Graduate Fellowships: Information for Faculty

Mizzou graduate fellowships are administered by the Graduate School and are awarded to incoming, full-time graduate students. To be eligible, a student must be admitted to a graduate program and awarded a graduate assistantship. LBF are merit-based awards used to contribute to the financial support of exceptional graduate students. Except in very rare circumstances, these fellowships are disbursed through payroll in monthly increments along with the assistantship stipend.

Directors of Graduate Studies (DGSs) and department chairs/directors should review the Graduate Fellowship Guidelines released in early November of each year. Details about available fellowships and specific qualifications required for each fellowship are included in the guidelines, which are updated during the fall semester. When reviewing the guidelines, please note the recent changes to the fellowship funding and disbursement model.

As of Spring 2024, LBF nominations will be completed entirely within the UM System InfoReady Platform.

Please find it listed under: Grad School – Fellowships | Awards (Faculty Nominated) – MU Graduate Fellowships: Legacy Building & Life Sciences.

Directors of Graduate Studies (DGSs) and fellowship recipients will receive notification annually, during the spring semester, regarding fellowship renewal.

A fellowship may be renewed if:

• Funding is available, or limited semesters of support of a student are met.
• Academic program guidelines for funding duration are met.
• The student is making satisfactory academic progress.

• Review the fellowship guidelines for relevant dates and nomination process details. Nominations are due in early February each year.
• The MU Graduate Student Legacy Building Fellowship Program requires nomination by Directors of Graduate Studies (DGSs); students are not allowed to apply on their own.
• Fellowship nominations are completed entirely within the UM System InfoReady Platform.

Departments/programs may nominate new graduate students for merit-based LSF funding. To be eligible for consideration, students must be newly admitted to a life sciences graduate program. To remain eligible for renewed funding in subsequent years, students must be enrolled in graduate academic course work full-time and be making good progress in their program. Typically, students with fellowships also hold graduate assistantships in their academic home.

Departments/programs provide LSF students with a graduate assistantship during the fellowship period. The LSF stipend does not replace the financial responsibility of the department/program in covering the costs of at least the minimum university stipend for an assistantship and tuition remission, typically at the .50 FTE. In rare cases, a qualifying scholarship, fellowship, or grant support may be provided by the department/program instead of a graduate assistantship.

Fellows are required to participate in a LSF seminar program and other training activities throughout the support period, in addition to meeting all programmatic requirements of the home department.

The Director the Life Sciences Fellowship Program will conduct an annual review and fellows and DGSs will receive notifications annually, during the spring semester, regarding fellowship renewal.

A fellowship may be renewed if:

• Funding is available, or limited semesters of support of a student are met.
• Academic program guidelines for funding duration are met.
• The student is making satisfactory academic progress.

• Review the fellowship guidelines for relevant dates and nomination process details. Nominations are due in early February each year.
• The Life Sciences Fellowship Program requires nomination by Directors of Graduate Studies (DGSs); students are not allowed to apply on their own.
• The student must be accepted into a life sciences doctoral program.
• Fellowship nominations are completed entirely within the UM System InfoReady Platform.

SGFRF is a funding program that helps units drive applications, yield, and on-time matriculation for exceptional new graduate students for the incoming cohort, while encouraging lifecycle-aware recruitment—an integrated approach that links outreach and admissions to an excellent early student experience, timely completion, and strong alumni outcomes. To be competitive, proposals must provide evidence of best practices—recent outcomes and concrete plans—across recruiting, retention, training, and placement. 

Funding is awarded to departments that demonstrate best practices in graduate education by recruiting, retaining, training, and professionally placing outstanding students.

Funds can be used, for example: to help provide increased student support through a one-year fellowship, visitation/recruiting events, early enrollment support, professional development funding, or other innovative methods to improve graduate program recruiting efforts.

Funding Cycle

• Call: February
• Deadline: April
• Awards: June
• All expenses must occur/be spent between July 1 of award year – June 30 of the following year

Department/program applications are due by 4/1. Note: If the deadline falls on a weekend, then the due date is the preceding Friday.

Please review the current Call for Applications.

Submit your application via InfoReady.

• Applications must be submitted by the DGS or Department Chair/Director of the department/interdisciplinary program.
• A faculty panel will review the applications and recommend award decisions to the Graduate School. SGFRF Award notifications will be communicated in June
• All expenses must occur/be spent between July 1 of award year – June 30 of the following year

QUESTIONS: Please email any questions about SGFRF Program funding to Raquel A. Arouca at aroucar@missouri.edu.