The Graduate Council Fellowship Subcommittee invites applications for the Master’s Thesis Research Grant program. Awards for graduate student expenses directly related to thesis research are funded up to a maximum of $2000. This amount is for expenses directly related to thesis research including conference registration, travel and equipment. Once awarded a Master’s Thesis Research Grant in any amount, students are not eligible for further funding from this program. For questions or clarification, please contact Graduate Division by email at gradawards@ucr.edu.

The deadlines for the 2024/2025 academic year are 5:00 p.m. on October 16, and April 16. Applicants will be notified about the status of their grant application approximately one month after the deadline. Please note that funding availability in subsequent quarters depends upon awards made earlier in the year, so students are advised to apply for funding as soon as the need arises.

All non-STEM masters students can apply.  The application will be automatically sent via email to the Thesis Director (using the email address provided by the student on this form).  

The research proposal must be written entirely by the applicant; the faculty mentor may provide feedback. The proposal will be reviewed by a cross-campus faculty review panel and should be written to be understandable to the entire committee.

Research proposals using Recombinant DNA, humans or animals require approval by designated campus committees.   Forms and further information may be found at http://or.ucr.edu/.

Provide copies of approval notices or indicate that approval is pending. If approvals are pending the release of funds may be delayed.

Support may be requested for research supplies and/or travel /conference registration to and limited per diem at research sites. Costs of travel within 100 miles of UCR are approved only in unusual circumstances. Reusable supplies, books, etc., remain the property of the university.

Funds are generally not provided for: (a) attendance at meetings/workshops; (b) assistants, such as lab assistants, when the applicant can do the work; (c) computers. 

All travel expenses are processed through the student's department. Foreign travel requests must include documentation from a host institution, facility, or individual that the student has the access needed to do the research.  All travel must be incompliant with UC Travel Policy G-28: https://form.jotform.com/51815830252956

Research in schools (K-12) must have written permission from the proper authorities submitted with the application.

Research grants are not awarded for salary to the applicant or for the actual preparation of thesis copy.

Budgets that exceed $2000 will not be considered. Submission deadlines are:  Fall quarter - October 16th by 5pm, and Spring quarter - April 16th by 5pm. Students approved to receive funding will be notified of their award approximately one month after the submission deadline.  Grants have to be used within one year from the the date on the award letter notification. Extensions of grant periods should be requested in writing. Awards terminate upon leaves of absence or filing fee status. Expenditure reports are due two weeks after the termination of award period.

Expenditures must be within the categories budgeted in the application. Written permission is required for adjustments prior to spending funds.

Budget Request

(Detailed item descriptions and justifications are required)

Describe your thesis project, stating the research questions to be addressed, the methods to be used and the data or materials to be analyzed, or your creative activities, as relevant to your project. Place your work within the context of your field, cite references, and explain how your work will contribute to your field.

As part of your professional development, you need to learn to justify and explain your research to an educated lay audience. This application will be reviewed and ranked by faculty in the humanities, social sciences and natural sciences. If any of these reviewers cannot understand the significance and intellectual or creative merit of your project, you will likely receive a low ranking. You are encouraged to seek writing assistance from the Graduate Writing Center (http://gwrc.ucr.edu) in the Graduate Success office.