Funding for Graduate and Undergraduate Research @ Cornell

This page serves to highlight various opportunities for undergraduate and graduate research funding, especially small grants offered through Cornell that provide opportunities for research and travel to present research findings.  Deadlines are noted.  For Undergraduate Research awards, current graduate students and postdocs can work with their undergraduate mentees to apply for these awards, and research awards made to the lab can be used to support existing projects or develop tangents into new directions.

Research for credit

For Undergraduates doing research for credit, the Office of Undergraduate Biology has a new BIOG 2990 & BIOG 4990 independent research for credit enrollment form. Students should use this form to request enrollment in Undergraduate Research. Students will access the enrollment forms by navigating to the Experience Cornell website and then use the keyword search “Independent Research”. The Office of Undergraduate Biology will not manually enroll students in these courses. Once the application is submitted and fully approved, students will receive a Permission Code by email that will allow them to self-enroll in the course through Student Center.

Research funding

Graduate students:
Atkinson Center Sustainable Biodiversity Fund

Lewis and Clark Fund for Exploration and Field Research: up to $5,400

• Deadline ~ November 15

Botanical Society of America Dissertation Research Grants: ~10K awards for Graduate Student Dissertation Research

• Comparative Morphology – Kaplan Award
• Phylogenetic Comparative Plant Biology – Candidates only

Botanical Society of America Graduate Student Research Awards: Graduate Students ~1-2K awards for research projects

CALS Graduate Student Research Grants: This includes Mellon (1k), Boller (1K for apples or cherries), Kieckhefer (1K for Adirondack research).  Due: FEB

Eloy Rodriguez conference travel award

CALS Alumni Association Academic Enrichment program: UNDERGRAD or GRAD. 1K. Due: March

Schmittau-Novak Small Grants Program: Graduate students in SIPS can apply for:

• $5,000 research grant;
• $10,000 collaborative research grant with other students/post-docs/faculty in a SIPS field different than their own; and/or
• $9,000 grant in support of undergraduate research

Undergraduate students:

Botanical Society of America Undergraduate Research Awards: $500 for undergraduate independent or mentored research
CALS Alumni Association Academic Enrichment program:  UNDERGRAD or GRAD.  1K.  Due: March Undergraduate Student Research: This page lists various opportunities, including Honors research. Undergraduate Student Grants: This page lists various grants that range from 500$ – 1000$ to support research.  Applications reviewed November (fall funding) and March (spring/summer funding).  The application cover form is here: Application-Proposal-for-Research-Funds-current and directions on the rest of applications material needed can be found on the webpage.

1. CALS Charitable Trust:  any CALS research with preference for agriculture ($1200)
2. Dextra endowment: any CALS student in genomics/life sciences/environmental sciences ($1000)
3. Jane E. Brody: any CALS student ($500)
4. Ann and Robert Morley student research grants ($1500) – up to 2 consecutive years.

Undergraduate Minority Research: Provides research funding opportunities to undergraduate, minority students, the CALS Diversity Committee encourages underrepresented individuals (African-American, Native American, and Hispanic) to conduct independent research under the mentorship of a faculty member in the college. Students may obtain an application for funding independent research in 140 Roberts Hall or may download an electronic version from the website linked above or here: Application-for-Underrepresented-Minority-Research-Form (1). Spread Sheet with Research Funding For Cornell Undergraduates Check it out!