University of Michigan
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology

One award will be made for use during the academic year which will include one semester of stipend, tuition and GradCare benefits. Awardees must send a brief note of thanks and a layperson summary of findings to the Offutt family, the fellowship's sponsor. The competition is typically announced in late November, with a mid-January deadline for submission.

One or two awards will be made for use during the academic year which will include one semester of stipend, tuition and GradCare benefits.  The competition is typically announced in late November, with a mid-January deadline for submission. The scholarship for graduate students studying biology is in memory of Edwin H. Edwards, who received his bachelor of science degree in biology from U-M in 1892.

These valuable opportunities are often focused on particular collections (birds, fishes etc.) but may also focus on cross-taxonomic initiatives, e.g., in informatics.  Curatorial Assistantships are open to all Ph.D. students who have achieved candidacy.  Vacancies will be announced each semester, and applications should be submitted to the EEB Graduate Coordinator (janesull@umich.edu).  Interested students should also contact the salient curator(s) and/or collection manager(s) or the Director of the UMMZ (Diarmaid OFoighil) or Herbarium (interim director Chris Dick). 

These grants are supplemental to other funding sources and are intended to help advance research completion of graduate degrees. EEB Ph.D. students and Frontiers Master's students who are actively engaged in research are eligible to apply. In most cases, students are expected to have completed one year in their respective programs; however, first-year students who are already engaged in research may be considered for an award. The number and amount of Block Grant awards varies each year, depending on available funding and the number of successful applicants.

Several endowed fellowships are also awarded through the Block Grant completion process to students who best fit the intentions of the donors. Endowed fellowships include:

The Emma J. Cole Fellowship

Awarded to graduate students in Plant Biology for research and travel expenses. This award is based on excellence, merit and financial need. Students are generally allowed to receive this award one time only.

The Peter Olaus Okkelberg Award

Presented to graduate students in broadly defined fields of zoology. Areas of study sponsored are anatomy (including morphology), cytology (including cell biology), and embryology (including developmental biology). The award may be given for research and travel expenses. This award is based on excellence and merit.

The Angeline B. Whittier Fellowship

Awarded to advanced graduate students of plant biology for research and travel expenses. Students may be considered for both Cole and Whittier Fellowships.

Lewis and Elaine Wehmeyer Fund in Fungal Taxonomy

This endowment primarily supports the Wehmeyer chair in fungal taxonomy, but has some funds available for graduate students working in this field.

 

Block grant and endowment funding are awarded annually on a competitive basis. Applications and student records are reviewed by the Graduate Affairs Committee as part of the award process and decisions are based on factors such as promise of research, adequacy of research plans, schedule for use of the funds, and past progress. The competition is typically announced in at the end of January, with a mid-March submission deadline.

See below a list of current UMMZ scholarships.  Note that most of these target research on specific animal groups and/or having an advisor or co-advisor who serves as a curator in the Museum of Zoology, following the wishes of the original donor.

These funds can be used to pay charges required by the Botanical Gardens for use of space or services and for basic supplies related to the growing and care of plants (i.e., pots, soil, etc.). Salaries cannot be funded.

Individual requests for up to $1000 will be considered, although the actual amount awarded per investigator will depend upon the number of requests received and available funds. The application deadline is announced in early December.

These are in the form of a lump-sum payment that may be used by recipients in whatever manner will best enhance their research on the E. S. George Reserve (larger amounts possible under exceptional circumstances). To be eligible for an award, a graduate student must have been admitted to candidacy. An announcement of awards takes place in mid-February and awards are announced in late March. The E. S. George Reserve Advisory Committee evaluates applications and makes decisions regarding awards.

Request forms are available here or in the graduate office, and must be submitted to the graduate office for review and approval. Copy charges and costs associated with publications (page charges or reprints) are not applicable. Original receipts are mandatory for reimbursement and funds must be spent each year by June 30, the end of the fiscal year. There is no carry-over of funds from year to year.

Request forms are available here or in the graduate office, and must be submitted to the graduate office for review and approval prior to the conference. Original receipts are mandatory for reimbursement and funds must be spent each year by June 30, the end of the fiscal year. There is no carry-over of funds from year to year.

Preference is given to female students. Special consideration is given to those applicants who have at least one parent who is a U.S. citizen, and whose family situation makes tuition difficult but prevents them from receiving other financial aid. In addition, special consideration is given to applicants who can demonstrate that an ancestor rode on the Mayflower or was an active participant in the Revolutionary War.

Ph.D. students have access to a variety of other funding opportunities. These are available through the Rackham Graduate School and a range of other sources, as indicated below. Students cannot receive a departmental fellowship for stipend and tuition and an external fellowship or traineeship at the same time. Awards for stipend and tuition are subject to the EEB Policy for Departmental and External Fellowships and GSRAs. If necessary, external fellowship funding is supplemented by the department to equal the current, minimum GEO-negotiated GSI stipend. Prospective students who are U.S. citizens or have permanent resident status in the U.S. are urged to apply for national fellowships. Foreign students are urged to apply for financial support from their home countries.