Grant-in-Aid (GIA) awards

Grant-in-Aid

Fall Application Deadline: October 10, 2025

Spring Application Deadline: February 20, 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 studentsmay 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 recieve 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

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 

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

Students must contact their department for the internal deadline, which precedes the University Graduate School deadline. All nominations must be submitted by the nominee's department to the Graduate School. Self-nominations will not be accepted for either Research or Conference Travel Awards.

Grant-in-Aid Nomination Form

The department must complete and submit the form linked above.

The application form includes: 

1. Nominating department confirmations and information.
2. Student personal information, including
   • A list of current sources of financial support
   • A budget and rationale for the award (maximum of one, single-spaced page)
     • The budget should outline and explain all expenses related to the project or the travel funding requested.
   • An abstract or prospectus summary of the project (maximum one single-spaced page)
     • The abstract should describe the project or travel, its scholarly merits, and why the applicant is seeking GiA.
   • The applicant's CV or résumé
   • One (1) letter of recommendation
     • The letter of support should come from the student's advisor or another individual knowledgeable about the proposed research or travel opportunity. The letter should evaluate the merits of the project or travel, the reasonableness of the proposed expenses, and the student's progress to date. The letter should also address the availability of other funds to support the project and explain the nature of the unusual expense.

Spring 2025 Recipients