External Funding Opportunities

Become a Mizzou Graduate Student of Distinction by securing external funding! You will find below a list of some featured external funding opportunities for graduate students and postdoctoral scholars due in the next three months. For a comprehensive list of external funding opportunities available across disciplines, please use this file, which you will need MU credentials to view, and which is updated weekly. If you find an opportunity of interest to you, please discuss it with your faculty mentor or Dr. Elizabeth “Liz” Bent (email her at benteo@missouri.edu) to decide if the opportunity is a good fit for you and you have ample time to prepare an application. Please note that some awards require you to apply as an individual, but others may require you to apply through the institution.

Prestigious National Fellowships

Summer Research Opportunities

Seek and apply now for summer research opportunities working with federal sponsors such as the National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, and NASA. Search for opportunities on Pathways to Science!

Go here for a large list of opportunities for graduate students or here to search for a unique opportunity to enhance your science.

Continuous Deadlines

(Always Plenty of Time to Plan and Write)

The Explorer’s Club is always accepting proposals for its Discovery Expedition Grants program for on-site research experiences.

The Academy of Natural Sciences is always accepting proposals for the Jessup and McHenry Awards from doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows seeking on-site research experiences.

The Antibacterial Resistance Leadership Group (ARLG) is always accepting applications from doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows researching bacteria resistance. Early Stage Investigator Seed Grants (ESI Seed Grants) provide salary and research support for one year.

The National Science Foundation Archaeology Program is always accepting applications for Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants.

The National Science Foundation Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences is always accepting applications for Postdoctoral Research Fellows.

The National Science Foundation is always accepting applications for Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants in Human-Environment and Geographical Sciences

Select August Deadlines

Due Date	Citizenship Requirement	Applicant Career Stage	Funding Opportunity Description
08/01/2024	No Requirements	Doctoral Candidate or Postdoctoral Fellow	The Wenner-Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research is accepting applications for the Engaged Research Grant. Anthropology scholars can apply for this $25,000 grant.
08/05/2024	No Requirements	Doctoral Candidate	The National Science Foundation is accepting applications for the Science and Technology Studies – Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Award. Doctoral candidates exploring themes of science and technology or its impact on society should apply for this dissertation grant that awards up to $25,000.
08/08/2024	Costa Rica, Ireland, U.S.	Postdoctoral Fellow (less than 5 years of postdoctoral experience)	The National Institutes of Health are accepting applications for the Cancer Prevention Fellowship Program (CPFP). Funding varies for these highly competitive awards, but the fellowship offers competitive stipends, relocation expenses, travel allowances, and health insurance.
08/15/2024	No Requirements	Doctoral Candidate	The National Science Foundation is accepting applications for the Cultural Anthropology Program – Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants. Doctoral candidates in anthropology should apply for this dissertation grant that awards up to $25,000.
08/15/2024	No Requirements	Undergraduate, Master’s, or Doctoral Student	The American Musicological Society is accepting applications for the Noa Greenberg Award. This prestigious award is intended as a grant-in-aid to stimulate cooperation between scholars and performers. The award may subsidize the publication costs of articles, monographs, or editions, as well as public performance, recordings, or other projects.

Select September Deadlines

Due Date	Citizenship Requirements	Applicant Career Stage	Funding Opportunity Description
09/03/2024	No Requirements	Masters, Doctoral Student or Postdoctoral Fellow	The American Association of University Women is accepting applications for International Fellowships. Scholars of any discipline are eligible for this one-time grant ranging from $20,000 – $50,000 depending on the scholar’s training level.
09/05/2024	U.S. Citizen, National, or Permanent Resident	Doctoral Candidate, or Postdoctoral Fellow	The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is accepting applications for the AFRI Educational Workforce Development Postdoctoral Fellowship. Postdoctoral fellows or doctoral candidates who have (or will) complete their doctoral degree between January 1, 2021 and June 5, 2025 can apply for this two-year $225,000 postdoctoral fellowship.
09/16/2024	U.S. Citizen, National, or Permanent Resident	Postdoctoral Fellow	There are multiple Fulbright postdoctoral fellowships now accepting applications for postdoctoral research abroad in a variety of disciplines and locations.
09/16/2024	No Requirements	Doctoral Candidate	The National Science Foundation is now accepting applications for the Dynamic Language Infrastructure – Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants. Doctoral candidates who are preparing to research and write their dissertation can apply for this highly competitive dissertation funding.
09/30/2024	No Requirements	Postdoctoral Fellow	The American Mathematical Society is currently accepting applications for the AMS Centennial Fellowship and The Stefan Bergman Fellowship. Postdoctoral scholars in mathematics without another significant fellowship are eligible to apply for these.

Select October Deadlines

Due Date	Citizenship Requirements	Applicant Career Stage	Funding Opportunity Description
10/03/2024	No Requirements	Doctoral Candidate	The Spencer Foundation via the National Academy of Education is accepting applications for the NAEd/Spencer Dissertation Fellowship Program. Scholars studying education can apply for this $27,500 highly competitive dissertation fellowship.
10/15/2024	U.S. Citizen, National, or Permanent Resident	Advanced Doctoral Student or Postdoctoral Fellow	The National Science Foundation (NSF) is accepting applications for the NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship. Applicants should be advanced doctoral students or postdoctoral fellows within two years of graduation. The fellowship provides three years of support of up to $110,000 per year.
10/15/2024	No Requirements	Masters or Doctoral Student, or Postdoctoral Fellow	The Smithsonian American Art Museum is accepting applications for the Smithsonian Fellowship in American Art. Scholars studying American Art can apply for this on-site research experience with support ranging from $45,000 – $57,000.
10/24/2024	U.S. Citizen, National, or Permanent Resident	Doctoral Candidate	The National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is accepting applications for the AFRI Educational Workforce Development – Predoctoral Fellowship. Scholars studying agriculture and life sciences can apply for this $180,000 dissertation award.
10/30/2024	No Requirements	Doctoral Candidate (See more specific requirements at sponsor website)	The American Council of Learned Societies is accepting applications for the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Innovation Fellowship. Humanities and social science scholars can apply for this prestigious $40,000 dissertation fellowship.