Graduate Student Research Award 

Program Overview

The ECOS Graduate Student Research Award provides one-time research support for M.S. and Ph.D. students affiliated with the School of Environmental, Coastal and Ocean Sustainability (ECOS) at Florida Atlantic University to conduct thesis or dissertation research. The award is intended to support student research that advances the mission of ECOS and contributes to the student's degree completion. 

Eligible Activities

Funds may be used for research-related expenses directly supporting the student's thesis or dissertation, including: 

  • Field and laboratory supplies and materials
  • Sample collection and analysis
  • Equipment rental
  • Research-related travel (e.g., field sites, research cruises, collaborative lab visits)
  • Data acquisition and processing costs 

Funds may not be used for: 

  • Student salary or stipend
  • Conference travel (see ECOS Graduate Student Conference Travel Award)
  • Indirect costs or overhead
  • Personal equipment unrelated to the thesis research 

Eligibility

Applicants must: 

  • Be a currently enrolled, full-time M.S. or Ph.D. student in good academic standing and affiliated with ECOS.
  • Have a thesis or dissertation topic approved or in progress.
  • Advisor letter of support. 

Award Details 

  • Amount: Up to $2,000 per award.
  • Max one award per student.
  • Grant period is one (1) year from the date of award.
  • Awards are subject to funding availability. Partial awards may be offered.
  • Matching funds from internal or external sources are encouraged. 

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted twice per year: 

  • January 1
  • July 1 

Application Requirements

Applications should be submitted to ecos@fau.edu by the relevant deadline. Each submission must include: 

  1. Applicant name
  2. Graduate program and year of study
  3. Thesis Advisor
  4. Thesis or dissertation title or working title
  5. Research proposal (maximum 2 pages) including: research aims, significance, expected outcomes, and timeline
  6. Itemized budget and justification
  7. List of all internal and external funding sources applied to or received for this research (including funded award amounts).
  8. If other funding has been received, please explain how additional funding will be used.
  9. Advisor statement of support and approval 

Policies

Post-Award Requirement - Awardees must submit a final report to ECOS at the end of the grant period describing how the funds were used and the outcomes achieved and provide a photo or figure for the ECOS newsletter. 

Contact

Questions and applications should be directed to ecos@fau.edu.