Graduate Studies at Brigham Young University is awarding over $100,000 in research funding to twenty-two BYU graduate students this fall. Twelve master’s students and ten doctoral students were recently named as the recipients of the 2007-2008 Graduate Research Fellowship awards.

"The Graduate Research Fellowships are awarded to facilitate excellent scholarly and creative work conducted by graduate students," said Bonnie Brinton, Dean of Graduate Studies. "The award money allows graduate students to focus on the research and creative work that leads to the thesis or dissertation."

The Graduate Research Fellowships, which amount to $4,500 for master’s students and $6,000 for doctoral students, are offered each year and awarded at the beginning of the fall semester.

"Graduate students have used this funding to support a variety of research activities that advance their graduate degree programs," Dean Brinton said.

Last year’s fellowship recipients conducted research ranging from conceptual framework testing in Peruvian elementary schools to the nuclear localization of bone morphogenetic protein. Although the research topics were diverse, the recipients all seemed to be pleased with the Graduate Research Fellowship funding.

"Receiving the Graduate Research Fellowship award provided me the opportunity for a stimulating educational and, ultimately, successful experience while writing my Master’s Thesis," said Courtney Peacock, master’s student in the Art History and Curatorial Studies program. Peacock, who went on a three-week research trip to England, said she could not have successfully completed her thesis without the Graduate Research Fellowship award.

For Laura Jimenez, a doctoral student in the Instructional Psychology and Technology program, the Graduate Research Fellowship award opened doors to demonstrate her research capabilities. "As an international student I would have never thought to be able to conduct research and to contribute to knowledge," Jimenez said. "I think it’s a great opportunity."

"The research itself was intriguing and captivating," said Douglas Hunsaker, who graduated with his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering last April. "However, I think the best thing I learned from the research as a whole was the ability to find solutions to problems." Hunsaker said that the monetary award helped subsidize many personal expenses and allowed him to graduate from BYU debt-free. Motivated by his successful research experience here, Hunsaker is currently pursuing a PhD at Utah State University.

Brinton also sees the awards as beneficial to graduate students. "These awards allow students to use the money in ways that are best suited to their individual needs. This money not only supports excellent graduate student research, it also helps students complete their graduate degree programs in a timely fashion," she said.

For graduate students interested in applying for the 2008-2009 Graduate Research Fellowship awards, Brinton’s advice is to get started now. "Begin early in your program to think about the research or creative work that you would like to pursue as your culminating graduate experience," she said.

She also advised that students be proactive in finding and working with a faculty advisor. "Begin to develop a prospectus as soon as you can so that you will have time to develop that prospectus into a proposal for a Graduate Research Fellowship. Don’t wait!"

For more information about the Graduate Research Fellowship awards, please visit the BYU Graduate Research Fellowship Awards page on the Graduate Studies website.