities to participate in USAMRICD on-going applied research and development projects. USAMRICD is the Department of Defense’s lead laboratory for the execution of medical chemical defense research. As a subordinate element of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command (USAMRMC), the institute conducts research involving the development, testing, and evaluation of medical counter-measures to the effects of various chemical warfare agents.
--Center for Biologically Inspired Materials & Material Systems (CBIMMS)
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: U.S. citizens or permanent residents
CBIMMS has established a graduate admissions program for a certificate in Biological and Biologically Inspired Materials. This program was initiated as a result of a successful award from the National Science Foundation’s Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship Program (IGERT). IGERT funding typically covers 2 years of stipend and fees for a Duke doctoral student.
--Center for Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering (CBTE)
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unresticted
CBTE is a multi-disciplinary center for training and research. CBTE is one of Duke University's most comprehensive efforts in biotechnology. The mandate of CBTE is to nucleate interdisciplinary research and educational activities that link three broad areas of biotechnology: protein engineering, cellular engineering, and tissue engineering. CBTE Faculty provide names of admitted students with research interests in protein, cellular and tissue engineering
Training grants award are typically offered during the first or second year of doctoral studies and provides full fellowship and fee support for 2 years.
--Graduate Program in Nanoscience (GP Nano)
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unresticted
This graduate certificate program designed to address the need for an interdisciplinary graduate education at Duke in Nanoscience that extends beyond the traditional disciplines and skills that are taught within any existing department. In both programs, graduate students will be educated and mentored in classes, labs, and research projects by faculty from many disciplines. The disciplines will span the basic science, engineering, and medical disciplines relevant to Nanoscience.
Training grants award are typically offered during the first or second year of doctoral studies and provides full fellowship and fee support for at least 1 year.
--Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP)
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unresticted
Duke's dual-degree MD/PhD program, the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), begun in 1966 and one of the three oldest such programs in the country, adds a significant research component to MD education, training physician-scientists (MD/PhDs) for high-level research careers in the biomedical sciences and academic medicine.
--Pharamcological Sciences Training Program (PSTP)
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: U.S. citizens or permanent residents
The primary benefit of the PSTP is the training in Pharmacology. Pharmacology provides a strong foundation for future employment both in academia and in industry. Approximately half of our graduates pursue academic work after graduation and about half pursue professional jobs in the Pharmaceutical industry. In addition, the PSTP provides financial support in the form of tuition and stipend for two years of graduate work, as well as money to help fund travel to scientific meetings.
Participants in PSTP are required to take three graduate level pharmacology courses and have a member of the Pharmacology department on their dissertation committee.
--Duke University Graduate School - Conference Travel Fellowships
Deadline: continuous
Citizenship: unresticted
Open to all Duke University Ph.D. students. The Graduate School will provide up to $500 for advanced students who have passed all parts of the preliminary examination and are presenting a paper or poster at a national conference. Students are limited to one conference travel fellowship per fiscal year (July 1-June 30).
**Last updated 4/23/2012