Due Date: Friday, March 27, 2026 by 5:00 PM.

GRA Awards

The Coles College intends graduate research assistants (GRAs) awards to support faculty research. Applicants may request a GRA assignment for one semester (Fall 2026 or Spring 2027) or for two semesters (Fall 2026 and Spring 2027). Only one GRA per faculty member may be permitted. Proposals must fully justify the need for the requested timeframe. Awardees will complete the GRA process with the Graduate College. The announcement of GRA awards will be sent to all faculty whose requests have been approved on April 3rd, 2025.
(Note: only graduate faculty can apply for a GRA)

Limitations

GRAs may not be used for teaching activities. These awards are in support of faculty research toward publication.

Research Seminar Series and Coles Working Paper Series

The recipients of an award will be required to present their research within 3 years of winning the award at the college or department seminar series. Please coordinate with seminar organizers to schedule an appropriate date for the presentation. The recipients are also encouraged to publish their ongoing work in the Coles Working Paper Series. This will enhance their chances of receiving future awards. In particular, it will strengthen discussions featuring “Status of Deliverables” (item 11) for grants faculty might have received in the past.

GRA Tiers Available

Below is a description of the three tiers available for graduate research assistants. You must select ONLY one of these tiers and provide justification in the application for your needs and how the hours worked by your GRA will be used.

Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
       
Hours worked
per Week		 10 15 20**
Weeks per
semester		 16 16 16
Hours per
Semester		 160 240 320
Stipend per
month		 $600 $900 $1,200
Stipend per
semester		 $3000 $4,500 $6,000
Equivalent
pay per our		 $18.75 $18.75 $18.75
Tuition waved for semester* Max 6 hours Max 9 hours Max 12 hours

 *Only graduate level credit hours can be waived. We cannot waive tuition for undergraduate courses.

**Students enrolled in courses can work up to 20 hours per week.

There are a limited number of GRAs and these awards are highly competitive. Higher level tiers must be strongly justified to demonstrate the need. Please provide details on the tasks that would be performed by a GRA and why a GRA is needed to support your research.

Please provide a clear and concise justification for the GRA, including a detailed explanation of how their time will be allocated to specific research tasks in support of your project in item 10 below.

Review

Applications will be assessed by the RDC, a committee of permanent, full-time faculty representing all Coles College departments. The RDC will give preference to applications that:

  • Thoroughly demonstrate an organized, rigorous project.
  • Justifies the need for the GRA and how their time will be used in support of your research.
  • List measurable outcomes (e.g., planned papers and pedagogical innovations/changes) as evidence.
  • Offer significant impacts to the applicant’s scholarly field and/or the Coles College.
  • Demonstrate effective use of previous RDC awards (if applicable).
  • Delineate the student duties/deliverables for GRAs with learning in line with the student success focus of the college and university.
  • Incomplete applications or ones that do not adhere to RDC guidelines will not be considered.

Fill out the form below to submit your application and upload your vitae as an MS Word or PDF attachment by March 27, 2026 at 5:00pm. Applications should be stated in terms understandable to those not in the applicant’s field.  

GRA Application Form

Complete all sections. It is important to demonstrate deliverables (e.g. publications, presentations) from previous awards, and how non-KSU project resources provide contributions.