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Graduate Awards & Travel Scholarships

Scroll down to find the following Fellowships and Awards information:

Dissertation Year Fellowships

These fellowships are intended to help defray dissertation research expenses in the same academic year that a student will defend their dissertation.


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Distinguished Dissertation Award

This rewards original scholarship and research at the doctoral level.
$1,000 Honorarium


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Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award

This rewards distinguished scholarship and research at the master’s level.
$500 Honorarium


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Student Teaching as Research (STAR) Mini-Grants

University of Missouri graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are eligible to apply for a small grant (up to $500) from the Graduate School to conduct a research project on undergraduate/graduate teaching and learning methods and outcomes. These projects should be led by the graduate student or postdoc applicant and contribute to their independent research program. The deadline for the 2020-2021 academic year is 5pm (Central) November 6, 2020. Awardees will conduct the research during the spring semester.

How to Apply

Submit the following as a single pdf document to mugradfellowshipnom@missouri.edu:

  • Cover Letter (1/2-1 page) explaining your interest in the STAR grant program. The signature line in your letter must include: your full name and email address; department/graduate program; and the name of your advisor and their email address.
  • Research Proposal (1-2 pages single-spaced) for your Teaching as Research project containing the following information: 1) What will be researched? (purpose statement and research questions or hypotheses); 2) Why should it be researched? (significance/potential impact of research); 3) How will it be researched? (design/method); 4) What is the timeline and budget for the research? (timeline and budget justification)
  • Letter of Support from your MU faculty advisor/mentor or a faculty member supervising the project.

Travel Scholarships

This scholarship supports graduate student travel for conference presentations and scholarly activities.


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Donald K. Anderson Teaching Assistant Award

This rewards current students with a teaching assistantship who demonstrate excellence and lasting impact in the classroom, positive attitudes and personalities, enthusiasm and commitment, and mentorship to peers and/or undergraduates.
$500-$1,000 Prize


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Donald K. Anderson Research Assistant Award

Rewards current students with a research assistantship who demonstrate excellence and lasting impact through contributions to scholarship, future promise as a scholar, originality, imagination, satisfactory progress toward a degree, and research mentoring to peers.
$500-$1,000 Prize


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Mary Elizabeth Gutermuth Award for Community Engagement

The Mary Elizabeth Gutermuth Award is bestowed on a graduate student whose scholarly and/or creative activity demonstrates a commitment to community service through engaged scholarship.


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Sandra K. Abell Science Education Award

The Sandra K. Abell Award was created to honor Sandi Abell’s memory and to recognize the outstanding achievements of a graduate student pursuing a PhD in the life or physical sciences who has demonstrated a passion for both teaching and research.
$1,500 Scholarship


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Nancy and Bill Laurie Scholarship

No application is necessary; the recipient is notified by the Office of Financial Aid.

Qualifications:

  • Graduated from a high school within the State of Missouri
  • Enrolled full-time as a graduate student
  • Demonstrates financial need

One or two students are selected for the award each year.

The Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award Foundation Graduate Student Scholarship

The University of Missouri scholarship consists of a $10,000 award given to one exceptional graduate student on our campus who is majoring in the fields of international relations, public service, political science, diplomacy, history or the humanities, reflecting President Truman’s interest and involvement in those areas. The recipient of the award is expected to be available to attend an awards luncheon in Kansas City, Missouri on May 7, 2020. Student applications for this scholarship are due by 5pm on Monday, February 17, 2020. Click here for the award guidelines and further information on applying.

Click here to download the application cover sheet. See award guidelines for list of required application components. Students should submit their completed application via email as a single pdf document to: mugradfellowshipnom@missouri.edu

Questions about the scholarship should be directed to Dr. Lissa Behm-Morawitz, Associate Dean of the Graduate School, behmmorawitze@missouri.edu.

Student Eligibility:

Eligible applicants are current MU graduate students:

  • in good standing and making good progress in their degree program,
  • majoring in the fields of international relations, public service, political science, diplomacy, history or the humanities, reflecting President Truman’s interest and involvement in those areas,
  • and who will be enrolled as a full-time student in Fall 2020.

Previous Award Winners

Each award recipient is honored at the annual Graduate and Postdoctoral Awards Banquet.
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