Grants & Awards
Graduate students enrolled in SIB departments or SIB-sponsored graduate programs (PEEC or PMPB) are eligible to apply for several grants or awards to support their research or to advance their professional development. Click on the name of the grant or award below to obtain more information about eligibility and application procedures.
In addition, the Graduate College has a web page on which financial aid to graduate students is discussed. Two opportunities may be of special interest to SIB graduate students, a Travel Fund and a Dissertation Completion Fellowship.
SIB Grants and Awards Graduate Students May Apply For
The Edwin Banks Memorial Fund is administered by the Department of Animal Biology. This fund provides supplementary fellowship support for graduate students.
Stipend: $500.
Deadline: Mid-spring semester.
The Francis M. and Harlie M. Clark Summer Grant is administered by the IB Fellowship Committee. Grants are given to support one or more graduate students who would otherwise not have summer support.
Stipend: $2,500.
Deadline: Early spring semester.
The Francis M. and Harlie M. Clark Research Support Grant is administered by the IB Fellowship Committee. Grants are given in recognition of outstanding achievement in the biological sciences and for the support of the students' professional development or research.
Stipend: Typically around $1,000.
Deadline: Early spring semester.
The SIB Enhancement Fund is administered by the School of Integrative Biology Fellowship Committee. Grants are given to support travel or tuition for workshops or courses, or for attendance at meetings outside the continental USA at which the student is invited to give a presentation.
Stipend: Varies; typically for travel or tuition/registration costs.
Deadline: None. Applications considered at any time.
The Govindjee and Rajni Govindjee Award for Excellence in Biological Science is administered by the Department of Plant Biology. It provides research support for any student conducting research in plant biology.
Stipend: $1,000.
Deadline: Mid-spring Semester.
The R. Weldon Larimore Scholarship is administered by the Illinois Natural History Survey, a part of the Institute of Natural Resource Sustainability at the University of Illinois. It provides research support for graduate students conducting research in the area of stream ecology.
Stipend: $1,000.
Deadline: Early spring Semester.
The John R. Laughnan Fund in Plant Biology is administered by the Department of Plant Biology. It provides support for graduates students in the Department of Plant Biology for travel to scientific meetings.
Stipend: About $600.
Deadline: Mid-spring semester.
The Lebus Fund Award is administered by the Integrative Biology Fellowship Committee. The award provides funds to support meritorious graduate students during the summer.
Stipend: $1000.
Deadline: Late-spring semester.
The William H. Luckmann Award is administered by a committee from the Illinois Natural History Survey. The award provides funds to support undergraduate or graduate student attendance and presentation of research results at the annual meeting of the Entomological Society of America (ESA) or a meeting of another appropriate professional society.
Stipend: $500-$750.
Deadline: Mid-spring semester
The Isabel Norton Award is administered by the Integrative Biology Fellowship Committee. The award provides funds to support graduate students who are within one year of graduation in order for them to complete their thesis or dissertation research.
Stipend: Up to $2000.
Deadline: Late-spring semester
The Eugene P. Odum - S. Charles Kendeigh Fund is administered by the Department of Animal Biology. It provides research support for graduate students in the field of ecology, behavior, and evolutionary biology.
Stipend: $1,000.
Deadline: Mid-spring semester.
The Herbert Holdsworth Ross Memorial Fund is administered by a faculty committee from the Natural History Survey and the Department of Entomology. The fund provides research support for graduate students in the field of systematics, including taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography, and related subjects.
Stipend: Typically $800-$1,200.
Deadline: Mid-spring semester
The Phillip W. Smith Memorial Fund is administered by a committee from the Natural History Survey. The fund provides research support for graduate students in the fields of systematics or ecology of living organisms.
Stipend: Typically $1,000.
Deadline: Mid-spring semester.
The Harley J. Van Cleave Research Award is administered by the Integrative Biology Fellowship Committee. The award recognizes outstanding academic achievement and research potential.
Stipend: $1,000.
Deadline: Late-spring semester.