Summer 2026 OGFA Newsletter

Summer is all about planning, drafting, and preparing for fall fellowship submissions! Connect with OGFA this summer as we offer two multi-day workshop series aimed at helping you get started, wherever you are in your graduate and funding journey. Our Three-Day Finding Funding Workshop provides an overview of the external funding process, including how awards work, what the typical application components are, and best practices for application writing. Day two is devoted to in-depth guidance on how to use funding databases and resources to identify good fit funding opportunities. For students who have already identified a fellowship they plan to apply to in the fall or spring, our Four-Part Application Writing Workshop provides structured exercises and a collaborative, supportive place to get started generating content for a competitive funding proposal.

Beyond these workshops, OGFA is always eager to connect to support you in your pursuit of external funding. Check out the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards Let’s Meet webpage for more information on how to jumpstart your fellowships and awards journey.

We want to know if you've won an external fellowship of grant! If you were awarded an external fellowship or grant to support your graduate education for the current academic year or for the next academic year, submit your award information here so we can recognize you!

Funding applications are time-consuming. They often require multiple written components needing multiple rounds of drafting, revising, and rewriting. They also require coordinating with recommenders, organizing supplemental materials, and filling out online forms. And, of course, you're working on the application on top of everything else you have to do as a student and person! In short, successful funding applications require time and energy, and they can sometimes feel like quite an obstacle.

At the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards, we encourage you to start working on funding applications early, eight weeks or so before a deadline, to give yourself plenty of time and space to produce a strong, polished application. Managing both your time and your energy is also a valuable skill that will aid you in your pursuit of external funding.

This edition of our Fellowship Pro-tip comes from our colleagues at the Graduate Student Resource Center (GSRC), who provide a workshop on managing your time and energy. Below, Leeza Wagner, program coordinator with the GSRC, shares some advice on how to manage your energy to make the most of your time. Remember, graduate school is a marathon, not a sprint!

How often do you find yourself thinking: “I wish I had more hours in the day!”

But what if I told you that what you actually need is more energy? If you’ve ever stared at your planner with zero motivation, you’ve already learned the secret: productivity isn’t just about scheduling.

Time is fixed, but energy is renewable, and this small shift changes everything. When you’re running low, even “easy” tasks feel heavy; when you’re energized, you can do more in less time with better results.

Energy comes in waves—it’s not a straight line. We naturally alternate between periods of focused effort and genuine recovery, so it’s important to account for these energy fluctuations when planning your day. Start by tracking your energy levels throughout the day: when do you feel low on physical energy? When does your mental energy need a boost?

Once you identify these patterns, incorporate small “rituals” into your schedule to support your energy. Protect your physical battery by scheduling regular meals, breaks, and movement. Refuel emotionally by spending time with people or activities you love. Sharpen mental energy by reducing distractions and using focus rituals, like batching emails or working in Pomodoro-style sprints. Recharge spiritual energy by making space for what matters most to you.

Then, schedule your hardest work during your high-energy windows, and save low-focus tasks, like email, light reading, or chores, for natural dips. Your calendar shouldn’t just hold tasks; it should protect your energy so you can sustain both your work and your wellbeing.

Graduate Students in the News

FSU’s Three Minute Thesis competition highlights graduate research across disciplines, sharpens communication skills

Thirteen Florida State University graduate students distilled years of research into just three minutes at the annual Three Minute Thesis (3MT™) competition on April 8 in the College of Medicine Peaden Auditorium. The brief time limit to explain complex work to a non-specialized audience encourages participants to consolidate and crystallize their research ideas. Read more.

Musicology graduate finds community in Colombia through Fulbright English Teaching Assistant Award

As a universal language, music often has the power to connect people across borders. Recent Florida State University graduate Amelia Rivers is advancing that idea in Rionegro, Colombia, where she’s using education and the arts to build intercultural community as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant. Read more.

FSU’s Celebration of Graduate Student Excellence touts impressive year of national fellowships and grants

Florida State University recognized graduate student achievement and leadership at the Celebration of Graduate Student Excellence, sponsored by The Graduate School and the Congress of Graduate Students, on April 6 at the FSU Alumni Center. “Florida State has attracted some of the top graduate students from Florida, from around the United States and from around the world,” said Steve McDowell, interim dean of The Graduate School. Read more.

FSU student earns American Heart Association Predoctoral Fellowship

Exercise physiology doctoral candidate Thomas Bissen received the highly competitive national award that supports promising doctoral students pursuing innovative cardiovascular research. The fellowship provides funding and advanced training opportunities, allowing early career scientists to focus more deeply on their research while preparing to become leaders in improving heart health and overall well-being. Read more.

If you are a current FSU student, please register with your FSU email.

Funding Your Graduate Education: Database Search
Monthly Intro Meetings provide an introduction to OGFA and external funding for your graduate education. These small group meetings assist graduate students with navigating award databases to identify fellowships and awards that are a good "fit" to support their graduate education. All Intro Meetings take place via Zoom.

Wednesday May 27 | 10 am (Register Here)
Tuesday June 30 | 10 am (Register Here)
Thursday July 30 | 10 am (Register Here)

Three-Day Finding Funding Workshop
June 23, 24, and 25 | 10 am to 12 pm| Zoom (Register Here)

Don't know much about the process of identifying and applying for external funding? This workshop series is for you! Over the course of three two-hour sessions, we’ll provide a broad introduction to how external funding works, how to search for good-fit funding opportunities, how to plan an application, and best practices for fellowship and grant application writing. If you can’t attend all three days, we’re happy to have you join for whichever days you can!

Day 1: Introduction to the process of finding good fit funding opportunities
Day 2: Navigating funding databases and organizing a list of awards
Day 3: Researching funding organizations and planning a funding campaign

Four-Part Application Writing Workshop
July 7, 9, 14, and 16 | 10 am to 12:30 pm | Zoom (Register Here)

This workshop series will guide participants through planning, drafting, and revising essays for submission of a competitive application for an external fellowship, grant, or award. To make the most of this workshop, participants should already have a target grant or fellowship with a fall 2026 or spring 2027 submission date. The workshop is capped at 15 participants to ensure sufficient time is dedicated to individualized feedback. Participants will be eligible to receive small research grants! Registration closes June 25.

Day 1: Plan. Research the funder and the award, review criteria, make checklist and set goals.
Day 2: Draft. Getting started with communicating your research and your fit. Thinking holistically across an application.
Day 3 & 4: Revise. Receive feedback, edit, & edit more. Set up a plan to turn what you have into a complete application.

All award titles below are hyperlinked to the award webpage.

Fulbright U.S. Student Program

The Fulbright U.S. Student Program provides opportunities to teach English, conduct independent research/creative projects, or enroll in graduate coursework in more than 150 countries around the world. It is open to graduate students in any discipline or degree program, though it is limited to U.S. citizens. FSU has an internal application process with a June 4 intent to participate deadline; contact ogfa-info@fsu.edu to learn more.

Deadline: June 4, 2026

Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Awards

Open to members of Phi Kappa Phi honor society, the Love of Learning Awards can fund expenses associated with graduate studies, including dissertation research, career development, and travel related to teaching or research. One hundred fifty-five awards, at $1,000 each, are distributed each year.

Deadline: June 30, 2026

American Academy of Underwater Sciences Research Scholarships

The American Academy of Underwater Sciences awards two $3,000 research scholarships to graduate students, one master's program student and one Ph.D. candidate, engaged in, or planning to begin, a research project in which diving is or will be used as a principal research tool or to study scientific diving. The AAUS may also award two additional $1,500 scholarships to the next two proposals that are ranked the highest.

Deadline: June 30, 2026

Paul P. Fidler Research Grant

The Paul P. Fidler Research Grant is open to those planning to conduct research on college student transitions. The comprehensive award package includes a stipend, priority consideration for publication in the Center's Journal of The First-Year Experience and Students in Transition, registration to two national conferences hosted by the Center, and more. Entries can be submitted for an individual researcher or a team. Ph.D. and Ed.D. students are strongly encouraged to apply.

Deadline: July 13, 2026

Visit Funding Booklet Collection

The work and research in action of graduate students at Florida State University broadly impacts the campus community and the world around us. OGFA initiated the Grad Impact: Digital Narratives Project to capture and amplify the lived graduate student experience at FSU. Check out some of our grad student highlights below.