Graduate Research Fellowship
Prize Amount: $27,000 plus tuition benefit – if eligible subsidized health insurance
For: full-time graduate students who are conducting research or creative projects and who are pursuing the terminal graduate degree in their departments.
Due: December 2024 (2025-2026 application to open in October)*
*Your department may have an earlier deadline.
The University Graduate Research Fellowship (UGRF) is a one-year, non-renewable award. The intent of the GRF is to provide the opportunity for full-time research during the fellow’s academic year.
Recipients of the University Graduate Research Fellowship
- receive an $27,000 stipend for the regular academic year,
- are eligible to participate in the Graduate Student Subsidized Health Insurance Program,
- and have tuition paid through the Graduate Tuition Benefit Program (TBP).
Eligibility
All full-time graduate students working toward a Ph.D. or the other terminal graduate degree in their department are eligible to apply.
- Both domestic and international graduate students are eligible to apply.
- Awardees must satisfactorily have passed all preliminary and qualifying examinations prior to Fall Semester 2024.
- Fellows are expected to be engaged in full-time research or creative work during the academic year of the fellowship.
- A University Graduate Research Fellowship may not be held concurrently with any other
University of Utah funded fellowship.
- If a department’s graduate student support level is greater than the UGRF stipend, subject to the approval from the home department and dean of the Graduate School, fellows may work up to 10 hours weekly as a teaching, research, or graduate assistant (equivalent to 0.25 FTE).
- It is expected that recipients will not accept other employment.
Limitations
Departments may submit a maximum of two proposals. For departments with more than one applicant, the chair must rank the proposals on a separate sheet of paper and explicitly comment on their relative quality.
Selection Process & Criteria
Proposals will be reviewed and awardees selected by a committee of University of Utah faculty members active in research and/or creative work from across the campus. The selection committee is chaired by the dean of the Graduate School and ten faculty appointed by the dean of the Graduate School.
The committee bases its selection on the following:
- Quality/impact of the research or creative project;
- Candidate’s achievements (published papers, conference presentations, etc.)
- Candidate’s potential for success; i.e., academic excellence (assessed by academic record and references).
Recipient Spotlights SEE ALL RECIPIENTS
Stefano Filipazzi
Mathematics
Stefano is from Bellano, a small village in northern Italy by the Alps. He is currently pursuing a PhD in mathematics, with a focus on algebraic geometry.
Emily Nicolosi
Geography
Emily Nicolosi is a PhD student in the Department of Geography at the University of Utah. Emily received her undergraduate degree in Anthropology and Studio Art from the University of Vermont.
Mohammed Ghashami
Mechanical Engineering
Mohammed received his BSc degree from University of Tehran, Iran in 2012 and started his PhD program under supervision of Dr. Keunhan Park in Fall 2013.
Niloofar Farhang
Bioengineering
Niloofar Farhang is a 4th year bioengineering PhD student studying gene and cell therapies for back pain under the direction of Dr. Robby Bowles.