Graduate Research Fellowships

2017 Fellowship Winners

Every spring the Scholarship Committee of the Department of Biological Sciences accepts applications for research fellowships intended to assist biology students working toward the M.S. degree. M.A. and MBT students conducting significant independent research projects in Biology Department labs will also be considered. The awards are to be used for supplies, equipment, travel to study sites, or any other reasonable direct expenses incurred during the recipient’s thesis research. Requests to support travel to scientific meetings will be considered, but will generally be given lower priority. Use of the award for salary, tuition, or reimbursement of previous expenditures is prohibited.

Fellowships in the range of $500 to $1,500 will be awarded from the following endowments:

Albert and Dorothy Ellis Fellowship

• Open to all biology majors with GPA of 3.25 or higher.

John and Betty Davison Fellowship

• Open to all biology disciplines.

Rocci and Marianna Pisano Fellowship

• Open to all biology disciplines.

Arthur and Karin Nelson Fellowship

• Open to field biology students.

H. Thomas Harvey Research Fellowship

• Open to field biology and ecology students, including Moss Landing Marine Laboratory students.

Glenn and Martha Vargas Fellowship

• Open to all biology disciplines.

• Eligibility Criteria

  • Applicants must be:

    a) currently enrolled as a student (Spring semester);

    b) be in the Department’s M.S. program or be an MBT or M.A. student conducting a significant independent research project in a Biology Department lab;

    c) have completed a minimum of six graduate or undergraduate units towards their degree while a graduate student at SJSU by the application due date; and

    d) be in good academic standing (≥3.0 GPA, except for the Ellis award, which requires a ≥3.25 GPA).

    Applicants must also be currently enrolled in at least 3 units. Moss Landing Marine Laboratory M.S. students enrolled through SJSU are only eligible to apply for the Harvey Fellowship.

    Students who have already received a Biological Sciences Department Fellowship are not eligible, but you can have previously received a Biological Sciences Department Scholarship.

• Application Instructions

  • Fellowship applications must be submitted electronically through SJSU's Spartan Scholarship Academic Works portal (https://sjsu.academicworks.com/users/sign_in)

    1. Fill out the general Spartan Scholarship application in Academic Works to start your application process. You are also encouraged to search and apply for other Spartan Scholarships.
    2. Search for the Department of Biological Sciences Fellowship opportunity in Academic Works. You will be considered for all Biology Department Fellowships that you qualify for automatically.
    3. The application consists of a proposal written by the student after consultation with the major advisor. Minor editing by the advisor is allowed, but major rewriting is prohibited. The proposal should be written for an audience having a good general biology background. The first two pages will include an introduction to the research problem, a hypothesis or question, and the methodology to be employed. Additional required files are 1) a 1-page itemized budget and project timeline, 2) literature cited in the proposal (no space limit), and 3) a 1-page statement outlining the financial need for the fellowship, including the amount and source(s) of additional grant, scholarship or fellowship monies to be used in the research. It is imperative that the proposal be written clearly and concisely, with the use of funds clearly spelled out.
    4. You will be asked for the email address of your major advisor and they will be asked if they approve your proposed project and budget and whether you meet the enrollment, completed units, and GPA requirements as outlined above.
• Application Deadline

  • The application deadline for Spring 2020 has ended.

    Spring 2020 awardees will be notified by April 2020 and funds will be made available ASAP. Fellowship certificates will be awarded at the Biological Sciences Award Ceremony.

    Direct any questions to the chair of the Scholarship Committee, Ben Carter at benjamin.carter@sjsu.edu.