Graduate Awards, Scholarships, and Grants

Opportunities for Current Graduate Students

To be considered for any of these graduate awards, scholarships, and grants please review the information below. A helpful downloadable grid summary is available below. For questions, contact Bethany Gray (begray@iastate.edu).

Award, Scholarship, and Grant Application Deadlines

Grid of Available Awards  (downloadable PDF)

 


English Department Spring Awards
English Graduate Program Awards and Grants
Graduate College REA/TEA Award Nominations
Graduate College Professional Advancement Grants (PAG)

English Department Spring Awards

The Department of English at Iowa State University provides several monetary awards to students each year. These awards, some granted directly by the department and others made possible through the generous donations of former students and faculty members, are intended to reward academic excellence and to provide financial assistance to students to enable them to continue or complete their educations.

Each spring, applications are available for the various competitions. Committees of faculty serve as judges. These committees reserve the right not to make awards during years when either an insufficient number of applications is received or none of the entries is deemed exemplary.

Paul L. and Carolyn Errington Award

The Paul L. and Carolyn Errington Award is presented annually to a graduate student in English who demonstrates excellence in environmental literary criticism. This award honors Paul L. and Carolyn Errington for the many contributions they made to the advancement of the environmental humanities. The amount of this award is $300.

To apply, applicants will be asked to upload an expository essay originally written for an ISU graduate English course. The essay should be a work of—or on a subject directly related to—environmental literary criticism. Submissions must be typewritten, double-spaced, and no longer than 30 pages (a recommended length of 12–20 pages).

The selection of recipients will be made by a committee of faculty members from the Department of English and will be based upon the clarity and effectiveness of the submitted essay.

Spring 2024 applications deadlineApril 1, 2024

Applications should be submitted via this online form.

 

Aubrey E. Galyon Scholarship

The Aubrey Galyon Scholarship is given annually to an ISU student completing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in the year of application and commencing work at an accredited institution toward a Ph.D. in literature, linguistics, or rhetoric. This award ($400) will go to a student whose academic record demonstrates the excellence necessary for doctoral study; strong preference will be given to students showing potential for original theoretical work in their chosen fields. When other factors seem equal, the financial need of applicants will be considered.

To apply, applicants will be asked to submit an essay (300–500 words) explaining why you intend to pursue doctoral studies in literature, linguistics, or rhetoric. If applicable, you will also be asked to provide a brief statement (150–200 words) of financial need.

Recipients of the scholarship will be chosen by a committee of faculty members representing the linguistics program and the departments of English and WLC (World Languages & Cultures).

Spring 2024 applications deadlineApril 1, 2024

Applications should be submitted via this online form.

 

Pearl Hogrefe Grants in Creative Writing

One or more Pearl Hogrefe Grants in Creative Writing of $1,000 will be awarded during the spring semester to graduate students who show extraordinary promise in creative writing. These awards are open to all graduate students at Iowa State and will be given on the basis of a qualitative evaluation of competitive entries. Current Hogrefe Fellows are not eligible to apply.

In addition, one or more Pearl Hogrefe Grant Recognition Awards of $500 will also be given.

Applicants will be asked to submit original fiction, poetry, drama, and imaginative nonfiction for the award competition. Several recent pieces showing range, development, and promise usually make a stronger submission by an applicant than does a single outstanding piece. All entries should be typewritten, double spaced, and should not exceed twenty-five pages. Applicants should not put their name on the submitted work.

Judges for the competition will be the members of the Pearl Hogrefe Fund Advisory Committee and the Coordinator of the Creative Writing Program.

Spring 2024 applications deadlineApril 1, 2024

Applications should be submitted via this online form. 

 

Quentin G. Johnson Award

The Quentin G. Johnson Award is given annually in honor of Professor Johnson’s commitment to the teaching of linguistics. The award is made to a student (undergraduate or graduate) who has a strong academic record and who shows promise in the study of linguistics.

To apply, applicants will be asked to submit all of the following: a brief (150–200 word) statement of financial need submitted directly into the online application form; one double-spaced, typewritten document containing (1) an expository essay written for an ISU linguistics course, and (2) an essay explaining their interest in linguistics and the role their linguistics work is likely to play in their career.

The selection of recipients will be made by a committee of linguistics faculty members from the Department of English and will be based on the clarity and effectiveness of the submitted essay as well as the evidence of aptitude in and commitment to the study of linguistics. In addition, some preference may be given to applicants with a demonstrated financial need.

Spring 2024 applications deadlineApril 1, 2024

Applications should be submitted via this online form. 

 

W. Paul Jones Scholarship

The W. Paul Jones Scholarship is given to a doctoral student in the Rhetoric and Professional Communication Program in recognition of scholarly excellence. The award honors Professor Jones’ dedication to the teaching of writing and to the use of clear and precise language in imparting technical and scientific information.

Applicants will be asked to submit a scholarly paper written after admission to the ISU Ph.D. Program in Rhetoric and Professional Communication. This work may be a seminar paper written for an ISU graduate course, a conference paper, or a paper prepared for publication, as long as its subject is rhetoric or professional communication. The applicant must have been a full-time ISU graduate student for at least one semester during the current academic year and must not have completed the preliminary doctoral examination at the time of application.

Scholarship recipients will be selected by a committee of graduate faculty members from the Department of English, and the decision will be based solely upon the scholarly merit of the submitted work.

Spring 2024 applications deadlineApril 1, 2024

Applications should be submitted via this online form.

 

Albert L. Walker Award

The Albert L. Walker Excellence in English Award is given annually to undergraduate and graduate students with demonstrated ability in the study of literature. In honor of Professor Walker, former chair of the Department of English, three awards of $300 each will be awarded: One to an undergraduate English major, one to an undergraduate majoring in a subject other than English, and one to a graduate student (any major) who has taken at least one graduate course in literature at ISU.

To apply, applicants will be asked to provide an essay of no more than 500 words, explaining the way that a text of your choosing illustrates what you have found to be interesting or satisfying about your study of literature.

Selection of a recipients will be made by the members of the Walker Award Committee and will be based upon the clarity and effectiveness of the submitted essay and upon academic achievement and performance in the study of literature.

Spring 2024 applications deadlineApril 1, 2024

Applications should be submitted via this online form.

 

Richard R. Wright Award

The Richard Wright Award is given annually to a graduate student who demonstrates ability in expository writing. In honor of Professor Wright’s commitment to the teaching of writing, especially technical and scientific writing, this award will go to students whose academic career shows promise in business/technical communication or rhetoric/composition.

To apply, applicants will be asked to provide a brief (150–200 word) statement of financial need and to upload an expository essay written for an ISU graduate English course.

The selection of recipients will be made by a committee of faculty members from the Department of English and will be based upon the clarity and effectiveness of the submitted essay. In addition, some preference may be given to applicants with a demonstrated financial need.

Spring 2024 applications deadlineApril 1, 2024

Applications should be submitted via this online form. .

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English Graduate Program Awards and Grants

Outstanding Service by a Graduate Student Award

The Outstanding Service by a Graduate Student award recognizes the contributions of students who show a pattern of service throughout their degree programs at Iowa State University. The award is intended to recognize those students who volunteer consistently and engage in a range of service opportunities at the program, department, college, university, and/or professional level. Recipients are awarded $100 and an honor cord to be worn at the graduation ceremony. Students are nominated for these awards by their area faculty during the semester in which they graduate (summer graduates should be nominated in the prior spring semester).

Full award details: Call for Nominations Outstanding Service Award

For Fall graduates: November 1, 2023

For Spring/Summer graduatesApril 1, 2024

Nominations should be submitted via the online Nomination Form – Outstanding Service by a Graduate Student

 

Graduate Student Leadership Award

The Graduate Student Leadership award recognizes graduate students who have taken on leadership roles in the program, department, college, university, and/or profession, and who have actively encouraged, advised, and mentored other students as they entered leadership roles. Recipients are awarded $100 and an honor cord to be worn at the graduation ceremony. Students are nominated for these awards by their area faculty during the semester in which they graduate (summer graduates should be nominated in the prior spring semester).

Full award details: Call for Nominations Leadership Award

For Fall graduates: November 1, 2023

For Spring/Summer graduatesApril 1, 2024

Nominations should be submitted via the online Nomination Form – Graduate Student Leadership Award

 

Graduate Student Research Grant Program

The English Department Graduate Student Research Grant supports graduate student research by providing funding for research projects or creative activity which require substantial resources to carry out. The grant is a competitive funding opportunity requiring a well-developed grant proposal written for a cross-disciplinary audience. Funding may be used for costs associated with the research process (see CFP for restrictions and examples). The funding may be used for dissertation/thesis projects as well as other projects with the potential to lead to peer-reviewed publication or creative activity; however, dissertation/thesis projects will be prioritized. To be eligible, students must participate in a professional development activity related to grant writing (see opportunities listed in the CFP) to develop a research grant proposal. Grants up to $1,000 per project may be requested.

See the full Call for Proposals for details: Graduate Student Research Grant Call for proposals

Proposals for the 2023-2024 academic year deadlineNovember 1, 2023

Proposals should be submitted via the online submission form.

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Graduate College Professional and Travel Awards

Research and Teaching Excellence Award (REA/TEA) Nominations

Awards are offered each semester according to the information below to recognize students. Research Excellence Awards are to recognize outstanding research or creativity as seen in their theses and dissertations and who are academically superior and able to not only do research, but develop a well-written product. Teaching Excellence Awards are meant to recognize and encourage outstanding achievement by graduate students in teaching.

All nomination and student documents are due by 11:59 p.m. on the announced deadlines below and must be submitted electronically via links provided in the Call for Nominations. 

REA TEA Call for Nominations

SemesterResearch ExcellenceTeaching Excellence
Fall 2023October 15, 2023October 15, 2023
Spring 2024March 15, 2024March 15, 2024
Summer 2024June 1, 2024Nominations not accepted

Professional Advancement Grants (PAG)

Professional Advancement Grants (PAG) are provided to graduate and professional students by the Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS) to help defray expenses related to professional meeting and conference travel. Please see the full award description, deadline, and application process on the Graduate College Website.

NOTE: Professional travel funding may also be available from the English Department.

The Department of English may contribute funding—on a competitive basis and subject to fund availability—for students in English Department graduate majors who are presenting at conferences (for example, serving on a panel, presenting a paper, or conducting a workshop). You may use travel funds for reimbursement of meeting registration fees at conferences, room and board, or other travel expenses. The maximum amount of professional travel funding from the department per fiscal year (July 1 through June 30) will be determined for each degree level at the beginning of each academic year. To apply for Departmental funding, find more information in the Graduate POS Manual Section 1.9.2.

Additional Graduate College Awards: https://www.grad-college.iastate.edu/academics/awards/

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