Conference and Research Awards for PhD Students
Updated February 20, 2026
If you are presenting at a conference, or if you will incur costs associated with your dissertation research, you can apply for one of the following awards. A student can only receive one conference award and one research award per academic year. If you have questions about your eligibility or the process, be in touch with the Assistant Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs, Alyssa Stalsberg Canelli.
PhD Student Conference Awards
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Eligibility
- PhD students from all former GSAS programs
- Must be in good academic standing with their program
- Students who are on time-to-degree extensions are not eligible
- Students who are funded through a grant may not be eligible for these awards if the grant will cover travel and research expenses.
- Conference must occur between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026
Awards for Conference Presentation Expenses
- Presenting a paper or poster, serving on a panel or giving a talk/workshop. Participation in the conference must be evidenced by a listing in the conference’s official program materials.
- Expenses can include travel, lodging, registration fees
- Exclusions: no food, alcohol
Amount
- Up to $400 per applicant
Application and Review Process
- Conference Award application link
- Applications will be reviewed and approved on a rolling basis (within 2 weeks of submission) by the Assistant Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs.
- Please note that there are limited award funds available, so apply as soon as your participation has been confirmed by the conference.
- The funding will be awarded on a first-come/first-served basis. Once the funding has been fully awarded, the application will close.
Student Award Obligations
- Submit appropriate documentation (conference material/urls, receipts) in a timely way or the award will be forfeited.
PhD Student Dissertation Research Awards
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Eligibility
- PhD students from all former GSAS programs
- Must be in good academic standing with their program
- Students who are on time-to-degree extensions are not eligible
- Students who are funded through a grant may not be eligible for these funds if the grant will cover travel and research expenses.
Awards for Research Expenses
- Research expenses associated with dissertation project
- Expenses can include: travel, research-related lodging, archival access, research supplies
- Exclusions: no food, alcohol, Brandeis fees/tuition, laptops, software, hardware, textbooks for courses
Amount
- Up to $1000 per applicant. While this amount will not fund an entire dissertation project, we encourage you to use this process as a springboard into applying for larger grant/award opportunities.
Application Process
- Research Award application
- Deadlines: November 1, 2025 and March 1, 2026. Applications that are received after November 1 will be held until the March 1, 2026 review cycle.
Review Process and Criteria
- Research award applications will be reviewed by a selection committee after the two deadlines, November 1, 2025 and March 1, 2026. Selection committee will include the Assistant Provost for Graduate Academic Affairs.
- Criteria: clarity of the proposed plan, degree progress to date, feasibility of completing the project as outlined, thesis advisor’s support
Student Award Obligations
- Submit appropriate documentation (conference material/urls, receipts) in a timely way, or the award will be forfeited.
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