Posts published on July 10, 2019

Guide to Research Grant Opportunities for Graduate Study

BY KRISTIAN KRYISYK

If you’re unable to find the financial resources, you should consider research grants. Similar to scholarships or fellowships, research grants can significantly help you in funding your graduate work. Actually, a research grant will provide you with so much more. It will provide you with an opportunity to further your work, signal an indication of the value of your research and lead to greater potential post-graduate career opportunities.

Benefits of research grants

The money you can receive from research grants is not only for completing your degree. It can also help you take your work to another level by ensuring you have access to rare materials or state of the art equipment.

These traveling research grants can also support the transportation costs you need in order to research sites across the world. In case you need access to specific material or equipment at a laboratory or any other particular institution, institutional grants can cover all these costs, from visiting institutions to utilizing these facilities. Not to mention, there are also grants which can help you cover the costs of materials you need for a particular project.

However, the advantages of a grant are so farther reaching than the impact on your project or your degree. Even the smallest research grants help you build your reputation as a dedicated scholar and establish connections you will need to enjoy more opportunities once you gain your degree. When you can work in the field at research institutions or sites, it gives you the opportunity to meet other experts in your area and build crucial experience for a young researcher.

 

Thinking long-term, research grants help you to make a case for your work and show others why it matters, and is a desirable avenue to enter the research world. Furthermore, having grant credits on your resume will be a tremendous advantage to your future employer and research funders.

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Finding grant opportunities

If you’re interested in research grants, you should start at the library reference desk. Ask for books that list grants and fellowships as they provide you with the essential information you need at that moment. This way, you will know who is eligible, the amount you could receive, and most importantly, contact information.

Don’t stop just at the library though. Check online as it’s much easier and faster to see grant listings. The beauty of the Internet will provide you with up-to-date listings of grants which are available in your area of study. The first step to your grant-based research is finding the grant that could be yours.

Useful tips

 Looking for research grants can be exciting. Do your best to maximize your grant possibilities. To do that successfully, you need to recognize the so-called crossover possibilities of the project you’re working on. It could be that you’re working in English and the project has a kind of historical bent. You should read all the classifications of your research topic before you start looking for grants.

Moreover, you shouldn’t discard new grant offerings. Awards that are new and small will not have as much competition as the most popular grants will which automatically increases your chances of getting noticed. It’s important to invest in your future in school, and your research and grants are the perfect way to do it.

Once you start researching your options, you will see the chances of landing on one can be  pretty high. You just need to prepare right and do your best to get it!

BY LINE–Kristian Krisyk had been working in the field of web design for 7 years before becoming an entrepreneur in 2014 in design and marketing. His professional interests and hobbies defined major topics of his articles. These days Kristian runs his business and looks for new development opportunities. Follow him @KristianKrisyk or contact at kristian.krisyk@gmail.com