Cost and Financial Aid

Travel and Research Grants:  Students may receive up to $1,000 per academic year (July 1st-April 15th academic year funding cycle).

• Students can apply each year of their degree program and receive one award per year (see Limitations section above). 
• A single application may include travel to more than one conference. 
• Students who do not receive an award on their first application are eligible to apply one additional time in the same academic year. This may include a revised version of a previous application if the travel is still within the eligibility period. 
• Students who have never previously received a Robberson Travel or Research Grant during their degree program will receive priority.
• Matching funds are not required, but students are encouraged to utilize all available funding streams.  
• Students are not eligible for a travel grant in the same year they receive a research grant. Likewise, students are not eligible for a research grant in the same year that they receive a travel grant.

Application Guidance:  Remember that your application will be read by a diverse group of individuals with little or no background in your disciplinary area.  Keep the use of jargon and acronyms to a minimum.  Two major criteria in the application review are the quality of description and significance of the project and the contribution to the student’s professional development. 

Travel Grants: The one-page project summary should: explain the nature of the project, discuss the compelling reasons for the project, clearly state the anticipated conclusions of the project, discuss the project's contribution to the discipline, and discuss broader societal impacts, if applicable.  Also, ensure you have a thorough and justified budget.  Hotel stays should not extend beyond the conference dates. 

Research Grants: Another major criterion is the budget justification.  Be sure it is detailed and outlines the portions that are covered by the Graduate College funding. The single-spaced one-page research or creative project summary should be written as a proposal rather than an abstract of work already completed, clearly identify the compelling questions to be investigated, outline the tasks that will be performed, identify the potential contribution of the project to the discipline, discuss broader societal impacts, if applicable, and include early conclusions and preliminary findings, if applicable.

Eligibility Criteria

• The applicant must be in good academic standing and have an OU grade point average of 3.0 or better.
• The applicant must be enrolled during the semester they plan to travel or make research expenditures. Applicants are not required to be enrolled in the Summer semester in order to be eligible to receive funding for research/travel costs during the Summer semester. However, applicants should be enrolled in the following Fall semester. 
• Post-doctoral scholars are not eligible for these funds. 

Travel Grant

• The applicant must be an active presenter. Verification of the student’s presentation at the professional venue will be required before funds are disbursed.
• These funds may not be used to attend training workshops, short courses, field schools, or other types of events; apply instead for the Robberson and Wethington Scholarship.
• Travel to local or state meetings will not be supported from these funds. However, national conferences which happen to occur in Oklahoma are eligible for funding.
• Travel for research purposes (e.g., to visit archives, collect samples or conduct interviews) will not be supported from these funds; apply instead for a Research Grant.

Research Grant

• These funds may be used to provide IRB approved compensation to study participants. The IRB approval letter and Crimson Corner approval documents will be required in order to receive reimbursement.
• Reimbursement for gift cards is subject to additional restrictions. Purchasing of gift cards must be pre-approved by your academic unit and must follow OU purchasing policies outlined by Financial Services.
• These funds may be used to fund research-related expenses such as supplies, equipment, books, data sets, or travel related to the project.
• These funds may not normally be used to pay salaries, make dissertation copies, or fund publication costs.
• Travel to present research or creative activity will not be supported from these funds; apply instead for a Travel Grant.

Selection Process

1. Applications will be reviewed by the Graduate Council’s Travel and Research Subcommittee during the three weeks after the deadline.
2. A notification letter will be sent to the applicant’s OU email address once decisions are made. Notifications of award (or that your application was not funded) will be made after the 10^th of the month following the application deadline (e.g., Oct. 10^th for a Sept 15^th application deadline).
3. Applicants awarded funding will be contacted by the Shared Business Services Center regarding processing of their award funds.  SBSC@ou.edu will be copied on your award notification letter. When necessary, the SBSC will work with your home department to allocate any charges over the amount of the travel grant (if applicable) to the appropriate account(s). For research grants, awards are often transferred to a departmental account for use.

The Robberson and Wethington Scholarships provide financial assistance for academically outstanding doctoral students to attend competitive and prestigious training/courses at other universities or institutions. Funding for this opportunity is provided from the Richard, Mary, and Glenn Robberson fund and the Mr. and Mrs. W.O. Wethington Scholarship fund.  

Eligibility Criteria

• International doctoral students studying in the areas broadly defined as natural sciences, history, business, engineering, or mathematics are eligible.
• Domestic doctoral students in all fields are eligible.
• Post-doctoral scholars are not eligible for these funds.
• These funds may be used to fund expenses related to attending the training/courses such as course registration fees, books, or travel related to attending the training/courses. 
  
• Students are eligible for this award once per academic program and are not eligible for travel or research awards in the same year as they receive a scholarship (and vice versa).

Applicants for these funds must show evidence that the training/courses for which funding is requested will provide the following:

• Knowledge that cannot be obtained at OU
• Significant networking opportunities
• A positive impact on the student’s career.

Applicants for these funds:

• Must be in good academic standing and have an OU grade point average of 3.0 or better.

Additional Notes:

• Workshops and other courses connected or associated with conferences will not be considered for this award
• Applicants are encouraged to consult with Associate Dean Liz Karr (lizkarr@ou.edu) or (Fall 2023 only) Senior Associate Dean Sherri Irvin (sirvin@ou.edu)before applying for this award.
• Applicants should apply in advance of the course.

Selection Process

1. Applications will be reviewed by the Graduate Council’s Travel and Research Subcommittee during the three weeks after the deadline.
2. A notification letter will be sent to the applicant’s OU email address once decisions are made.
3. Applicants awarded funding will be contacted by Shared Business Services for information needed to process the award.

The Graduate Student Senate accepts Research and Conference Grant applications twice a year. These grants are supplementary in nature. More information and application forms can be found on the GSS website.

Graduate students are eligible for some forms of funding to support open-access publication. To learn more, click the link below.  

Take me to publication funding

The Nancy L. Mergler and Bullard Dissertation Completion Fellowships support outstanding graduate students in completing their doctoral work. Seven applicants (as determined by a committee of faculty from diverse fields of study across campus) will be awarded the Nancy L. Mergler Dissertation Completion Fellowship. Additional awardees (determined by the same committee) will be awarded the Bullard Dissertation Completion Fellowship.

Eligibility Criteria

Students may apply directly. They do not need to be nominated by their academic unit.

• Applicants must have completed the general exam and hold a .25 or .50 FTE GA appointment.
• Students must be enrolled in a minimum of 5 hours (2 if the final semester is declared).
• Awardees may not perform other paid duties at OU during the term of the award.

Nomination Process

Nomination materials must include:

• An application cover letter that highlights the academic and professional journey (this may also include information about alternate pathways in education/career, interdisciplinary endeavors, delays in completion, etc).
• A one-page plan for completion which explains the structure of the dissertation, states which elements are complete, and offers a plan and schedule for completing the remaining elements.
• A letter of reference from the applicant’s major professor describing the scholarly  significance and potential impact of the work. The letter should summarize the status of the project and offer a clear assessment of the applicant’s potential for completing the dissertation during the following academic year (e.g., the applicant is very likely to complete; the applicant has a reasonable prospect of completing; it is uncertain that the applicant will complete). The letter should also provide an estimate regarding the relative quality of the applicant’s project (e.g., is the project in the top 5%, 10% or 15% of dissertations seen to date?). 
• A current copy of the applicant’s curriculum vitae including information about research, service and outreach activities if applicable.
•  A short abstract of the dissertation (maximum 2 single-spaced pages) that explains the significance and impact of the work in terms accessible to a lay person.
• A sample of the applicant’s writing that allows evaluation of the project. The sample must be 10,000 words maximum. This word limit includes footnotes but does not include references or bibliography. Applications with writing samples over the 10,000 word limit are subject to disqualification. Co-authored work is acceptable if it presents the student’s original research. Work that has already been published is welcome.
• The applicant’s academic transcript.
• Please submit all materials in .PDF format.
  

Selection Criteria

• Scholarly significance and potential impact of the work, expressed in a way that conveys the importance of the work to a multidisciplinary faculty committee. (The committee favors projects that are innovative, high-impact and groundbreaking in nature. We welcome projects that address topics and perspectives historically underrepresented in the academy and/or that have potential impact in support of underserved communities.)
• Overall academic record and professional activity.
• Potential for completion of the dissertation during the award period.

The Ambassador James R. Jones Graduate Fellowship was established to assist with the archival digitization efforts of the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center’s Congressional and Political Collections.

Ambassador Jones served as Appointments Secretary (Chief of Staff) to President Lyndon Johnson, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 1973-1987 and was appointed United States Ambassador to Mexico from 1993 to 1997.

The Jones Graduate Fellow will be a .50 GRAs in the Carl Albert Center while completing their graduate degree in their home department. The Graduate Fellow will learn valuable research and archival management skills, metadata development, content migration strategies, and long-term preservation techniques. Fellows will have practical, hands-on opportunities with various archival materials including manuscript, photographs, and moving image/sound content. This unique position allows a robust learning experience and offers one-on-one instruction for in-depth skill development.

For more information on eligibility requirements and the application and selection process, please visit the Carl Albert Center's website by clicking the link below:

Jones Graduate Fellowship

Current OU students may also apply for some scholarships through CASH (the Centralized Academic Scholarship Hub).

At the Carl Albert Congressional Research and Studies Center, our commitment to the study of representative government is reflected in the highly competitive and prestigious Carl Albert Graduate Fellowship program.

Carl Albert Fellows work closely with Center faculty to pursue a rigorous and individualized program of study leading to a PhD in political science. Fellows focus their program of study on fundamental issues in representative government in America including the study of institutions, processes, and public policy. Faculty regularly interact with fellows in an office space that facilitates collaboration and scholarly exchange. The laboratory model of graduate education means students will be involved with research from day one. Fellows are expected to develop original research leading to professional conference presentation and publication.

Fellows may also avail themselves of a rich and diverse selection of other resources at The University of Oklahoma to advance their individual research and intellectual development:

• Carl Albert Center Archives
• Department of Political Science

For more information on eligibility requirements and the application and selection process, please visit the Carl Albert Center's website by clicking the link below:

Carl Albert Fellowship Program

The Kenneth L. Hoving Graduate Fellowship was established by an anonymous gift to honor Dr. Kenneth L. Hoving, who served as Dean of the Graduate College from 1980 to 1990. The Fellowship supports incoming doctoral students in history, music, and the WaTER Center.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for nomination an applicant must:

• Be a new doctoral student in one of the following areas:
  • Music (Vocal Music, with preference for Opera, or Instrumental Music, with preference for Piano or Violin)
  • History
  • WaTER Center

The McNair Fellowship is a multi-year award based on the student’s degree program (master’s or doctoral). Each award includes:

• A $5,000 stipend supplement for 6 years (doctoral students)
• A $2,500 stipend supplement for 2 years (master’s students)
• A 0.50 FTE Qualifying Graduate Teaching or Research Assistantship provided by the academic unit
  
• A full tuition waiver for the total number of credit hours required to complete the degree
  
• A subsidy for the basic student health insurance plan

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible for nomination an applicant must:

• Be an incoming master’s or doctoral student
• Hold a Qualifying Graduate Assistantship that is provided by the academic unit
• Have successfully completed an undergraduate McNair Scholars Program
• Have at least a 3.0 admission grade point average

Nomination Process

Nominations must be submitted by one of the application deadlines below. Nomination materials must include:

• Nomination letter from the chair or graduate liaison of the academic unit, describing the student’s strengths and contribution to the program and specifying how many years of McNair Graduate Fellowship are requested
• Verification of the student's undergraduate McNair Scholars Program completion or active participation with the expectation of completion during the spring or summer academic term
  
• Verification of the department’s offer of an assistantship that is expected to continue for the requested duration of the McNair Graduate Fellowship

Selection Process

An ad hoc committee will review the nominations following the spring deadlines and recommend recipient(s) to the Graduate Dean.

The Provost's Doctoral Dissertation Prize allows us to recognize and reward outstanding performance by our doctoral students. The prize may be given to one student each year in each of the following three academic areas:  

• Science and Engineering
• Social Sciences, Education, and the Professions
• Humanities and Fine Arts

Any student receiving a doctoral degree in a Norman-based program during the previous calendar year is eligible. Students must be nominated by their academic unit. Winners will be selected by an ad hoc committee.

Departments with fewer than 10 doctoral degrees awarded during the calendar year of the prize can make one nomination; departments with 10 or more can nominate two.

Nomination materials should include:

• At least one letter of nomination, written for the non-specialist, which describes the quality, scholarly contributions, and disciplinary significance of the dissertation. The nomination must specify one of the three academic areas.
  
• A letter of endorsement from the department chairperson.
  
• The abstract that is included in the dissertation.
  
• The applicant's curriculum vitae.
• One copy of the dissertation in PDF format or a link to the open-access version in SHAREOK.
• The names of two potential readers for the dissertation. These readers must be OU faculty members in Norman-based programs who are not members of the nominee's department or committee.

Selection Process

The Graduate Dean will constitute an ad hoc faculty committee charged with recommending to the Provost whether or not a nominated dissertation should be considered for a prize. The committee will be chaired by a member of the Graduate Council; the remaining membership will depend on the fields represented by the dissertations to be considered. The committee will use the submitted materials to assess the overall quality of the dissertation and its contribution to the discipline. The committee shall forward the recommendations to the Provost by April.

Eligibility Criteria

Any Norman Campus graduate student with teaching responsibilities is eligible, provided the student has not received this award in the last two years. The awards may be given to one student each year in each of the following three academic areas:

1. Science and Engineering
2. Social Sciences, Education, and the Professions
3. Humanities and Fine Arts

Nomination Process

Each department may nominate one master’s student and one doctoral student. The academic area best describing the course(s) taught by the GTA must be specified in each nomination. Nomination materials should include:

1. A letter of nomination indicating which of the three academic areas best describes the courses taught by the GTA (required)
2. Faculty evaluation(s) of the GTA’s performance (required)
3. Student evaluations of the GTA’s course(s) or section(s) (required)
4. The GTA’s curriculum vitae including information about pedagogy training the student has participated in if applicable (required)
5. The GTA’s statement of teaching philosophy (required)
6. Recommendation letters from students (optional)
7. Samples of syllabi or class projects described by the GTA and any other items that demonstrate the GTA’s qualifications (optional)

Nomination materials will be uploaded to an electronic form and must be submitted by October 30th, 2023.

Selection Process

An ad hoc committee consisting of three faculty members (one from each of the three academic areas) and the student members of the Graduate Council will make the final selection. The ad hoc committee will forward its selections to the Provost by December 14th, 2023.