Note that additional funding opportunities for graduate students are available through the Graduate School Fellowship Office, individual departments, and academic programs.
CBS-wide fellowships (Cedar Creek, Itasca, Pletcher)
Cedar Creek Summer Fellowships
Applications are invited from graduate student researchers at any stage of a graduate program. Funding is available for up to six summer Fellowships at 25% effort (10 hours per week). Requests for half-time appointments will also be considered. Graduate Fellows are strongly encouraged to live on-site because this helps build the CCESR research community. Free on-site summer housing will be provided to all Graduate Fellows. Administered by Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve
Itasca Graduate Research Fellowship
Robert Megard, a professor in the Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior from 1962 until his retirement in 2006, taught field biology classes and conducted limnology research at Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories. Roberta Megard, a former member of the St. Paul City Council, often accompanied him. Their fellowship supports graduate students who conduct research at Itasca. Administered by the College of Biological Sciences and Itasca Biological Station and Laboratories
Itasca Seed-to-Root Research Fellowships
Short-term 'seed' grants to spark science, facilitating preliminary, higher risk efforts focused in up-and-coming creative spaces (e.g., techniques, emerging theory). Seed-to-Root grants target new investments at IBSL, combining funding, support, and flexibility to encourage science to take root.
Carol H. and Wayne A. Pletcher Fellowship
Carol Pletcher earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the College of Biological Sciences in 1979 and went on to a successful career at Cargill, where she ultimately became a vice president. Wayne Pletcher spent most of his career working as a research scientist and executive for 3M. Their fellowship supports outstanding students pursing doctoral studies at the College of Biological Sciences. Administered by the College of Biological Sciences Dean's Office
Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics fellowships
Victor A. Bloomfield Fellowship
Vic Bloomfield has been a faculty member in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics department since 1970 and has served in a variety of leadership roles, including department chair, vice provost for research, associate dean, and interim dean of the graduate school and associate vice president for public engagement. He created this endowed fund to attract and retain highly talented graduate students who conduct research in structural biology or biophysics. Administered by the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
Paul D. Boyer and James B. Peter Postdoctoral Award in Biochemistry
Established in 1998 by Nobel Laureate Paul Boyer and his former University of Minnesota students, this award recognizes James B. Peter, an outstanding post-doctoral researcher in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics. Boyer, who was a biochemistry faculty member from 1945 to 63, won the 1997 Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Administered by the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
Ross A. Gortner Fellowship
Ross Gortner was chairman of the Department of Agricultural Biochemistry at the University of Minnesota from 1917 to 1942. Gortner Laboratories, constructed on the St. Paul campus in 1967, was named in his honor. Gortner’s former students created this fellowship to support outstanding graduate students in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics. Administered by the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
Arnold H. Johnson Doctoral Fellowship
This fellowship honors the memory of Arnold H. Johnson, who earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Minnesota in the 1920s and went on to a distinguished career in nutrition and food technology. It is awarded to graduate students in the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics who pursue research in nutrition and related areas. Administered by the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
Thomas S. Reid Award for Biochemistry
Thomas Reid, who earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry at the University of Minnesota in 1943, was instrumental in leading 3M into the pharmaceutical and dentistry businesses. This award funds a graduate student whose research has applications beyond the academic community. Administered by the Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
Thomas S. Reid Fellowship
Reid created this endowed fund to attract and retain highly talented students for the Biochemistry, Molecular Biology and Biophysics Graduate Program. The fellowship provides up to five years of funding for students who meet academic standards. Administered by the department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Biophysics
Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior fellowships
Richard and Judi Huempfner Ruffled Grouse, Woodcock and Avian Research Fellowship
Richard Huempfner, who earned an M.S. in ecology from CBS in 1981, is vice president of Advanced Telemetry Systems, located in Isanti, Minnesota. The company was founded by researchers who developed radio-tracking at Cedar Creek Ecosystem Science Reserve during the 1960s. This successful business now provides radiotracking technology for clients around the world. Richard and Judi Huempfner established this fellowship to support the work of graduate or undergraduate students who conduct applied research on upland game birds. Administered by the Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior
Moos Graduate Research Fellowships in Aquatic Biology
This fellowship will enable the recipient to undertake unique research activities focused on understanding and developing sustainable use of freshwater. Each proposal must also include an outreach component that identifies how the findings will be disseminated to the general public. Learn more.
Florence Rothman Fellowship
Russell Rothman, who earned an M.S. degree in behavioral ecology at the College of Biological Sciences in 1977, created this fund to honor the memory of his mother, Florence Rothman, who inspired his interest in nature. It supports students in ecology, evolution and behavior and at the Bell Museum of Natural History, where Russell Rothman studied wolves under the guidance of Elmer Birney, former curator of mammals. Administered by the Bell Museum of Natural History