Graduate Student Research Competition
Tufts University's Graduate Student Research Competition (GSRC) supports the research of graduate students by providing funding for expenses including:
- Equipment, materials, and supplies
- Research participant compensation
- Expenses of travel to conduct research
The GSRC is open to any graduate student enrolled in a doctoral or master’s program in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (including SMFA at Tufts) or the School of Engineering.
Sixteen awards are available each semester. The maximum amount for an award is $1,000 and students are limited to one award per academic year.
Fall 2025 Information Session: Preparing for the Graduate Student Research Competition
Friday, October 17, 2025 | 1 - 2 pm EST | Virtual
The Office of the Dean of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS) and the Dean of Graduate Education for the School of Engineering (SoE) invite faculty and students to learn how to better prepare themselves and their advisees for this competitive application process. In this 1-hour information session, competition administrators and chairs will speak directly to the competition’s requirements and review process, and answer as many questions as time allows.
This session will address the following questions:
- Who is the audience for this competition?
- What should I include in an abstract?
- How should I approach the use jargon?
GSAS and SoE seek to use this session to provide support and first-hand insight into how to refine your research proposal. The deadline for the Fall 2025 Graduate Student Research Competition is Friday, November 14th, 2025. For other questions, please email ashley.riley@tufts.edu. The Zoom link will be shared with all registrants prior to the session.
Application Information
For application instructions and proposal requirements, review the Graduate Student Research Competition Guidelines.
Fall Deadline
November 14 (Application will open October 1)
Spring Deadline
March 17
Awards are competitive and decisions are based on:
- The significance of the research to the field and to the applicant’s degree progress
- Clarity in writing, presentation, and methodology
- Clarity and justification of the budget
Sample Proposals
The proposals below provide examples of successful and well-presented GSRC proposals in each of the three discipline categories.
Natural Sciences and Engineering
- Biology, Spring 2025: "Characterizing the impacts of urbanization on the physiology and behavior of an urban-adapted bird (Passer domesticus)"
- Biomedical Engineering, Spring 2015: "Depth-Resolved Measurements for Non-Invasive Optical Monitoring of the Brain"
Social Sciences
- Child Development, Fall 2013: "Caregiver’s influence on 4- to 6-year-old children’s mechanistic learning"
Arts and Humanities
- History, Spring 2025: “Resistance and Subversion in Muslim Women's Sense of Self in South Asia: 1890-2012”
- Art and Art History, Fall 2013: "Dangerous Misrepresentations: The Blitz Myth's Continuing Influence on our Post-9/11 World"
- Drama, Spring 2015: "Theatre of the Mind: Towards a Topography of Mental Health and Victorian Theatrical Practice in Nineteenth-Century Britain"
We are happy to help with logistical or procedural questions. Please email gsas@tufts.edu for any questions during this process.