Graduate Student
Grants & Awards
Graduate students enrolled in SIB departments or SIB-sponsored graduate programs 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, including assistance with travel.
SIB Graduate Student Awards
The following awards are available to graduate students across the School of Integrative Biology, to include Departments of: Entomology; Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior (EEB); and Plant Biology; as well as the Program in Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology (PEEC).The Francis M. and Harlie M. Clark Research Support Grant
Administered by the Integrative Biology Fellowship Committee, these grants are given in recognition of outstanding achievement in the biological sciences and for the support of the students' professional development or research.
The Francis M. and Harlie M. Clark Summer Fellowship
Administered by the Integrative Biology Fellowship Committee, these fellowships are given to support graduate students who would otherwise not have summer support.
The Robert Emerson Memorial Award
Administered by the Integrative Biology Fellowship Committee, this award is given to recognize exceptional academic achievement and research potential.
The Lebus Fund Award
Administered by the Integrative Biology Fellowship Committee, this award provides funds to support meritorious graduate students during the summer.
The Isabel Norton Award
Administered by the Integrative Biology Fellowship Committee, this 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.
The Harley J. Van Cleave Research Award
Administered by the Integrative Biology Fellowship Committee, this award provides research support for graduate students investigating new frontiers and demonstrating promise and high aptitude in the fields of Cell and Structural Biology, Physiology, Ecology, Microbiology, Genetics, and related fields.
The Mary F. Willson Graduate Research Fund
This fund was established to help cover the cost of supplies and travel associated with graduate student field research. All graduate students in the School of Integrative Biology who are working in the field of Evolutionary Ecology are eligible to apply.
Department of Entomology
Graduate Student Award
The Fred H. Schmidt Summer Scholars Award
Administered by the Department of Entomology, this award is given to an enrolled entomology student who has a demonstrated need for summer support.
Department of Evolution, Ecology, and
Behavior (EEB) Graduate Student Awards
The Edwin Banks Memorial Fund
Administered by the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior (EEB), this fund provides supplementary fellowship support for graduate students.
The Eugene P. Odum - S. Charles Kendeigh Fund
Administered by the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior (EEB), this fund provides research support for graduate students in the fields of ecology, behavior, and evolutionary biology.
The EEB Summer Block Grant
Administered by the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior (EEB), this grant is funded by the graduate college block grant program and provides stipend support for continuing graduate students over the summer months.
Department of Plant Biology
Graduate Student Awards
The Govindjee and Rajni Govindjee Award for Excellence
in Biological Research
Administered by the Department of Plant Biology, only in odd years, this award provides research support for any student conducting research in plant biology.
The Harold C. and Sonja L. Labinsky Award
This award is designed for students working with faculty in the Department of Plant Biology that use plant genetics in their research program.
The award may be given to:- recognize graduate student research achievements using the methods and approaches of plant genetics,
- recognize meritorious research using the methods and approaches of plant genetics by an undergraduate, or
- as support for participation by a graduate student in a scientific workshop or meeting that will assist in the application of genetic approaches to the student's thesis research.
The John R. Laughnan Fund
Administered by the Department of Plant Biology, this fund provides support for graduates students in the Department of Plant Biology for travel to scientific meetings.
Program in Ecology, Evolution, and
Conservation Biology (PEEC) Awards
The PEEC Summer Research Assistantship
Administered by the Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology (PEEC), this assistantship provides stipend support for graduate students over the summer months.
The PEEC Summer Research Grant
Administered by the Program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology (PEEC), this grant provides research funds for graduate students over the summer months.
Mentoring Award
The Sharon Gray Memorial Award
The objective of the Sharon Gray Memorial Award is to support a post-doctoral researcher or graduate student and their undergraduate mentee. All postdoctoral fellows and graduate students supervised by faculty in the School of Integrative Biology are eligible to be nominated.
Illinois Natural History Survey Awards
The R. Weldon Larimore / Jordan Creek Endowment Fund
Administered by the Illinois Natural History Survey, a part of the Prairie Research Institute at the University of Illinois, this scholarship provides research support for graduate students conducting research in the area of stream ecology.
The William H. Luckmann Award
Administered by a committee from the Illinois Natural History Survey, The William H. Luckmann Award for Research in Applied Entomology 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.
The Herbert Holdsworth Ross Memorial Fund
Administered by a faculty committee from the Illinois Natural History Survey and the Department of Entomology, this fund provides research support for graduate students in the field of systematics, including taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography, and related subjects.
The Phillip W. Smith Memorial Fund
Administered by a committee from the Illinois Natural History Survey, this fund provides research support for graduate students in the fields of systematics or ecology of living organisms.