Graduate Research Assistantships

The Initiative provides funding for annual, renewable research assistantships for graduate students admitted into the Masters of Science in Applied Economics program in the Colleges of Agriculture and of Letters and Sciences.

 

Graduate Research Grants

The Initiative awards supplemental thesis research grants to Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics Applied Economics graduate students conducting research projects that align with the Initiative's mission.

Eligibility: Any DAEE graduate student engaged in thesis research related to the IRAEA mission is eligible to apply.

Amounts: Thesis grants of $500-$1000 will be awarded to 2-4 students each year.

Expectations:

  • Conduct research on topics covered by the Initiative’s mission and with the aim of submitting the resulting research to a peer-reviewed academic journal.
  • Submit a one page summary of their final thesis project in the semester in which they graduate.

Application Procedure: To apply, please submit the following to the Graduate Program Coordinator (Chris Stoddard). 

  • An abstract (fewer than 500 words) of your proposed thesis project and how it relates to the Initiative’s priorities. The abstract should include details about the topic, contribution to the area of study, data being used, and proposed methodology.
  • A statement of support from your thesis advisor indicating the feasibility of the proposed project.

Application Deadline: The 2019-2020 grant cycle is closed. Please check back next fall. Deadline is Sept. 1 each academic year.

Review Process: Proposals will be reviewed by the DAEE Graduate Affairs Committee. Awards will be distributed soon after September 15.

Graduate Research Travel Awards

Graduate Research Travel Awards are available for projects relevant to the Initiative's mission. Travel awards will be awarded on an ongoing basis. Funding is limited to support travel to attend a high-quality regional or national academic conference at which the student presents the results of the research project. Awards will not exceed $2,000 and matching funds may be required.

It is expected that faculty awarded research grants and fellowships by the initiative will include travel for graduate students in their grant budget rather than applying for funds via this program.

Application process

An application must be made by a tenured/tenure-track member of the Department of Agricultural Economics and Economics (DAEE) faculty on behalf of the graduate student. The application should include:

  • A brief description of the research project (no more than 400 words), including a clear statement of the relevance of the project to the mission of the initiative.
  • A brief description of the nature of the travel and its relevance to the research project, including a description of the conference, travel dates, and an anticipated travel budget.
  • A brief statement of the expected outcomes of the project (fewer than 150 words), including the journal(s) to which the student's research project will be submitted and anticipated submission date.
  • The student’s graduate academic transcript.

Please feel free to contact Dr. Vincent Smith (994-5615, [email protected]) or Dr. Wendy Stock, (994-7984, [email protected]) if you have questions about the travel awards.

Proposal Review

Proposals will be reviewed by the initiative's co-directors and members of the DAEE Graduate Affairs Committee. Decisions will be announced as soon as possible after proposal submission.