Aid for PhD Students

Training fellowships provide a stipend and scholarship for exceptional students to focus primarily on their degree coursework with no departmental research or teaching responsibilities. Students awarded training fellowships are required to enroll in a full load of academic courses as determined by the department.  Examples:

• Dean’s Fellowship (DF)
• GRS Dissertation Fellowship
• National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)
• National Institute of Health (NIH) Training Grant (TG) Fellowships
• Foreign Language Area Studies (FLAS) Fellowship
• Various prestigious departmental fellowships.

A Teaching Fellowship provides a stipend and a full scholarship and an opportunity for graduate students to gain classroom experience under the close supervision of the faculty members who have the formal responsibility for the courses to which the teaching fellows are assigned. Your obligation in this fellowship would include instructional duties assigned by your department. Instructional and other duties total approximately 20 hours per week.

Doctoral Research Fellowships provide a stipend and scholarship for exceptionally qualified students in return for research work done for the department. Your obligation in this fellowship will include research duties assigned by your department that total no more than 20 hours per week.

The Fellowship: The Campagna-Kerven Graduate Fellowship, endowed by a bequest from Madame Susanne Campagna, provides a dissertation fellowship to a PhD student in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences whose doctoral dissertation deals substantially with an aspect of modern Turkey. This includes Turkish culture, society, politics or economics in the 20th or 21st century.

The dissertation fellowship includes a full annual stipend (September through August), SHIP health insurance coverage, and all other necessary fees.

Eligibility: The fellowship is open to PhD students in the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences who are defining or preparing their dissertation. Preference will be given to students who have passed all qualifying exams and are either preparing their dissertation prospectus or have had their prospectus approved by the faculty of their program. The dissertation must focus, at least in part, on some aspect of modern Turkey which is defined as the Republic of Turkey or the Turkish people and culture in the 20th or 21st century. A student awarded the dissertation fellowship may not hold another fellowship simultaneously. 

Application Materials  

Submitted by the Applicant (via InfoReady) 

• A two- page cover letter which: 

• Describes the dissertation project, clearly outlining the thesis. 

• Details of the current plan for completion as well as all progress made thus far. 

• Current CV 

• Unofficial transcript 

Submitted by Faculty member (via a link sent from InfoReady) 

•  Letter of Support from the applicant’s dissertation advisor 
  • This should make note of the applicant’s current progress towards completing their dissertation and updated plan for completion. It should also highlight the significance and feasibility of the dissertation project.  

• Letter of support from the applicant’s PhD program Director of Graduate Studies 

• • This should confirm that the applicant will not hold another fellowship between September 2025 – August 2026. 

Deadline:  Applications will be due by February 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Letters of support should be submitted by faculty members by March 6, 2026. Decision notifications will be made in late April.

Please contact grsgs@bu.edu with any questions. 

InfoReady Link: https://bu.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2002437 

The Fellowship: The Henry S. Newman Graduate Student Fellowship, endowed by Mr. Newman in honor of his daughter Dori Newman (CAS ’69), provides a one-year fellowship to a PhD student in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences whose dissertation focuses on some aspect of immigration to America. Mr. Newman immigrated to America following World War II after having survived two years in a concentration camp.

The dissertation fellowship includes a full annual stipend (September through August), SHIP health insurance coverage, and all other necessary fees.

Eligibility: The fellowship is open to PhD students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences who have passed all qualifying exams and had their dissertation prospectus approved by the faculty of their program. Their dissertation must focus on some aspect of immigration to America. A student awarded the Henry S. Newman Graduate Student Fellowship may not hold another fellowship simultaneously.

Application Materials:

Submitted by the Applicant (via InfoReady) 

• A two- page cover letter which: 

• Describes the dissertation project, clearly outlining the thesis. 

• Details of the current plan for completion as well as all progress made thus far. 

• Current CV 

• Unofficial transcript 

Submitted by Faculty member (via a link sent from InfoReady) 

• Letter of Support from the applicant’s dissertation advisor 

• • This should make note of the applicant’s current progress towards completing their dissertation and updated plan for completion. It should also highlight the significance and feasibility of the dissertation project.  

• Letter of support from the applicant’s PhD program Director of Graduate Studies 

• • This should confirm that the applicant will not hold another fellowship between September 2025 – August 2026. 

Deadline: Applications will be due by February 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Letters of support should be submitted by faculty members by March 67, 2026. Decision notifications will be made in late April.

Please contact grsgs@bu.edu with any questions. 

InfoReady Link: https://bu.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2002437

The Fellowship: The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences is now seeking applications for a new opportunity, the
Dean’s Dissertation Fellowship. These fellowships are open to GRS PhD students across all Arts & Sciences divisions and are intended to support students to make significant progress towards dissertation completion.

The fellowship will provide a stipend of $15,000 paid in monthly installments during the tenure period of either the Fall 2026 (September – December) or Spring 2027 (January – May) semesters.

Eligibility

To be eligible, the student must:

• Be enrolled in a GRS PhD program
• Be in years 4-6 of their program
• Have completed their prospectus.
• Be in good academic standing
• Not hold another fellowship for the applied semester.

Awardees will be expected to defend and submit an intent to graduate by the end of the 6th year of their program.

Application Materials

Submitted by the student via Infoready

• A 3-4 page cover letter which:
  • Is formatted in Times New Roman font, size 12 with 1.5 spacing.
  • Briefly describes the dissertation project, clearly outlining the thesis.
  • Details the current plan for dissertation completion as well as all progress made thus far.
  • Includes the semester of support requested (either Fall 2026 or Spring 2027).
• Current CV
• Unofficial Transcript

Submitted by a Faculty Member via Infoready

• Letter of Support from the applicant’s dissertation advisor
  • This should make specific note of the applicant’s current progress towards completing their dissertation and updated plan for completion.
• Letter of support from the applicant’s PhD program Director of Graduate Studies
  • This should confirm that the applicant is in good academic standing

Applications will be evaluated by a review committee based on the following criteria:

• Demonstrated excellent progress towards degree and dissertation completion.
• Ability to communicate research thesis and goals in a succinct, cohesive manner.
• Academic merit

Deadline: Applications will be due by February 27, 2026 at 11:59 PM ET. Letters of support should be submitted by faculty members by March 67, 2026. Decision notifications will be made in late April.

Please contact grsgs@bu.edu with any questions. 

InfoReady Link: https://bu.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2002437

The Spring 2026 GRAF portal is now open:  https://bu.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1961673

Applications are due by 11:59 PM ET February 2, 2026. Please note, the portal will not allow submissions past the deadline and Google Chrome is the recommended browser.

The Graduate Research Abroad Fellowship (GRAF) program was established by the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences to support foreign-based research by GRS doctoral students whose field-based or archival research requires an extended period of residence in another country or countries.

As noted in the December memo from the Graduate School, there will only be a Spring cycle of GRAF in the 25-26 academic year. Please see below for specific details on eligibility, timeline, and application materials. Please note that funds are extremely limited for this cycle, and applicants should expect it to be highly competitive. Proposals should contain a clear research question, methods, and plan for travel. The committee will not be making awards over the maximum amounts listed below.

GRAF awards may not be used for foreign-based study or training such as acquiring language skills, equipment, personal expenses not related to the GRAF proposal, or for attending professional conferences. GRAF awards are travel grants and are in addition to the non-service funding students receive within their five-year funding package. They cannot be used during a semester where the student receives a teaching or research fellowship. Students who have exhausted their guaranteed funding will only receive travel support through this mechanism.

There are two kinds of Graduate Research Abroad Fellowships:

Short-term GRAF: Supports travel and living costs during a period of study abroad up to, but not exceeding, 3 full months. For trips taken during the academic year when students will normally be supported by another fellowship, up to $4,000 in travel costs can be provided. For trips during the summer (June 1 through August 31) a short-term fellowship can provide up to $6,000.

Long-term GRAF: Enables a student to spend an extended period (4 or more months/at least a full semester) of foreign-based field or archival research. It provides up to $16,250 to cover living, travel, and research expenses. For students in years 1 through 6 of their academic programs, a long-term GRAF will also cover continuing study fees and the cost of participation in the basic BU student health plan for the time the student is abroad.

GRAF Eligibility

• Applicants should have completed their prospectus and all other doctoral program requirements except for the dissertation before the proposed project begins.
  • Exception: In disciplines where international travel is necessary to complete the prospectus, students may apply for short-term GRAF awards only. Please note that these projects should have a clear timeline and goals listed.
• Applicants must be registered as BU GRS PhD students.
  • For help with initiating a continuing student registration for students who will not be registering for classes, please contact your Department Administrator.
• Applicants must not have a conflicting teaching or research fellowship during their proposed travel period.
  • For example, students appointed as teaching fellows in Fall 2026 cannot travel during that semester. Similarly, students holding research fellowships that require on-campus supervised work are not eligible for GRAF during those semesters.
• Applicants must disclose other forms of funding for their research and whether they previously received a GRAF or GRUF award, including what progress has been made since that award. Failure to do so will result in disqualification for that cycle.

GRAF Travel and Deadlines

All GRAF-funded travel must begin on or after May 18, 2026, and conclude by June 1, 2027.

Student Applicant InfoReady Submission Deadline: 11:59 PM ET February 2, 2026

Departmental Acknowledgement Form and Letter of Reference Submission Deadline: 11:59 PM ET February 9, 2026

InfoReady Portal: https://bu.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2001691

GRAF Application Process and Materials

Phase 1: Interested students will submit their application via InfoReady by 11:59 PM on February 2, 2026. Late applications will not be accepted. This will include:

• GRAF Budget Template (save as a PDF, with all cells visible on one page)
  • Applicants are reminded that no awards will be made above the maximum award amounts listed above.
• IRB Approval (if working with human subjects)
  • If approval is not granted before the application deadline, a copy of the email to IRB is admissible; however, applicants will not be awarded funds until IRB approval is received.
• An unofficial transcript (please download from MyBU)
• A letter of recommendation from the student’s advisor
• Project Proposal (no more than 6 pages) which:
  • Clearly states and explains the problem or question that the proposed research will address, links it to existing scholarship on the topic, and demonstrates why the research will best allow the applicant to answer or illuminate it. Remember that the review committee has a broad membership across disciplines.
  • Includes a proposed timeline for the project along with travel locations.
  • Includes a brief rationale for how this research travel will contribute to current progress on dissertation work, including any other progress that has already been made.
  • Clearly discloses all other forms of funding received or being applied to for the project. (Failure to do so can result in your award being rescinded should you be selected).
  • Contains a disclosure of previous GRUF or GRAF support received and why the applicant should receive additional GRAF funding.

All GRAF materials should use size 12 Times New Roman font and 1.5 spacing.

Phase 2: Submitted applications will be routed to the student’s home department/program and Director of Graduate Studies (or equivalent faculty member) to be considered for nomination. Departments will need to approve or deny nominations via InfoReady by 11:59 PM on February 9, 2026 via the Departmental Acknowledgement Form (emailed automatically via InfoReady routing).

Phase 3: Nominated students will be reviewed by the GRAF Committee, with award decisions being made by early April. Decisions will be sent via an InfoReady email to all applicants, their departmental/program Directors of Graduate Studies, and their department administrators.

Departmental Phase 3 Submissions

There is no limit on the number of short-term GRAF proposals that a department/program can advance to Phase 3; however, a maximum of 3 long-term GRAF proposals per department/program will be considered.

Please note that preference will be given to applicants who have not previously received a GRAF or GRUF award, especially as funds are limited this application cycle.

GRAF Award Terms

In order to receive a GRAF stipend, students must be registered as BU GRS students for the semester of their project travel. Failure to disclose other forms of research funding can result in the loss or reduction of the GRAF award.

All students awarded GRAF will need to submit the following upon completion of their travel:

• A one-page summary detailing what they accomplished and how it relates to their dissertation progress
• A copy of flight and accommodation receipts

Failure to travel within a year from the award letter date will result in the GRAF being rescinded. If an extension or adjustment is needed, awardees must email grsaid@bu.edu for approval.

GRAF Award Disbursement

GRAF funds will only be disbursed to awardees by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences following the return of the signed award letter and registration of travel in the university travel registry (including travel dates) to grsaid@bu.edu.

Questions regarding disbursement should be directed to grsaid@bu.edu. Please include your BU ID in all correspondence.

For all other questions regarding the application process for GRAF, please contact grsgs@bu.edu.

The Spring 2026 GRUF Portal is now open: https://bu.infoready4.com/#competitionDetail/1961679

Applications are due by 11:59 PM ET February 2, 2026. Please note, the portal will not allow submissions past the deadline and Google Chrome is the recommended browser.

The Graduate Research in the United States Fellowship (GRUF) program was established by the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences to support research by GRS PhD and MFA students whose field-based or archival research requires travel to and a period of residence in another city or state within the United States. This fellowship is open to students from any GRS department or program whose research needs additional sources of funding.

As noted in the December memo from the Graduate School, there will only be a Spring cycle of GRUF in the 25-26 academic year. Please see below for specific details on eligibility, timeline, and application materials. Please note that funds are extremely limited for this cycle, and applicants should expect it to be highly competitive. Proposals should contain a clear research question, methods, and plan for travel. The committee will not be making awards over the maximum amounts listed below.

GRUF awards are travel grants that are given in addition to a student’s five-year funding package, when applicable. These awards may not be used for foreign-based study or for attending professional conferences. There are two kinds of GRUF fellowships:

• Short-term GRUF: Supports travel and living costs during a period of research outside of the greater Boston area, not exceeding 3 full months. The award for a short-term GRUF is up to $6,000. Short-term GRUF can be used for shorter research trips.
• Long-term GRUF: Enables a student to spend an extended period (4 or more months/at least a full semester) of United States-based field or archival research outside of the greater Boston area. It provides up to $16,250 to cover living, travel, and research expenses. For students in years 1 through 6 of their academic programs, a long-term GRUF also covers continuing study fees and the cost of participation in the basic BU student health plan for the time the student is traveling. 

GRUF Eligibility

Applicants must be registered as BU GRS PhD or MFA students.

• For help with initiating a continuing student registration for students who will not be registering for classes, please contact your Department Administrator.

Applicants must not have a conflicting teaching or research fellowship during their proposed travel period.

• For example, students appointed as teaching fellows in Fall 2026 cannot travel during that semester. Similarly, students holding research fellowships that require on-campus supervised work are not eligible for GRUF during those semesters.

Applicants must disclose other forms of funding for their research and whether they previously received a GRAF or GRUF award, including what progress has been made since that award. Failure to do so will result in disqualification for that cycle.

 

GRUF Travel and Deadlines

All GRUF-funded travel must begin on or after May 18, 2026, and conclude by June 1, 2027.

Student Applicant InfoReady Submission Deadline: 11:59 PM ET February 2, 2026

Departmental Acknowledgement Form and Letter of Recommendation Submission Deadline: 11:59 PM ET February 9, 2026

InfoReady Portal: https://bu.infoready4.com/#freeformCompetitionDetail/2001691

 

GRUF Application Process and Materials

Phase 1: Interested students will submit their application via InfoReady by 11:59 PM on February 2, 2026. Late applications will not be accepted. This will include:

• GRUF Budget Template (save as a PDF, with all cells visible on one page)
  • Applicants are reminded that no awards will be made above the maximum award amounts listed above.
• IRB Approval (if working with human subjects)
  • If approval is not granted before the application deadline, a copy of the email to IRB is admissible; however, applicants will not be awarded funds until IRB approval is received.
• An unofficial transcript (please download from MyBU)
• A letter of recommendation from the student’s advisor
• Project Proposal (no more than 6 pages) which:
  • Clearly states and explains the problem or question that the proposed research will address, links it to existing scholarship on the topic, and demonstrates why the research will best allow the applicant to answer or illuminate it. Remember that the review committee has a broad membership across disciplines.
  • Includes a proposed timeline for the project along with travel locations.
  • Includes a brief rationale for how this research travel will contribute to current progress on dissertation work, including any other progress that has already been made.
  • Clearly discloses all other forms of funding received or being applied to for the project. (Failure to do so can result in your award being rescinded should you be selected).
  • Contains a disclosure of previous GRUF or GRAF support received and why the applicant should receive additional GRUF funding.

All GRUF materials should use size 12 Times New Roman font and 1.5 spacing.

Phase 2: Submitted applications will be routed to the student’s home department/program and Director of Graduate Studies (or equivalent faculty member) to be considered for nomination. Departments will need to approve or deny nominations via InfoReady by 11:59 PM on February 9, 2026. They will also need to complete the InfoReady Departmental Acknowledgement Form (automatically emailed via InfoReady routing).

Phase 3: Nominated students will be reviewed by the GRUF Committee, with award decisions being made by early April. Decisions will be sent via an InfoReady email to all applicants, their departmental/program Directors of Graduate Studies, and their department administrators.

Departmental Phase 3 Submissions

There is no limit on the number of short-term GRUF proposals that a department/program can advance to Phase 3; however, a maximum of 3 long-term GRUF proposals per department/program will be considered.

Please note that preference will be given to applicants who have not previously received a GRAF or GRUF award, especially as funds are limited this application cycle.

GRUF Award Terms

In order to receive a GRUF stipend, students must be registered as BU GRS students for the semester of their project travel. Failure to disclose other forms of research funding can result in the loss or reduction of the GRUF award.

All students awarded GRUF will need to submit the following via InfoReady upon completion of their travel:

• A one-page summary detailing what they accomplished and how it relates to their dissertation progress
• A copy of flight (or main transport method) and accommodation receipts

Failure to travel within a year from the award letter date will result in the GRUF being rescinded. If an extension or adjustment is needed, awardees must email grsaid@bu.edu for approval.

GRUF Award Disbursement

GRUF funds will only be disbursed to awardees by the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences following the return of the signed award letter and registration of travel in the university travel registry (including travel dates) to grsaid@bu.edu.

Questions regarding disbursement should be directed to grsaid@bu.edu. Please include your BU ID in all correspondence.

For all other questions regarding the application process for GRUF, please contact grsgs@bu.edu.

Twice a year, the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences Graduate Student Organization (GSO) accepts applications for travel grants. The GSO offers two types of awards:

• Presentation travel grants: For students planning on directly participating in a conference or research forum by presenting a paper or poster, participating in a discussion panel, or chairing a discussion or paper session.
• Research travel grants: For students planning to visit an archive, attend a training workshop, or use a research facility.

For instructions, application, and more details please visit the GSO website.

For information regarding your stipend payments, please visit our Stipends FAQ page.

For information regarding your stipend and taxes, please visit our Tax Information FAQ page.

For information regarding cost of attendance, please visit our Cost of Attendance (COA) page.

For information regarding tuition scholarships, please visit our Scholarships page.

For information regarding the Sports Pass, please visit our Sports Pass page.

For information regarding Student Health Insurance, please visit our Medical Insurance page.

Students have the option to purchase Dental Care through the University, which is not included in the fellowship award.

Boston University requires PhD students and MFA students with fellowship support to be present on campus unless their research or fieldwork requires them to be elsewhere. This requirement is in place to ensure that students can focus on their full-time studies and regularly engage with faculty members. Those pursuing a PhD or MFA with fellowship support from the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences must live in the Boston region during the semester(s) in which they receive GRS support, and they are expected to participate in departmental and University activities. Students who leave the Boston region outside of required research or fieldwork during their first five years may forfeit their guaranteed fellowship funding. We understand that students may have personal reasons to leave the area, but such arrangements often violate policies and laws that prohibit payments. Students beyond their fifth year of study who leave the Boston region will not be eligible for fellowship, unless required to be elsewhere for their research or fieldwork.  All teaching fellows must be in residence.

The purpose of fully supporting our graduate students is to allow them to engage wholly in their scholarly work and to devote the attention necessary to complete their studies in a timely fashion. We expect that our students will not be employed outside of Boston University. University policy limits the amount of work that may be assigned to graduate students in any semester when they are appointed to a Teaching, Graduate Research, or Training Fellowship. For this reason, we expect students with fellowships to devote no more than 20 hours per week to their assigned activity.  Please refer to “Are graduate workers allowed to work more than 20 hours per week?” on the provost’s website.

The University’s policy is that all PhD students receiving stipend support are entitled to paid vacation time.  Please refer to the University’s Policies page.  International students who want to travel internationally should contact Boston University’s International Students and Scholar’s Office (ISSO) to make sure they are able to leave and return to the U.S. without any issues.

All students at the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences are expected to maintain high standards of academic honesty. It is each student’s responsibility to be aware of the content of the GRS Academic Conduct Code, which can be found on the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences website.

Please note: The GRS Academic Conduct Code is distinct from Good Academic Standing (Master’s, PhD) requirements and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP). Please see the relevant Bulletin pages for additional information about those policies.

The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences requires graduate students to maintain Good Academic Standing in order to remain enrolled in their graduate program and/or to retain GRS scholarship and/or fellowship support. The GRS criteria for Good Academic Standing are as follows:

• Have no more than two failing or W grades.
• Meet all milestones of the degree, such as comprehensive exams, qualifying exams, and dissertation prospectus, on the schedule specified by the program.
• Meet all milestones of the degree with sufficient quality of work as specified by the program.
• Satisfactorily fulfill all service fellowship obligations, as specified by the program.

Please note: Good Academic Standing is distinct from Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and the GRS Academic Conduct Code. Please see the relevant Bulletin pages for additional information about those policies.

Fellowships will continue for the duration of the five-year commitment if the student is making satisfactory academic progress each year, confirmed by the Graduate School of Arts & Sciences.

The GRS minimum standard for Satisfactory Academic Progress is:

• Maintain a Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) of 3.0 or higher
• Have no more than 2 failing grades (lower than B- or an incomplete grade older than 12 months) and/or W grades
• Pass all milestones of degree, such as comprehensive exams, qualifying exams and dissertation prospectus, on the schedule specified by the program
• Pass all milestones on the degree with sufficient quality of work as specified by the program
• Satisfactorily fulfill their service fellowship obligations as specified by the program