Humanities Graduate Student Research Grants
Eligibility
Current CHASS graduate students (humanities emphasis)
Award Period
May 1, 2026 through April 30, 2027
Award Amount
- Awards of up to $1500 for research-related travel
- Limited awards of up to $500 for non-travel dissertation research expenses
Deadline
February 16, 2026
Award Description
Funded by the College of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences and the Center for Ideas and Society, the Humanities Graduate Student Research (GSR) Grants provide graduate students in the humanities, arts, and humanistically-oriented social sciences with travel and research support for dissertation or MFA thesis projects. The Center for Ideas and Society considers the humanities, broadly construed, as academic disciplines and activities that illuminate the ways in which human beings create and explore a distinctly human life. Though applicants need not be enrolled in traditional humanities programs, eligible projects will demonstrate significant and pervasive engagement with the qualitative tools, theories, paradigms, and methods used in “traditional” humanities and/or inter/transdisciplinary humanities research.
Grants may be used for travel expenses and research materials needed to complete the dissertation/MFA. Priority will be given to 1) applicants who have advanced to candidacy and/or are further along in their program, and 2) proposals for dissertation/MFA travel. Proposals that include requests for participant stipends and/or a significant amount of non-travel expenses will be considered as budget permits. Awards for these types of expenses are limited to $500. Proposals unrelated to the completion of the dissertation or MFA, including conference travel or presentations, will be not considered.
Selection
Selection will be based on the conception, originality, clarity, and organization of the project proposal, the extent to which the proposal draws on the qualitative theories, methods, and/or research paradigms in the humanities, the strength of the faculty endorsement, and the justification of the proposed expenses as they relate to the completion of the project. Priority will be given to applicants who have advanced to candidacy (ABD) or who are further along in their program. Final awards are based on available funding. In order to support as many students as possible, award amounts offered may be less than requested. Lower awards do not reflect on the quality or importance of the work being conducted.
Humanities Graduate Student Research Grant Application Preview
This application is for graduate students in the humanities. The form is organized into distinct sections, and you’ll need to complete all required fields and ensure a letter of recommendation is submitted on your behalf.
Section 1: Basic Information
This section collects your personal and academic details. You will need to provide:
- Your email address and full name.
- Your Department or Program.
- Your Program Type (PhD or MFA) and the number of years you’ve completed in your program.
- Confirmation of your enrollment status and whether you have advanced to candidacy.
Section 2: Project Description
This section is for the core details of your research project. You will need to provide:
- A Project Abstract summarizing your research.
- A description of your project’s humanities emphasis (limit 1000 characters).
- A detailed Project Description outlining the conception, originality, and clarity of your project (limit 2500 characters).
- Information on whether your project requires IRB approval and its current status.
- The type of support you are requesting (Travel or Other research support).
Section 3: Travel Support (if selected)
If you are requesting travel support, this section will appear. You will be asked for:
- Your Travel destination and Travel dates (must be within May 2026-2027).
- A description of the necessity of the proposed travel as it relates to your dissertation or thesis.
- The types of expenses you expect to incur (e.g., airfare, lodging, ground transportation).
- The estimated amount of travel support needed.
Section 4: Other Research Support (if selected)
If you are requesting other research support, this section will appear. The maximum award amount is limited to $500. You will need to describe the necessity of the requested support and the estimated amount of research support needed.
Section 5: Letters of Recommendation
This section provides instructions for your letter of recommendation. A letter from a UCR faculty advisor is required for your application to be considered. You are responsible for providing your letter writer with the necessary information and following up to ensure they submit the letter by the deadline.
Share this Letter of Recommendation Form with your advisor.
Section 6: Acknowledgements
The final section requires you to acknowledge the terms and conditions of the grant. It also provides a link for submitting grant reports or modification requests. You can also include any other comments or information related to your proposal.
Award Guidelines
Expenses must be incurred within the award period. Extensions of the grant timeframe should be requested in writing in advance. Awards terminate upon leaves of absence, filing fee status, withdrawal, or graduation. You must be registered in the spring quarter to use the award in the summer months.
Expenditures must be within the categories listed in the proposal budget. Written permission is required for budget adjustments or changes to the project scope prior to spending funds. Major purchases of non-expendable equipment, stipends, tuition or fees, alcohol, or expenses related to the preparation of the thesis copy (printing, charts, photographs, etc) are not covered by this award. Reusable supplies and equipment purchased with these funds remain the property of UCR.
Proposals that involve personal interviews or experiments with human subjects must be reviewed and approved by the Institutional Review Board prior to use of award. Such proposals should indicate the status of the IRB process at the time of application. Confirmation that approval has been granted is required before funds may be used for travel. For forms and details, visit or.ucr.edu/ORI.aspx.