Graduate School Fellowship Incentive Program

As UTSA strives to achieve NRUF and Carnegie R-1 designation, our commitment to excellence in graduate research training is crucial to the institution's success. One measure of graduate research training success is the number of external federal fellowships awarded to UTSA graduate students. Several agencies have excellent opportunities for students to gain recognition for outstanding research activity. These include the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP), the Ford Foundation’s Predoctoral Program, and the National Institute of Health’s F31 Fellowship (NIH F31). 

To encourage a culture where our students and their mentors prepare and submit competitive applications for national programs, as well as to underscore the value of these fellowships, we are pleased to offer the Graduate School Fellowship Incentive Program.

Incentives

The Graduate School will award monetary incentives to students and their mentors who prepare and, after obtaining approval from the UTSA Fellowship Incentive Review Committee, submit applications in response to a variety of approved fellowship opportunities. If one of the funding agencies reviews a Review Committee-approved proposal, then:

• Students will receive a $1,000 incentive from The Graduate School via Financial Aid, and
• Mentors will receive a $1,000 incentive allocation to be used to support research or graduate education expenses. If co-mentors are assisting the student, they may decide how to share the $1,000 award. Mentors may reach out to Angela Grant (angela.grant@utsa.edu) when they are ready to utilize their incentive allocation.

Eligibility

For all funding mechanisms, graduate students must meet all requirements of eligibility as detailed in program solicitations, requests for proposals, or other funding announcements. Students and mentors should review eligibility criteria closely to ensure students are eligible. UTSA's Research Service Centers (RSCs) are available to provide guidance on proposals.

Students must complete the following action items:

1. Submit a non-binding Notice of Intent to submit a proposal approximately 6 weeks before the mechanism deadline (see links below for more details on specific deadlines).
2. Submit their draft proposal to the UTSA Fellowship Incentive Review Committee approximately 1 month prior to the opportunity deadline (again, see links for specific deadlines). The committee consists of faculty who have served on review panels. The committee will review all proposals and provide feedback to make submitted proposals more competitive.
3. After the UTSA Fellowship Incentive Review Committee has approved the proposal, submit a copy of proof of receipt from the funding agency by the application deadline to receive the incentive.

Eligible Funding Mechanisms

Note: You will not be eligible for incentives if your proposal is not reviewed and approved by the Fellowship Incentive Review Committee before submission.

Click each funding opportunity for more information regarding eligibility, deadlines, and more.

• NSF GRFP (Initial internal deadline: September 15)
• NIH F31 (Initial internal deadline: October 25)
• Ford Foundation Predoctoral Program (Initial internal deadline: November 1)

This list is not meant to be exhaustive. If you are interested in a funding mechanism that provides support equivalent to those listed above and would like to know if it is eligible, or if you have other questions about the incentive program, please contact john.shaffer@utsa.edu.