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Grants Information and Eligibility

Individual Grant Information

(Please hover over the images above for more information on each grant type)

Applications must document the research expense for which funding is requested, explain how that expense is important to the research project or the applicant’s research career, and show that the needed funding is not available through their academic program or advisor.

All grants are reviewed by a volunteer committee of graduate students. Decisions are based on the motions made by the committee. No grant is subject to a decision made by a single person.

Career Development Grant

This Career Grant is intended to pay costs associated with the development of graduate student careers. The maximum award is $900. Possible eligible expenses might include travel and fees associated with professional development workshops, learning new techniques essential for your career, and travel to internships. The award cannot be used to fund research projects.

Conference Grant

This Grant is intended for presenting original work at a conference with a poster, oral presentation, or other acceptable format. The maximum award is $900. The award cannot be used to fund research projects. The work presented must be affiliated with the University of Minnesota.

Research Support Grant

The COGS Research Support Grant offers awards of up to $500, on a competitive basis, to assist COGS fee-paying graduate students with funds to support conducting research and/or participating in research-related conferences, workshops, competitions, or seminars.

Research Support Grant

The Research Support Grant offers awards of up to $500 to assist COGS fee-paying graduate students with funds to support conducting research and/or participating in research-related conferences, workshops, competitions, or seminars. This grants program is intended to support graduate students in the pursuit of their academic scholarship and the timely completion of their graduate degrees.

Eligibility Information

Any student represented by COGS - all "GRD-designated" and non-professional graduate students on the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus - is eligible to apply for a COGS grant. You will need a current tuition bill showing the Council of Graduate Students fee assessment or a current registration summary showing Doctoral FTE 8444, Masters FTE 8777, or GRAD 8888.

Please note that students registered in 999 courses are not COGS-fee paying students automatically. However, students registered for 999 courses may volunteer to pay the COGS fee by emailing onestop@umn.edu.

If your tuition bill shows that you pay the Professional Student Government fee, you are NOT eligible for COGS grants. Instead, explore PSG grant options HERE.

Each student may submit one application from each of the three grant categories every semester; previous grant recipients are eligible to apply for COGS grants. This means a student can submit per semester a maximum of one career development grant application, one conference grant application, and one research support grant. Grant applications are limited to one conference or career development "activity" per application.

If you are uncertain whether you are eligible to apply for COGS grants, please email cogsgrant@umn.edu with your inquiry.

Selection Criteria

Applicants’ academic merit and financial need (as previously defined) are evaluated based on:

A statement of financial need;
A strong, well-written personal statement that explains what the grant funds will be used for;
One recommendation letter that addresses the applicant's financial need and academic merit; and
Evidence of academic promise via research record, grades, and/or reference letters.

Event and Reimbursement Timings

Fall 2023 Grants fund events and activities must occur between:

September 5th, 2023 - December 21st, 2023

Spring 2024 Grants fund events and activities must occur between:

December 22nd, 2023 - May 8th, 2024

Summer 2024 Grants fund events and activities must occur between:

May 9th, 2024 - September 2nd, 2024

An event (including conference travel) that has already occurred by the time the grant will be reviewed will be considered for a grant for reimbursement on the same basis as an activity that has not yet occurred.

Grant recipients will be asked to provide itemized receipts for all of their expenses associated with the grant activity. Upon receiving the receipts and a revised budget form reflecting actual expenses and sources of funding, COGS will disburse funds via PayPal.