Each year the Odum School of Ecology and UGA River Basin Center award research assistantships to incoming M.S. students in Ecology. The assistantship provides funding for five consecutive semesters (fall of the first year through spring of the second year) at 50% time. Nominations are sought from members of the graduate program faculty of the Odum School of Ecology, based on the pool of candidates offered admission to the program. Students applying for admission do not have to provide any additional application materials to be considered for a Butler Fellowship. Applicants should be interested in conducting applied research or policy analysis in the southeastern U.S.

Butler Fellows: Rachel Katz (2007-2009), Danyel Addes (2010-2012), Kelly Robinson (2011-2013), Catherine Bartenstein (2012-2014), Laura Keys (2013-2015), Laura Early (2014-2016), Philipp Nussbaum (2015-2017), Rick Bauer (2016-2018), Carol Yang (2017-2019), Laura Rack (2018-2020), Will White (2019-2021), Anna Baynes (2020-2022), Shelby Bauer (2021-2023), Carleisha Hanns (2022-2024), Jonathan Parrish (2023-2025), and Mackenzi Hallmark (2024-2026).

Each year the Odum School of Ecology and UGA River Basin Center award research assistantships to incoming M.S. students in Ecology. The assistantship provides funding for five consecutive semesters (fall of the first year through spring of the second year) at 4/9 time. Nominations are sought from members of the graduate program faculty of the Odum School of Ecology, based on the pool of candidates offered admission to the program. Students applying for admission do not have to provide any additional application materials to be considered for the fellowship. Applicants should be interested in pursuing a career in management and conservation of freshwater ecosystems (including rivers, streams and wetlands). Candidates are judged partly on academic qualifications and partly on their enthusiasm, energy and passion for freshwater conservation, as expressed in their application essay.

John Spencer Fellows: Emily Johnson (2016–2018), Zach Butler (2017-2019), Talia Levine (2019-2020), Kyle Connelly (2019-2021), Andrew Nagy (2020-2022), Fabiola Lopez-Avila (2021-2023), Jasmine Longmire (2022-2024), Carlos Vargas (2023-2025), and Justin Jimawo and Valeria Aspinall (2024-2026).

 John Spencer Fellows at Ichauway: Bell Scherick (2025-2027).

The nomination packet should include:

1. A nomination letter (no longer than two pages) written by the student’s major professor (which should also confirm that the student has advanced to candidacy);
2. A research statement written by the student (no longer than two pages; references are included in the two-page limit);
3. A current CV for the student (no longer than two pages).

A committee of faculty from the Odum School of Ecology and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences will select the winner from the nominations. No committee member will have their own student under consideration. There will be one award of $5,000. The funds may be used to support education, living and/or research expenses. The fellowship may be renewable.

Each nomination should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Sharitz-Hatfield.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.

Sharitz-Hatfield Fellows: Emily Bertucci (2020), Samantha Bock (2021), Patrick Smallwood (2022), Mia Rochford (2023), Chris Smaga (2024), and Kiersten Nelson (2025).

The nomination packet should include:

1. A nomination letter (no longer than two pages) written by the student’s major professor (which should also confirm that the student has advanced to candidacy);
2. A research statement written by the student (no longer than two pages; references are included in the two-page limit);
3. A current CV for the student (no longer than two pages).

A committee of faculty from the Odum School of Ecology will select the winner from the nominations. No committee member will have their own student under consideration. There will be one award of $4,000. The funds may be used to support education, living and/or research expenses. The fellowship may be renewable.

Each nomination should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Owens.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.

The nomination packet should include:

1. A nomination letter (no longer than two pages) written by the student’s major professor (which should also confirm that the student has advanced to candidacy);
2. A research statement written by the student (no longer than two pages; references are included in the two-page limit);
3. A current CV for the student (no longer than two pages).

A committee of faculty from the Odum School of Ecology will select the winner from the nominations. No committee member will have their own student under consideration. There will be one award of $4,000. The funds may be used to support education, living and/or research expenses. The fellowship may be renewable.

Each nomination should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Speir.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.

The application packet should be compacted into one PDF document and include:

1. Application form: Golley Memorial Scholarship
2. Application essay
3. Current CV (no longer than two pages)
4. Faculty recommendation letter

Graduate students in an Odum School of Ecology (master’s or doctorate) with good academic standing (3.0 grade point average or above) are eligible to apply. Applicants should preferably have demonstrated leadership qualities

Each application should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Golley.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.

Golley Memorial Scholars: Kimmy Kellett (2014), Kaitlin Farrell (2015), Wes Flynn (2016), Cecilia Sánchez (2017), Kelsey Solomon (2018), Dessa Dunn (2020), Caitlin Conn (2021), Carolyn Cummins (2022), Jasmine Longmire and Daniel Suh (2023), Christian Brown and Alyssa Quan (2024), and Charlotte Hovland and Kiersten Nelson (2025).

The application should be compacted into one PDF document and include:

1. One-page (single-spaced) description of the student’s proposed research
2. Current CV (no longer than two pages)
3. Statement highlighting your need for scholarship support to pursue graduate studies at the Odum School of Ecology.

Upon accepting this scholarship, the recipient will be expected to send a thank you letter to the donor acknowledging their acceptance and appreciation of this award. The Graduate Program Committee will review all applications and make the final decision.

Each application should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Opportunities.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.

Previous scholarship recipients: Dexter Strother (2013), Joseph Colbert (2014), Cecilia Sánchez (2015), Anya Brown (2016), Keysa Rosas-Rodriguez (2017), Kaylee Arnold (2018), David Vasquez Jr. (2019), Talia Levine (2020), Laura Kojima and Akanksha Sharma (2021), Jordan Argrett (2022), Viviana Bravo and Anuja Mital (2023), Supraja Rajagopal (2024), and Alyssa Quan (2025).

The application should be compacted into one PDF document and include:

1. One-page explanation of the request, including its importance, its relevance to your degree and professional development
2. Budget and budget justification;
3. Current CV (no longer than two pages)

Graduate students in an Odum School of Ecology (master’s or doctorate) with good academic standing (3.0 grade point average or above) are eligible to apply.

Each application should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Meyer-Helfman.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.

Meyer-Helfman Travel Scholars: David Manning and Kaitlin Farrell (2014), David Manning (2015), Katie Brownson (2016), Kaitlin Farrell and Chao Song (2017), Edward Stowe (2019), Laura Naslund and Alyssa Quan (2023), Phillip Bumpers and Laura Rack (2024), and Kelly Mayes and Carlos Vargas (2025).

The nomination packet should include:

1. A nomination letter (no longer than two pages) written by the student’s major professor (which should also confirm that the student has advanced to candidacy);
2. A research statement written by the student (no longer than two pages; references are included in the two-page limit);
3. A current CV for the student (no longer than two pages).

A committee of faculty from the Odum School of Ecology and the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences will select the winner from the nominations. No committee member will have their own student under consideration.

Each nomination should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Sharitz-Hatfield.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.

Applications should include:

1. A one-page (single-spaced) description of the student’s proposed research
2. Current CV (no longer than two pages)
3. Budget, detailing intended use of the scholarship funds, how they fit in with other, non-Sheldon expenses, and how other costs will be met
4. A statement from the student’s advisor confirming that other grant funds are unavailable to support the proposed work (this is not a letter of recommendation; please emphasize this to your advisor). This letter should be included in the application and should not be sent separately.

Each application should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Sheldon.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.

Sheldon Memorial Scholars: Sara Heisel (2014), Cara Love (2015), Molly Fisher (2016), Lexi Kenna (2020), Andrew Nagy (2021), Bryson Hilburn (2024), and Alyssa Quan (2025).

The application should be compacted into one PDF document and include:

1. One-page (single-spaced) description of the student’s proposed research
2. Current CV (no longer than two pages)
3. Statement highlighting your need for scholarship support to pursue herpetology field research.

Upon accepting this scholarship, the recipient will be expected to send a letter to the donor, copying the Dean of the Odum School, acknowledging their appreciation of the scholarship and sharing how funding with advance the student’s planned research in herpetology.

Each application should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Gibbons.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.021), Bryson Hilburn (2024), and Alyssa Quan (2025).ubmit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.

To apply, students must submit the following items:

1. A brief statement (300 words or less) explaining their need for and anticipated use of this scholarship
2. Current CV (no longer than two pages)

Each application should be submitted via the Odum Greenlight Application Form. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1.

The application should be compacted into one PDF document and include:

1. A one-page cover letter articulating the importance of the research and its impact on the discipline
2. The paper
3. Documentation of acceptance, if the paper is in press
4. A Current CV (no longer than two pages)

Each application should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Paper.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.

Previous winners: Tad Dallas (2014), Dara Satterfield (2015), Daniel Becker (2015 and 2016), Jeffrey Minucci (2017), John Vinson (2017), Chao Song (2018), Claire Teitelbaum (2019), Ania Majewska (2020), Annakate Schatz (2021), Dessa Dunn Benson (2022), Nathan Tomczyk (2023), Samantha Bock (2024), and T.J. Odom (2025).

The nomination packet should include:

1. A nomination letter from any faculty member that provides specific and detailed rationale for why the student should receive the award
2. A current CV for the student (no longer than two pages)
3. A supporting letter(s) from instructor(s) in charge of course(s) taught during the prior calendar year (spring, summer or fall)

Each nomination should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Teaching.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the director of graduate studies AND graduate program administrator.

Previous winners: Kristy McDowell (2014); Jenna Malek (2015); Kaitlin Farrell (2016); Elise Krueger (2017); Ania Majewska (2018); Kelsey Solomon (2020); Dessa Dunn, Nate Tomczyk and Carol Yang (2021); Carolyn Cummins (2022); and Katie Shroeder (2025).

The nomination packet should include:

1. A letter including a specific and detailed statement of why a student or staff member should receive the award
2. A copy of the work product (thesis, publication, slide show, etc.) that is proposed to be recognized.

The award will be judged on the basis of application of ecological principles, excellence of work product, professionalism, actual and potential impact, and level of effort.

Each nomination should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Policy.pdf. Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the graduate program advisor AND graduate coordinator.

Previous winners: Katherine Edmonds (2011); Shannon Bonney (2013); Zachary Butler (2018); Megan Hopson (2019); Carolyn Cummins, Laura Naslund and Nathan Tomczyk (2023), and Laura Rack (2025).

The application should be compacted into one PDF document and include:

1. Proposal including name, major, year of study and faculty advisor’s name
2. 300-word description of the student’s research (including goals, predictions and methods)
3. Budget indicating how the funds will be spent

Funds will be processed as a scholarship, and a half-page report detailing the research performed will be due within six months of the award date.

Each application should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-Horseshoe-Bend.pdf. Submit entries for spring awards by April 1 and for fall awards by October 1. Applications should be sent to Scott Carver ([email protected]), to the attention of the Odum School of Ecology Facilities Committee.

Previous winners: Doreen Chaussadas (2021), and Christian Brown and Josiah Kaderis (2025).019); Carolyn Cummins, Laura Naslund and Nathan Tomczyk (2023), and Laura Rack (2025).

The Odum School of Ecology Graduate Program Committee expects proposals to be of the highest quality. We encourage proposals to be well developed and to have been extensively reviewed and revised prior to submission based upon feedback from peers and advisors – this is particularly true for the large grants.

Download this information: Odum Graduate Student Research Grants

Format and requirements: Proposals should be single-spaced, using at least an 11-point font and 1-inch page margins and submitted as a single PDF. 

• For “large” grants, the page length of the proposal narrative shall be up to three pages
• For “small” grants, the page length of the proposal narrative shall be up to one page

Proposals should include:

1. Title page (< 1 page): Title of proposal, name of applicant, name of advisor(s), total budget, small or large grant submission.
2. Main Proposal (< 3 pages for large grants; < 1 page for small grants): Please include the following sections:
   • Introduction: Provide background information needed to understand and motivate problem and proposed research. Proposals should communicate the significance of the proposed work in language that is clear to scholars in other specialties besides your own, but still provide enough detail to permit technical evaluation by those more familiar with the subject.
   • Statement of the problem: What questions and/or hypotheses will you address in your research?  What is the significance of this work (if not already articulated in the Introduction).
   • Research plan/methodology: What is the study design?  What data do you plan to collect and how? How will the data be used to address the problem?  Justify why you have chosen your particular study site / organisms if applicable.
   • Relationship to your thesis/dissertation: How does this research fit into your overall thesis/dissertation project?  Provide a timetable for this project and the completion of your thesis/dissertation.
3. References (no limit).
4. Budget (< 1 page): Provide a detailed budget that is broken out by fiscal year (fiscal years end on June 30th). Clearly indicate which funds are requested for the current fiscal year; and which are requested for the upcoming fiscal year. If your grant is approved, funds will be allocated by fiscal year, and must be spent in the designated fiscal year. Other funding. What other funds are available to defray these costs? If your advisor has funds for research in this area, explain what they are contributing and why additional funds are needed. If you advisor has no funds, state this. Do you have other proposals pending or planned (what other attempts at funding have you made)? Budget justification: Provide justification for the requested funds.
5. Other information (< 1 page).
   • Previous support: What other research funds have you received from OSE? Describe how those funds were used and what you accomplished (including publications and talks).
   • Certification: Include the following statement at the end of your document: “I certify that the above information is accurate and that my advisor has seen and approved the submission of this proposal”.
6. CV (< 2 pages).

Evaluation: The Graduate Program Committee will consider the following aspects in evaluating proposals (although evaluations are not limited to these criteria):

1. General: Have the guidelines above been followed? Has the student made good use of prior funds, if applicable? Has the student made good progress in their program, as evidenced by the CV?
2. Significance: Is the importance of the project made clear? Has the proposal developed a compelling motivation for the proposed work and is the project appropriate to the student’s thesis/dissertation? Will completion of the proposed work facilitate the thesis/dissertation?
3. Design: Are the objectives clearly defined and the central question(s) clearly identified? Does the student have the necessary background or expertise, and is this demonstrated in the proposal? Is the suggested timetable realistic?
4. Budget: Are all requested items necessary? Has the possibility of using equipment elsewhere on campus been explored?

Allocation of funds: Funds are limited and we may not be able to make awards to all deserving proposals.  In some years, all available funds may not be allocated, depending on the quality and number of meritorious submissions.  Partial funding may be provided.  All funds that are awarded must be spent by the end of the next fiscal year, and as laid out in the submitted budget.  The OSE Business Office can assist with questions about allowable expenses, and how to make purchases and obtain reimbursements.

Notification: All applicants (and their advisor(s)) will be notified of the funding decision via email no later than March 15th.

Appeals: All decisions of the GPC are final and may not be appealed.  Unsuccessful proposals may be revised and resubmitted the following year.

Each application should be submitted as a single PDF, with the naming convention: StudentLastName-SmallGrant.pdf (for small grants) and StudentLastName-LargeGrant.pdf (for large grants). Submit entries by 11:59 p.m. on March 1 to the graduate program advisor AND graduate coordinator.