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    2. NAU Research
    3. Resources and opportunities
    4. Impact and opportunities
    5. Intramural funding
    6. Student intramural funding
    7. Support for Graduate Students (SGS) Awards

    Support for Graduate Students (SGS) Awards

    Please check back in early October 2026 for updated information regarding SGS application requirements and specific deadlines.

    Purpose

    The Support for Graduate Students (SGS) program will provide funds to graduate students (Master’s or Doctoral) to assist with the research or creative scholarship activities required by their degree programs. Funded projects may include interpretive, creative, historical, quantitative, or qualitative scholarship.

    General rules for intramural funding 0pportunities

    This program is subject to overarching rules and guidelines in place for all intramural programs. A summary of these rules may be found under the General Rules for Intramural Funding Opportunities.

    Eligibility

    Graduate students enrolled in NAU are eligible to apply for this award. The student must identify a full-time faculty as an advisor. The faculty must qualify as a PI under NAU’s PI Policy.

    Faculty advisors are expected to assist the student with oversight of the awarded project, including providing academic mentorship, facilitating access to relevant facilities and resources, ensuring compliance with university policies and applicable regulations, and supporting the student’s successful completion of the project objectives.

    In order to be eligible for support through the SGS program, the graduate student applicant must be:

    • In good standing (at the time of application and the time of award).
    • Making good progress toward degree completion in a graduate degree program that requires independent research/scholarship, including those culminating in a theses or dissertation.

    Funding information

    Award Information
    SGS applicants can request up to $4,000.

    Award Period
    The award period will be stated in the award letter.

    Eligible Uses of Award Funds

    Award funds must be used according to the requirements set forth in the “Allowable and Unallowable Costs” section of the General Rules for Intramural Funding Opportunities.

    The following program-specific rules also apply.

    The SGS award funds may not be used to support:

    • Reimbursement of costs incurred outside of the award period (e.g., student may not use the SGS funds to reimburse themself for supplies purchased before the start date of the SGS grant)
    • Laptops, computing equipment, or other general electronic devices
    • Travel for the applicant to attend conferences
    • Costs associated with the faculty sponsor’s research, including (but not limited to) travel

    October 1, 2026: SGS application portal opens
    February 22, 2027: SGS application deadline
    Early May 2027: Award decision letters sent
    Award period*: May 2027 – May 2028

    *No reimbursements can be made for any purchases, even if related to the research project, outside of the award period stated on the award letter.

    SGS Application Guidelines

    The body of the proposal must be written using the SGS Narrative Template provided. The document must be saved as a PDF. The PDF document must be saved as follows: SGSYEAR_Last name of applicant_First name of applicant, e.g., SGS2023_Smith_John.

    Applications for funding must be submitted electronically through the submission form. Applicants must complete all informational sections on the form and attach the completed Narrative Template as a PDF. Please direct any questions regarding this process to ovpr@nau.edu.

    Priority will be given to meritorious proposals that articulate the most clear and strong plan for work, with particular consideration to those contributing to a thesis or dissertation. Preference may be given to students who are not currently supported through a research assistantship or graduate fellowship. Program review will be done by the SGS Awards Committee.

    The award is distributed through interdepartmental reimbursements To utilize funds, please coordinate with your department administrator(s) to follow your department’s standard purchasing procedures to make any expenditures on this award.

    • For example, a department administrator may purchase materials for your research project on their Pcard and reconcile it to a local account and then request an interdepartmental transfer of funds from our office to your department.
    • Once expenditures have been made the department administrator should send a reimbursement request directly to Stacey.Axline@nau.edu. The request must include the student’s name and the Status of Funds report that shows the expense(s), date and the where it had been charged.

    Per the conditions of your award, no expenditures can be made outside of the award window.

    An exception to the reimbursement process is for anyone who will be using award funds for summer salary (for yourself or for hiring other students). If you will be hiring students to do work on your project, or requesting summer salary for yourself, please e-mail ovpr@nau.edu to obtain the funding information for the position.