Graduate Student Grants

Graduate students must be Affiliates of the Buffett Center. Regular participants in the Center’s Graduate Student Colloquium series with strong proposals will receive preference in both grant competitions.

Graduate Student Conference Travel Award

Conference Travel Awards fund Northwestern PhD students working on international and comparative topics relevant to important contemporary political, economic, and/or social issues. The maximum award is $300, and students are limited to one conference travel award per academic year.

Applications are reveiwed on a rolling basis. Funds are limited, so early application is strongly encouraged. Applicants are typically notified within two weeks of submission.

Sumbit the online application here.

Graduate Student Dissertation Research Travel Awards

Graduate Student Dissertation Research Awards provide funding for fieldwork outside the United States for Northwestern doctoral students writing dissertations on comparative and international topics relevant to important contemporary political, economic, and social issues. The maximum award is $2500.

All Northwestern University PhD students at any stage in their dissertation research are eligible to apply. Applications from students conducting exploratory thesis research are particularly encouraged. These awards may not be used for language study programs, expenses in the United States, special equipment such as tape recorders, or fees for transcription or translation. Awards are normally granted for work during the summer, but exceptions can be made if warranted.

All applicants are expected to concurrently seek research support from other sources. Applicants who have previously received a Graduate Student Dissertation Research Award must also demonstrate that they have applied for funding from a source outside of Northwestern.

Applicants' proposals must contain a concise description of the research and an itemized budget (see online application form for all requirements).

Graduate students must submit a letter of recommendation from a faculty member (sent to Buffett Center, 1902 Sheridan Road or emailed by the recommender to Frances Lowe at f-lowe@northwestern.edu). Addtionally, graduate students must be Affiliates of the Buffett Center.

Award information: The number and distribution of funded projects will be determined by the number of proposals received and the funding requested by applicants. All awards will be made as scholarship awards and will be paid out through the University's payroll system.

Selection process and notification: Awards will be decided by a committee organized by the Buffett Center. Award notification is expected 4-6 weeks after each deadline.

Deadlines: February 15, 2013 (primary deadline) and October 14, 2013 (a limited number of awards will be reserved for this deadline).

Questions should be directed to to Rita Koryan (r-koryan@northwestern.edu).

Online application form.