Ben Francis research
Graduate Student Opportunities

Research Grants

Graduate research grants support Kellogg doctoral student affiliates involved in overseas (or, if demonstrably appropriate, in the United States) research in international studies addressing the thematic priorities of the Kellogg Institute.  The grant is not intended to be a substitute for seeking external support for dissertation research but instead to fill gaps in other funding or to enable exploratory trips that will strengthen students’ ability to prepare externally competitive dissertation proposals.

 

See Research Highlights

Levels of Support

Funding is available for a variety of project costs, including research materials, travel expenses, and other research-related expenses with justified relevance and importance to the project. The grants are up to $10,000. 

Applicants are required to notify the Kellogg Institute of any funding received from another source; in most cases the Institute will adjust its award.

The Bokhari Fund: this Fund provides grants of up to $4000 for the study of Islamic societies and culture, and can be devoted to research or conference travel. Please note in the first paragraph of your proposal that you are requesting support from the Bokhari Fund. Use Bokhari grants as a sole source of funding for a project, or combine them with other grants offered by the Kellogg Institute or the University of Notre Dame.  

Applicants are strongly encouraged to use the resources at the Office of Grants and Fellowships when planning to apply.


Deadlines for 2025-26

  • Tuesday, October 21, 2025
  • Tuesday, February 17, 2026

 

You can sign in to the online application system by clicking on "Sign in with Google" and use your Notre Dame credentials

To Apply

A complete application consists of the following submitted to our online application:

  • A research proposal, of not more than 3,000 words (excluding bibliography and budget), that clearly identifies:
  1. the research question to be addressed, its background, significance within the researcher's field and relation to the thematic priorities of the Kellogg Institute
  2. the international focus or dimension
  3. the research methods to be employed to answer the question
  4. the body of materials to be used
  5. a statement of the applicant's expected accomplishments during the period for which Graduate Research support is requested

Proposals that exceed the limit may be downgraded.

  • A short bibliography.
  • A detailed line-item budget (download budget template below). The Kellogg Institute will support per diems up to 50% for food of the domestic and international rates available on the State Department website at www.GSA.gov. Per diem allowance on partial days of travel (first and last days of trip) will be half the approved per diem rate.
  • Budget item(s) supporting documentation (e.g. airbnb quote)
  • An up-to-date Graduate CV
  • The name and email address for two recommenders, one from a faculty advisor and one from another faculty member; at least one must be from a Kellogg faculty fellow. Your recommenders will be sent an email with the link to upload their recommendation letter to our online system.
  • An electronic transcript. (see information regarding how to request an e-transcript.) 

Download Budget template

Eligibility

Student applicants must be in good standing in the Graduate School at the University of Notre Dame and be doctoral student affiliates of the Kellogg Institute.  Doctoral student affiliates at any stage in their doctoral program are eligible to apply.  Students applying for this award are not eligible to apply for the Institute's Dissertation Year Fellowship in the same academic year.

The selection committee will prioritize funding for Kellogg doctoral student affiliates whose research directly engages our core themes and who participate actively in the Institute’s intellectual community. Priority will also be given to proposals that show potential for external financial support, e.g., dissertation grants from foundations.

Graduate research grants are aimed at students who have not received Kellogg research funding. We will consider funding a previous holder of this grant only if the second proposal is demonstrably quite different from the first. A previous winner must include a report on the results of the earlier grant and make a convincing case that the additional research is different from, builds on, and/or advances the previously funded research.

Criteria for Evaluating Proposals
  • Quality of the proposal, including its potential for innovation, e.g., in research methodology.
  • Student's academic record
  • Relation of the research to Kellogg's priority themes of democracy and human development.
  • Potential for future support from foundations.
  • Potential for publication.
  • Budget appropriateness.

We highly recommend that applicants read the article "On the Art of Writing Proposals: Some Candid Suggestions for Applicants to JCLAS Competitions" by Adam Przeworski and Frank Salomon. Copies are available in the office of the Program Coordinator. or online.

If you have any questions, please contact:

Lupe Ramírez
Senior Program Manager of Visiting Fellowships and Graduate Student Affairs
Kellogg Institute, 1130 Jenkins Nanovic Halls
574.631.6773
Email: gramirez@nd.edu

Research Involving Human Subjects

Any research or experimentation involving human subjects must be approved by the Human Subjects Institutional Review Board (HSIRB). Please visit http://or.nd.edu/research-compliance/ for information regarding policies and procedures.

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