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Funding & Award Opportunities

The Center’s awards, grants and scholarships are disbursed through OSU Student Financial Aid. Students already receiving substantial aid from other sources should review their current-year packages and consult with Buckeye Link to confirm their ability to accept awards prior to applying.

A student may not receive financial aid and other resources in excess of the annual cost of attendance at the university in accordance with federal guidelines.  If you receive additional financial resources and/or assistance, it may impact your eligibility for other financial aid awards. If you have any questions about your individual situation, consult Buckeye Link at 614-292-0300 or by email at buckeyelink@osu.edu.

Graduate Student Travel Grants - Spring 2024

The Center for Folklore Studies can provide one-time, small travel grants for currently enrolled graduate students pursuing the Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization to present at folklore studies conferences in the spring and summer of 2024. Travel must be complete by August 15, 2024.

In order to apply, please send a documentation of presentation in a conference program, abstract of the presentation and a budget for travel expenses to cfs@osu.edu no fewer than fourteen days before conference travel and/or before April 16, 2024. Please note that funds are limited, so all applications may not be approved and travel grants may only partially fund the travel budget. For more information, email cfs@osu.edu. 

The Patrick B. Mullen Graduate Prize - NEW 2024 DEADLINE

The Patrick B. Mullen Graduate Prize is a $200 cash award for the best OSU folklore graduate student paper written during the academic year by a graduate student who is actively engaged in the folklore community at OSU, participates in activities of the OSU Center for Folklore Studies and the Folklore Student Association, and takes courses taught by folklore faculty.

Eligible papers:

  • Must be written by current OSU folklore graduate students.
  • Must have been written within the last 12 months.
  • Must not have been previously published.
  • Only one paper submission per student.
  • The student must not have been a previous recipient of the Mullen Prize.
  • Eligible submissions include papers/essays that
    • May have been written for a class
    • May have been presented for conferences or publication
    • May be part of a dissertation or thesis chapters
    • May be written specifically for the Mullen Prize

Format:

All papers will be submitted electronically. Submissions should be saved as .doc, .docx, or .pdf. The submission should have a title page that includes:

  • your name
  • title of the paper
  • a sentence describing what the paper was originally written for
  • the date it is being submitted

Do Not include your name on any of the other pages. All pages (excluding the title page) should include a header that lists the title of the paper and the page number.

Papers should be submitted to cfs@osu.edu, by 11:59 pm on April 14, 2024, with the subject line: "Mullen Prize Submission."

 

The Daniel R. Barnes Undergraduate Prize - NEW 2024 DEADLINE

The Daniel R. Barnes Undergraduate Prize is an annual $200 cash award for the year's best folklore paper by an OSU undergraduate. It honors beloved emeritus professor Daniel R. Barnes, who taught folklore and literature courses in Ohio State's Department of English from 1967 until 1995.

Eligible papers:

  • Must be written by current OSU undergraduates in a folklore course, OR taking the folklore minor or concentration, OR active member of the Folklore Student Association.
  • Must have been written within the last 12 months.
  • May have been written for a folklore course.
  • May have been presented for conferences or publication.
  • May be part of a thesis directed by a folklore faculty member.
  • May be written specifically for the Barnes Prize.

Only one paper submission per student, and the student must not have been a previous recipient of the Barnes Prize.

Format:

All papers will be submitted electronically. Submissions should be saved as .doc, .docx, or .pdf. The submission should have a title page that includes:

  •     your name
  •     title of the paper
  •     a sentence describing what the paper was originally written for
  •     the date it is being submitted

Do not include your name on any of the other pages. All pages (excluding the title page) should include a header that lists the title of the paper and the page number.

Papers should be submitted to cfs@osu.edu, by 11:59 pm on April 14, 2024, with the subject line: "Barnes Prize Submission"

 

Undergraduate Research Funding & Award Opportunities

  • The Undergraduate Honors Program in the Arts and Sciences offers fellowship and scholarship opportunities. Follow the link for more information.
  • The College of Arts and Sciences also offers grants supporting international experiences and international research for undergraduate students.
  • The Division of Arts and Humanities within the college offers a number of funding opportunities for undergraduate students, including the Undergraduate Research Small Grants Program, which is designed to enhance opportunities for undergraduate students in Arts & Humanities to conduct research/creative activity by offering financial support of up to $500 on a competitive basis.
  • The Office of Diversity and Inclusion Undergraduate Research Grants support participation of underrepresented students in research and scholarly activity. ODI will award research grants of up to $500 to undergraduates to help offset research-related expenses. Qualifying expenses may include supplies for the research project, payment of research subjects, or data collection and analysis. Students who are already involved in research activity can apply for funds to present their research at a conference.
  • The Library Research Prize is awarded annually to at least one Ohio State University undergraduate student. Students enrolled in any upper division undergraduate course (3000 or above) in either fall or spring semester are eligible to participate. Students consult with a librarian and their course instructor during the research process to produce an award winning project. Submissions are judged by the Libraries' Teaching and Learning Committee along with an undergraduate student, a prize of $1,000 will also be presented ($750 for the student author; $250 for the instructor).
  • The Undergraduate Research Office is a great place for students to find out about research opportunities and funding throughout campus.
  • The Richard J. and Martha D. Denman Undergraduate Research Forum, coordinated by the Honors & Scholars Center, The Undergraduate Research Office, and The Office of Research, showcases outstanding undergraduate research.
  • The Margaret Noell Kindberg Memorial Fund was established to support travel opportunities for students in the Arts. Funds may also be used to provide assistance to an Arts student experiencing a financial hardship.
  • The William and Dolly (Ardath) Saxbe Endowed Fund for the Arts was established to fund undergraduate travel in the arts for undergraduate students traveling to perform, create, present, conduct research, or conduct creative scholarship in the arts.
  • The Eleanor Ruffing McMahon Awards for Conference Travel. Undergraduate women in the Honors Program in the College of Arts and Sciences (ASC) who will deliver scholarly papers based on their research may apply throughout the year for funds to subsidize their travel to the conference at which they will present their work.  In general, the amount of the Eleanor Ruffing McMahon Awards will depend on conference and travel expenses, but a $500 maximum will govern most awards.

 

Graduate Research Funding & Award Opportunities

At OSU

  • CFS Grad Student Travel Grant (Spring 2024) - Folklore graduate students are eligible to apply for one-time, small travel grants to support travel to present at Folklore Studies conferences in the Spring of 2024.
  • The Patrick B. Mullen Endowment Fund and Prize - Folklore graduate students are eligible to compete for the Mullen Prize, a $200 cash award for the best graduate student paper written during the academic year.
  • The Edward F. Hayes Graduate Research Forum, co-sponsored by the Council of Graduate Students, the Graduate School, and the Office of Research, is a university-wide graduate forum for presenting innovative research.
  • Graduate Associate Teaching Award (GATA) - This award is offered through the Graduate School and is the university’s highest recognition of the exceptional teaching provided by graduate students at Ohio State. Award winners receive $1,500 and are recognized at the annual Graduate School awards reception.
  • The Edward J. Ray Travel Award for Scholarship and Service (Ray Travel Award) - This award encourages and enables graduate students across the university to participate in professional conferences, both in their respective fields and in the broader academic community, by reimbursing or partially reimbursing the expenses incurred by graduate students during travel to conferences and meetings to present original research. Unlike other programs that grant travel funds, the Ray Award gives substantial weight to the applicant's service to his/her department, the university, and the surrounding community. Ray Award judges also take into account the academic standing of the applicant, the applicant's professional goals, the nature of the conference being attended, and the applicant's ability to convey the focus of their research to a general audience.
  • Global Gateway Grant - The Global Gateway Grant encourages and promotes the professional and academic development of graduate researchers at Ohio State by providing financial support that allows students to undertake research abroad. Successful applicants will be awarded a grant of up to $1,000.
  • The Career Development Grant Program - This grant program encourages graduate students to prepare for placement into their chosen field. Students will submit their Career Development Grant Application to the Council of Graduate Students (CGS) for an opportunity to receive an award to defray costs associated with the development of their careers. By offering grants of up to $250 each, CGS will be providing an incentive for graduate students to invest effort in their own career development while attending OSU. These grants will provide subsidy for expenses incurred by the activities outlined by applicants in  their Career Development Plan. These grants will be awarded to individuals demonstrating strong linkages between their stated professional goals and their submitted Career Development Plan. Additionally, applicants will be evaluated upon the relevance and strength of proposed activities as they relate to the applicant's resume and the Career Development Plan.
  • The Arts & Humanities Dr. Gordon P. K. Chu Memorial Scholarship is a merit-based scholarship that supports graduate students within Humanities (or related Humanities-based disciplines, such as Art History or Musicology), with preference for international students, participating in a study abroad program or independent research project. Candidates must be current students within the Division of Arts & Humanities. The scholarship amount is $1,000; up to two scholarships will be awarded.
  • The Arts & Humanities G. Micheal Riley International Academic Fund provides a stipend of $1,000 for graduate students in Humanities (or related Humanities-based disciplines, such as Art History or Musicology) who need to travel abroad for professional reasons. Candidates must be current students within the Division of Arts & Humanities. Up to two scholarships will be awarded each year. In particular, the Fund supports: travel abroad by graduate students enrolled in degree programs offered by academic units in Humanities and related disciplines, to engage in research, attend professional conferences, and/or participate in exchange programs.
  • Arts and Humanities Graduate Research Small Grants Program - These grants are designed to enhance opportunities for graduate students in Arts & Humanities to conduct research by offering supplemental financial support of up to $500 on a competitive basis.
  • The Center for the Study of Religion Robert L. and Phyllis J. Iles Award for Graduate Study of Myth provides an annual award of up to $2000 each spring to a graduate student in the Division of the Arts and Humanities in support of that student’s research on myth.  The award shall be supplemented by $1000 from the Division of the Arts and Humanities and supplemented by up to $1000 from the student’s home department, for a possible total up to $4000. Studies of myth from any culture in any period of human history are eligible for consideration. Candidates will be selected based on merit, although some preference will be given to proposals that cite specific need for funding for travel of other expenses related to research or to the performance or production of other artistic projects.  Preference will be given to candidates whose projects are part of a doctoral dissertation (with exceptions granted for students in departments that offer only a master’s degree).
  • International Affairs Grant - The purpose of the Office of International Affairs graduate student grant competition is to promote the understanding of foreign countries, cultures, and peoples through academic study. Grants will be given for research projects that explore the languages, cultures, arts, politics, economy, or socio-demographic aspects of a foreign region. Proposals addressing global issues are also eligible if these issues are explored in a regional context. This includes, for example, proposals about public health, public policy, and climate change as they affect a given region of the world. Preference will be given to proposals concerning the regions represented by Ohio State's Area Studies Centers. Conference travel is not eligible for support.
  • FLAS Fellowships - Fellowships are available for Ohio State graduate and professional school students who are pursuing a course of study which requires advanced foreign language and area studies training, as well as select undergraduate students (see each center’s FLAS page for eligibility requirements). Eligible languages include Arabic, Chinese, Czech, Georgian, (Modern) Greek, Hebrew, Hungarian, Japanese, Korean, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Quechua, Romanian, Russian, Serbo-Croatian, Tibetan, Turkish, Uzbek and Yiddish.
  • The Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Grant - The Office of International Affairs administers the U.S. Department of Education's Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad program. These grants provide support for advanced graduate students studying modern foreign languages and area studies (projects focusing on Western Europe are not supported). All doctoral degree candidates proposing full-time dissertation research abroad on topics that develop research knowledge and capabilities in world areas not commonly taught in U.S. institutions are encouraged to apply. Grants support field research of 6 to 12 months in duration.
  • The Phyllis Krumm Scholarship - Up to three awards will be given to deserving graduate students for research or study in a European country or in China. Applicants must be enrolled as a graduate student at Ohio State in an academic program of study in any field. Students must demonstrate excellence in scholarship and an appropriate background for research or study in Europe or China (including the mainland, Hong Kong, Macao, and/or Taiwan). They must be of good character and intend to conduct research or study requiring independent international travel (i.e., unassociated with an organized study abroad group). Preference is given to U.S. citizens, pursuing a career in diplomatic or other governmental international service.
  • The Sonkin-Bergman-Wasserman Families' Scholarship for International Understanding and Peace - This scholarship provides awards for deserving graduate/professional students at The Ohio State University active in research or study that contributes to the pursuit of international understanding and peace. Provides one or more awards (pending availability of funds) for deserving graduate/professional students at The Ohio State University active in research or study that contributes to the pursuit of international understanding and peace.
  • The Mershon Center for International Security Studies Student Grants - The Mershon Center for International Security Studies seeks applications from Ohio State graduate and undergraduate students for grants to support travel and research on topics related to international security. We will also consider projects that strengthen the global gateways in China, India and Brazil, or speak to the university’s Discovery Themes in health and wellness, energy and the environment, and food production and security. Funds may be used for a variety of purposes related to the conduct of research including travel costs, food and lodging expenses, interview or library fees, survey costs, and other expenses. To learn about student projects funded by the Mershon Center, please see past issues of the Mershon Center Annual Report under Publications.
  • The Coca-Cola Critical Difference for Women Graduate Studies Grants for Projects on Women, Gender, and Gender Equity - These grants are made possible through the Coca-Cola Foundation and are administered by the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies and the Coca-Cola Critical Difference for Women Research Grants Committee. These grants are open to Ohio State University projects on Women, Gender, and Gender Equity by Ph.D. Candidates Working on Dissertations and Students in a Terminal Masters Degree or MFA/MBA Program Working on Creative Projects or Theses. The number of grants depends on availability of funds and grants may not exceed $1,000 for a 12-month period.
  • American Council of Learned Societies Fellowships and Grants - Includes a variety of fellowships (each with their own deadlines), including the ACLS Public Fellows Competition for Recent PhDs.
  • Seed Grants from Democracy Studies - To support the continuous scholarly examination of American democracy’s norms, procedures, and institutions Democracy Studies funds micro-grants to support research projects on a diverse range of subjects.  Previously funded projects have included an examination of the role that interest groups play in the U.S. House of Representatives, the impact of nonpartisan elections on voter decision making, and the process of food coalition formation, among others.

Non-OSU Organizations

  • The American Folklore Society Travel to International Meetings Stipends - The American Folklore Society's Committee on International Issues announces the availability of two $500 stipends for an American Folklore Society member traveling from North America to attend a meeting abroad. Members may receive the stipend only once, and they are also ineligible if they have received previous support from AFS to attend the AFS meeting. The purpose of the stipends is to foster increased international communication, collaboration, and awareness among the AFS membership. In judging applications, therefore, we consider not only how the proposed travel will benefit the individual but also the benefit accrued to the Society and the field. Stipends will be paid by check upon receipt of a 500-word report on the meeting.
  • The Zora Neale Hurston Prize - This prize of $100 is named for the pioneering folklorist, ethnographer, and creative writer who lived from 1891 to 1960, worked in and wrote extensively about African American communities throughout the southern U.S., and is internationally known for her folklore collectionMules and Men (1935) and her novel Their Eyes Were Watching God(1937), as well as other notable works. The prize is given to a graduate or undergraduate student for the best work in any medium—including but not limited to papers, films, sound recordings, or exhibitions—on African American folklore.
  • National Endowment for the Humanities - The National Endowment for the Humanities provides fellowships, summer stipends along with other grants to scholars.
  • Ohio Arts Council - The Ohio Arts Council provides grants and resources to artists and other folk pratitioners.
  • Ohio Humanities -  Ohio Humanities provides grants to projects that have humanities content and utilize humanities professionals.
  • Various American Folklore Society Interest Group Section Prizes - Prizes awarded to those researching within a particular section of interest, by those interest groups.
  • The American Folklife Center at the Library of Congress offers several grants for researchers. These competitive awards provide modest financial assistance for scholars interested in working with ethnographic collection materials at the Library of Congress and for those individuals conducting fieldwork on topics related to the aims and scope of folklife research.
  • Western States Folklore Society Travel Stipends - WSFS offers three student stipends of $100 each for travel to their Annual Meeting. Preference will be given to students who come from afar and incur significant travel expenses in coming to the meeting.
  • Ronald E. McNair Scholars Program - This program for first-generation, low-income students or underrepresented students of color sponsors ten-week summer programs at over 150 campuses across the nation.
  • Summer Research Opportunity Program- This is a program for CIC students from underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in attending graduate school. The program is open to racial and ethnic minorities, as well as first-generation or low-income students of any race or ethnicity. The six- to eight-week residential programs usually include housing, meals, travel expenses, and a stipend for participants.
  • Schomburg-Mellon Humanities Summer Institute - This seven-week program supports minority students and other students interested in pursuing advanced degrees in the humanities, especially in African American, African, and African Diaspora Studies. The program covers housing and travel and provides a stipend.
  • African American Literatures and Cultures Institute- Hosted at the University of Texas at San Antonio, this three-week program is for juniors who are interested in pursuing graduate school to specialize in African American literature and cultural studies. The program provides a stipend, housing, GRE preparation, and a research trip to New York City (including to the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture).
  • Rutgers English Diversity Institute (REDI)- This one-week program invites students from diverse ethnic, economic and cultural backgrounds to learn more about conducting research in literary studies and applying to grad school. Unlike some other pre-doctoral programs, this one is open to recent graduates, in case students are taking a “gap year” before attending graduate school, as well as to current juniors and seniors. The program covers travel and living experiences and includes a stipend.
  • Moore Undergraduate Research Apprentice Program (MURAP)- Hosted at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, this ten-week program is for students interested in earning a doctorate in the humanities, fine arts, or social sciences. The program is open to minority students and other students “with a demonstrated commitment to increasing diversity.”