Graduate Student Research Grant

Harpur College Graduate Student Grants

Submit materials electronically via Google Form link below: 

DEADLINES:

School of the Arts: October 30, 2025

All other Harpur Program Graduate Students:  March 6, 2026

Please submit your proposal in advance of the deadline, if possible.

Purpose

Supported by the Harpur Dean’s Graduate Investment Initiative Fund, established through the generosity of alumnus Mitchell J. Lieberman '80 and Susan Lieberman, Harpur College Graduate Student Grants are intended to provide funding that will foster the research, creative activities, scholarship, and professional development of students enrolled in master’s degree or Ph.D. programs in Harpur College. 

There are two programs under this initiative: one for (currently, Art History, Cinema, Creative Writing, Music, and Theatre), and one for graduate students in all other programs in Harpur College.

Read impact stories of how this grant has helped students.

School of the Arts Program

Review criteria for applications to the School of the Arts program will be based on the potential of the activity to contribute to the applicant’s professional growth.

Award Amount

Applicants can request up to $2,000.

Greater amounts may be considered for exceptional opportunities or collaborative projects (involving more than one graduate student), for which additional documentation describing the project and budget will be necessary. To fund as many projects as possible, we encourage applicants to request only what is needed. To support as many students as possible, grants may be awarded for less than the amount requested. 

All awarded funds must be spent no later than one year from the date of the award. Funds cannot be rolled over. Funds cannot be applied to expenses incurred after the student has graduated. Past expenses being claimed must have been made no later than 30 days before the submission deadline. Applicants are asked to focus proposals on activities that can be accomplished in the time available.  After the award period, awardees must submit a report on their accomplishments. Failure to submit a report on time will prevent consideration for future funding.  

Funding may be distributed as reimbursement or as an advance. Awards that are received as advances must be documented with receipts before the end of the calendar year or the amount will be treated as income by the IRS and taxed.

Eligibility

All current master’s or Ph.D. degree students in good academic standing in Art History, Cinema, Creative Writing, Music, and Theatre are eligible.

Application Materials

Please complete the to submit the following materials:

  • You will need to include a project title, an abstract (limited to 750 characters and suitable for general audiences), your transcript, and a project description (5,000 character limit). Your project description should also include a detailed schedule for the proposed work and be written in a style that is accessible to reviewers outside your discipline and to a general audience. In addition, the documentation required below includes a detailed budget, and an up-to-date CV (max 3 pages). 
  • For funding to support travel to or participation in an activity or program to which you have already been invited or accepted, you should also include a copy of your invitation or acceptance letter.
  • Optionally, you may submit a sample of your creative work (in audio, video, or PDF format) to demonstrate your preparedness for the proposed activity.

Use of Funds 

Grants may support: 

  • performance projects;
  • tuition to summer or winter programs;
  • travel expenses for research, auditions, or performances, conference, class, or festival (can include accommodation as well as transportation); Applicants must be presenting or performing at the conference or festival: funds may not be spent simply to attend a conference, festival, or related event. 
  • extracurricular training or coaching;
  • contests, submission fees, or audition fees for summer residencies;
  • purchase of equipment, supplies, and materials for specific projects;
  • or other activities that will contribute to your artistic and professional growth

We are unable to fund student wages or tuition at ÍøÆغÚÁÏ.  All expenditures must be in compliance with Harpur College, BU Foundation, University, and SUNY regulations.

This fund is meant to support future work, but we can consider expenses incurred up to 30 days prior to the proposal submission deadline.

Review

Criteria for evaluation of applications:

  • Clarity of the proposal. Proposals are evaluated by the School of the Arts Internal Awards Committee.  Given the wide variety of backgrounds held by reviewers, proposals should be written for a general audience;
  • The project’s scholarly, creative, or artistic merits;
  • Budget and its feasibility
  • Other existing resources that may be available to support the project (e.g., other grants, departmental sources);
  • The likelihood that the applicant will be able to complete the proposed work during the award period;
  • Student eligibility is contingent on good standing in their department
  • Priority will be given to applicants who have not yet been funded by this grant

Notification

We expect to notify awardees by mid-January.

Questions

If you have questions, please contact your department representative below:

Non-Arts Graduate Funding Program

The Non-Arts grant program is aimed at providing funding that will foster the research, scholarly, and creative activities of Harpur College graduate students who are in programs outside of the School of the Arts and connected with degree completion through projects, thesis, and dissertation activities.  Review criteria are based on the soundness of the research proposal. 

Award Amount

Applicants can request up to $2,000.

To fund as many projects as possible, we encourage applicants to request only the minimum amount needed. Past expenses being claimed must have been made no later than 30 days before the submission deadline. Funding may be provided at a smaller amount than is requested.

All awarded funds must be spent by the end of the next academic year (i.e., end of spring semester 2027) following the award date. Funds cannot be rolled over. Applicants are asked to focus proposals on activities that can be accomplished in the time available.  After the award period, awardees must submit a report on their accomplishments. Failure to submit a report on time will prevent consideration for future funding. 

Funding may be done as reimbursement or as an advance. Awards that are received as advances must produce receipts before the end of the calendar year or the amount will be treated as income by the IRS and taxed.

Eligibility

All current graduate students in good academic standing within a Harpur College graduate program are eligible for this program. Priority is given to students in disciplines where funding is not an expected part of the graduate training and mentorship in laboratories.  

Application Materials

Please submit the following materials through the .

Your application will require a project title, an abstract (limited to 750 characters and suitable for general audiences), a project description, a letter of support from your advisor, your transcript, and a project description (5,000 character limit). Your project description should also include a detailed schedule for the proposed work and be written in a style accessible to reviewers outside your discipline and to a general audience. In addition, the documentation required below includes a detailed budget and an up-to-date CV (max 3 pages). 

The letter of support from your advisor should be submitted by your advisor using this link:  

Use of Funds 

Funds may be used for:

  • Purchase of equipment, supplies, and materials;
  • Costs associated with human or animal subjects;
  • Field research costs;
  • Research related travel

We are unable to fund hourly wages or summer salaries. We are also unable to fund requests for conference costs as there are other sources of funding for this purpose. All expenditures must comply with Harpur College, BU Foundation, University, and SUNY regulations. 

Review

Proposals are evaluated by the Harpur College Internal Awards Committee.  Given the wide variety of backgrounds held by reviewers, proposals should be written for a general audience. The committees will consider these factors in their evaluation:

  • The project’s scholarly, creative, or artistic merits as well as the proposal’s clarity and coherence;
  • The significance of the project for progress towards completion of your degree;
  • Other existing resources that may be available to support your project;
  • Letter of support from your advisor;
  • The likelihood that you will be able to complete the proposed work during the award period;
    Your academic standing and record as determined by your transcript.
    Notification

Notification

We expect to notify awardees by early April.

Questions

Contact Carl Lipo, Associate Dean for Research and Program, Harpur College of Arts and Sciences (clipo@binghamton.edu)

These funds are made possible through the generosity of alumnus Mitchell J. Lieberman '80 and Susan Lieberman.