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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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Beyond Meat Dissertation Award

The Beyond Meat Dissertation Award recognizes innovative dissertation research in natural science fields related to sustainable plant-based food. One to two $5000 awards may be granted each year. Awardees will be selected by a faculty committee based on exceptional innovation in sustainable plant-based food and significant contributions of the dissertation research. See the Beyond Meat Dissertation Award for eligibility and additional details. Nominations for Spring 2023 are due February 15, 2023 to Ms. Kaylee Cook at MUGradFellowshipNom@missouri.edu.

Distinguished Master’s Thesis Award

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

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MAGS Excellence in Teaching Awards


University of Missouri is a member institution of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) and as such is eligible to submit a nomination annually for the MAGS Excellence in Teaching Awards for master’s students and doctoral students. Departments/interdisciplinary graduate programs are invited to submit no more than three nominations to the Graduate School, with up to two nominations per category (master’s and doctoral). Nominations are due each year December 1. If December 1 falls on a Saturday or Sunday, then nominations are due on Monday. 

Two awards have been created to recognize the importance of excellence in teaching and mentoring as a component of graduate education and the preparation of graduate students for future service as college and university faculty. One award will be given to a doctoral student and one to a master’s student. Each award includes a citation and a $750 honorarium that will be presented at the annual MAGS meeting. The university of Missouri nominee(s) selected by the Graduate School for the MAGS regional competition will be honored at our annual campus awards ceremony and receive a $500 campus award, in addition to being nominated to the MAGS competition.

The MAGS Excellence in Teaching Award competition is open to all graduate students with teaching responsibilities enrolled in a member institution during the calendar year 2022. Institutions are restricted to one nomination of a doctoral student and one nomination of a master’s student.

Nominations must include a letter of nomination from the department head, nominee’s current curriculum vitae, and the nominee’s teaching portfolio (including a link to the teaching video). Excluding the nomination form, the letter of nomination, and curriculum vitae, the nominee’s teaching portfolio only is limited to six (6) pages double-spaced, 1 inch margins, with a 12 point font. See the MAGS nomination evaluation criteria for more details.

Submit the nomination as a single pdf document to mugradfellowshipnom@missouri.edu by December 1.

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.

Robert N. Epsten Scholarship in International Studies

The Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award Foundation

The Robert N. Epsten Scholarship in International Studies consists of a $10,000 award from the Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award Foundation and the MU Graduate School. The scholarship is 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.

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 the upcoming Fall semester.

The recipient of the scholarship will attend an awards banquet hosted by the Harry S. Truman Good Neighbor Award Foundation in Kansas City, Missouri (date TBD).

Scholarship Guidelines and How to Apply

Application Cover Sheet

Application Deadline: February 15, 2023 by 5 PM

SEC Emerging Scholars Program

The SEC Emerging Scholars Career Preparation Workshop is designed to provide professional development and networking opportunities for current doctoral students and postdocs who are considering faculty careers in higher education. The workshop is meant to encourage top scholars – with attention provided to those from historically underrepresented groups – to seek out employment and mentorship within SEC member universities.

Workshop: September 27-29, 2022

Hosted by the University of Missouri

Applications due May 10, 2022, 11:59 PM

The SEC Emerging Scholars Program is open to anyone regardless of race, national origin, ethnicity, sex, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, political affiliation, veteran status, parental status, socio‐economic status, or first language. Its purpose is to ensure that faculty members reflect a multitude of experiences and viewpoints and that students are exposed to a variety of perspectives. As part of the program application process, applicants will state how their experiences and viewpoints are unique and how students may gain from exposure to an interaction with them.

Current MU doctoral students who will be graduating in Spring or Summer 2022, or who will be in the final year of their degree program in AY 2022-2023 (with an anticipated graduation of Spring or Summer 2023). Applicants should be doctoral students who have demonstrated exceptional research and/or teaching skill. Applicants should also be scholars who show a strong interest in seeking a faculty career.

Doctoral Student Fellowship

MU doctoral students who will be in the final year of their graduate program in AY 2022-2023 are eligible to apply. Students may be eligible for funding to supplement existing MU stipends and fellowships, for a maximum funding package of $35,000 for 9 months (AY 2022-2023). Fellowship recipients will receive $3000 research and professional development funds.

Postdoctoral Fellowship

MU doctoral students who will graduate (i.e., have degree conferred) in Spring or Summer 2022 are eligible to apply. Fellowship consists of a 12-month postdoctoral position with $50,000 salary plus benefits for the period of August 1, 2022-July 31, 2023. Fellowship recipients will also receive $3000 research and professional development funds.

See the 2022 Call for Applications for more details.

Previous Award Winners

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

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