Graduate Student Creative Discovery & Research Awards

President Smith has announced the availability of funds from his office to begin a pilot program for graduate student research support. This program provides graduate students with an opportunity to pursue original creative work, scholarship, or research, under the mentorship of a full-time faculty member. The awards provide $1,750 to be paid directly to the student for use as a student stipend, travel, and/or supplies/materials for Spring 2025. A $750 stipend is provided for the participating faculty mentor for Spring 2025. 

Eligibility requirements:

  • Applicants must be degree-seeking students with a minimum GPA of 3.5. 
  • Applicants must be enrolled at Marshall University for at least 6 hours during the semester which the project is funded and be eligible for campus employment. 
  • Students must be pursuing a MA, MS, DBA, EdS, or EdD degree and priority will be given to those not otherwise supported by external funding (PhD students not eligible). 
  • The research funded by this program must directly contribute to degree completion. 
  • Applicants must have a letter of support and sponsorship from a full-time faculty member who is on your committee and will act as mentor for the project (this letter must be added to the application by October 25 so ask your mentor for this early in the process). 

The student’s project can involve research, design, development, field study, creative work, or performance. The project should require a minimum total commitment of 150 hours of the student’s time (i.e., 10 hours per week) over the semester. The project should be structured so that the student can produce creative or scholarly output (e.g., a presentation, publication, exhibit, or performance) at the end of the award period. Students are strongly encouraged to present their work at MU’s 4th Annual Student Research and Creativity Symposium (April 2-3, 2025).

An important aspect of this program is the engagement of a faculty mentor to oversee the student’s effort. After agreeing on a particular project, the faculty member assists the student in writing and submitting a proposal, supervises the student’s scholarly activity, and oversees the final report. 

Full details of the application format, submission requirements and the evaluation process are included in the current Request for Proposals. If you have questions, please contact your area’s pre-award officer.

Upcoming Application Deadlines

Related:

John Marshall Scholar Award Program

Undergraduate Creative Discovery and Research Scholar Award Program