Grant-in-Aid
Fall deadlines
Student Application: Monday, September 21, 2026
Letter of Support: Monday, September 28, 2026
Department Approval: Monday, October 5, 2026
Grant-in-Aid (GiA) awards provide funding to Bloomington graduate students for unusual expenses incurred in connection with conference travel or research activities relating to projects, theses, or dissertations. The Graduate School collaborates with the Graduate and Professional Student Government to review applications for these awards. Review of award applications is conducted by a committee of faculty and graduate students.
Award Categories
Research
Applicants may apply for up to $1,000. The amount awarded will be determined by a combination of available funding and the judged reasonableness of the proposed work. Review committees evaluating these awards may be composed of faculty, Graduate School staff, and members of the GPSG awards committee.
Instances where the total budget is either partially funded or exceeds the maximum award amount, the applicant or department will be responsible for the additional funds.
With the exception of Doctoral and MFA applicants, master's, pre-candidacy, and professional graduate students may not apply in the final semester of their programs.
Conference Travel Awards
GiA Conference Travel Awards are offered through a competitive process for all graduate and professional students at Indiana University Bloomington. Graduate students may apply for up to $500 to help support:
1. Travel expenses to conferences in order to receive special training, participate in a competition, or perform in an audition that will benefit the student professionally.
Corollary: Applications for travel to routine conferences (i.e. disciplinary conferences where a graduate student's attendance is normally expected) will not be considered unless there is an additional, extraordinary, reason for attendance, such as special training, a competition, or a competitive audition.
2. Conferences at which the student's work will be presented (i.e. speeches, posters, or interactive design.)
Note: In cases where the applicant is presenting faculty, collaborative, or grant-sponsored research, the applicant should first approach their PI, department, lab, or School for support prior to seeking this award.
Eligibility
Doctoral Applicants
Must be:
1. Formally admitted to Ph.D. candidacy by the application deadline (NTC Form required)
2. Enrolled full-time on the Bloomington campus during the semester the application is submitted
3. Ed.D. and D.M. students are eligible to apply
Master's, Pre-Candidacy, and Professional Applicants
Must be:
1. Formally admitted to a master's, doctoral, or professional program by the application deadline
2. Enrolled full-time on the Bloomington campus during the semester the application is submitted
3. Enrolled in majority of graduate-level courses during the semester when the award is received
Allowable Expenses
For GiA Research applicants, unusual expenses include those incurred in connection with thesis, project, or dissertation research, such as special library or laboratory access, payments to consultants, specialized equipment, and duplication of vital materials.
Expenses not supported include normal living expenses, tuition, routine laboratory supplies, and computers.
In the case of requests for equipment, the Director of Graduate Studies, or their designee, must verify that neither the equipment requested, nor the total funds, are available for its purchase. If an application is funded for an amount less than that necessary to purchase the equipment, the department will be responsible for supplying the additional funds. At the completion of the project, the equipment must remain with the department and be made available for future research projects by other graduate students.
Note: student-purchased equipment remains with the student.
Application/Nomination Process
Grant in Aid Awards (GiA) Application Workflow
- Student Application Submission
- Students wishing to receive a Grant in Aid award must complete the GiA application form and upload all required documents.
- Students must provide the email address of one individual who will upload a letter of support directly to the application system.
- Department Review & Nomination
- Once an application is complete (including the recommendation letter), it is forwarded by the University Graduate School to the student’s department for review.
- Departments will receive an email with instructions for reviewing applications and submitting their nomination through the online system.
- They may nominate as many students as they wish.
- They must assign a rank to each nominee. The Graduate School will only review applications that have been formally nominated and ranked by the department.
- University Graduate School Review
- The Graduate School evaluates all ranked nominations. Final award decisions consider:
- Scholarly merit of the proposed project or travel
- Strength and completeness of submitted materials
- Departmental ranking
- Alignment with GiA funding criteria
Required Student Materials
Students must complete the application form and upload:
• Current Sources of Financial Support
A list of all existing funding (assistantships, fellowships, grants, external awards, etc.)
• Budget & Rationale (1 page, single spaced)
A detailed budget outlining all expenses related to the proposed project or travel.
The rationale should explain each expense, justify the funding request, and clarify why the costs represent unusual expenses appropriate for GiA support. If a GiA award will not cover all expenses related to research or travel, the budget should provide a plan explaining how the applicant will cover the additional expenses.
• Abstract or Prospectus Summary (1 page, single spaced)
A concise description of the project or travel, including:
• Purpose and scholarly significance
• Key activities or research components
• Why GiA funding is being requested
• Curriculum Vitae or Résumé
A current CV or résumé documenting academic achievements, research experience, presentations, publications, awards, and other relevant activities.
•The Email Address of the individual who will submit a Letter of Support
The letter will be uploaded directly to the application by the recommender. The recommender will receive an email with instructions and a link for uploading the letter. The Graduate School will not forward the application to the department until the letter has been received.
The letter must come from the student’s advisor or another individual familiar with the proposed research or travel. It should address:
• Scholarly merit of the project or travel
• Reasonableness of the proposed expenses
• Student’s academic progress
• Availability of other funding sources
• The nature of the unusual expense prompting the GiA request
