Scholarships for Biology Graduate Students
The Department of Biology administers endowed awards that are exclusively for graduate students in the M.S. Program in Biology. These awards are intended to support thesis research and travel to and from field sites or scientific meetings. For a description of each award, see below.
The intention of the Biology Graduate Awards Committee is to provide financial assistance
to as many students as possible. Applicants should develop their funding requests
around 'fundable units' of $500 or less in one or more of the two categories (i.e., research, travel, or both).
A given request may include multiple fundable units, but the committee will likely
award no more than a maximum of $1,500 unless the student demonstrates a compelling need for additional awards.
How to apply: To apply for one or more Biology Graduate Student Endowed Awards, you must complete
this application available October, 2022. Only one application is required, regardless of the funding
request.
GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS
MS Biology Summer Awards - Awarded to graduate students to support summer studies. Past recipients
Sarah F. Barlow Scholarship – Awarded to a graduate teaching assistant who plans to teach at the secondary or college level. Must have one semester of experience. Past recipients
Dr. Kurt Blum Biology Scholarship – Awarded to support educational expenses, research activities, supplies, or travel for meritorious students. Preference will be given to a biology major of sophomore or above standing with an interest in botany. Past recipients
William H. Butler, Jr. Graduate Research Scholarship – Awarded to support research activities, supplies, or travel for meritorious graduate students. Past recipients
George Davis Scholarship – Awarded to support educational expenses, research activities, supplies, or travel for meritorious students. Preference will be given to a non-traditional biology major of sophomore standing or above who has been out of college for at least four years. Past recipients
Dr. John Dubois Scholarship - Awarded to undergraduate or graduate students to provide travel support for paper presentations at scientific meetings. Past recipients
Mary C. Dunn Honorarium – Awarded in support of graduate research. Past recipients
J. L. Fletcher Graduate Scholarship – Awarded to support educational expenses, research activities, supplies, or travel for meritorious graduate students. Preference will be given to a beginning biology graduate student. Past recipients
Thomas Hemmerly Graduate Student Research Assistance Scholarship – Awarded to support research activities, supplies, or travel for meritorious graduate students. Past recipients
J. Padgett Kelly Research Scholarship – Awarded to undergraduate or graduate students to support summer studies or field research in ecology or conservation biology. Award is for purchase of equipment, supplies, or support travel to and from research sites. Past recipients
Charles R. McGhee Scholarship – Awarded to support educational expenses, research activities, supplies, or travel for meritorious students. Preference will be given to a biology major of junior standing seeking licensure in secondary education. Past recipients
Brian Miller Graduate Research Scholarship - Awarded to support research of second year graduate students conducting field studies on herpetology or biospeleology in Tennessee. Award is for purchase of equipment, supplies, or to support travel to and from research sites. Past recipients
Dennis Mullen Vertebrate Biology/Aquatic Ecology Research Scholarship – Awarded to graduate students engaged in research in vertebrate biology or aquatic ecology. Award is for purchase of equipment, supplies and in support of travel to and from research sites. Past recipients
J. Gerald Parchment Biological Field Station Scholarship – Awarded to to support educational expenses, research activities, supplies, or travel for meritorious students. Preference will be given to a biology major of sophomore of above standing for summer study or academic year research. Past recipients
John A. Patten Scholarship – Awarded to support educational expenses, research activities, supplies, or travel for meritorious students. Preference will be given to a biology major of sophomore or above standing for summer study or academic year research. Past recipients
Marion Wells Scholarship – Awarded to support research activities, supplies, or travel for meritorious graduate students. Preference will be given to provide support for expenses associated with research conducted during the summer months. Past recipients
Stephen M. Wright Research Scholarship – Awarded to support any aspect associated with undergraduate or graduate research in microbiology or biotechnology. Past recipients
John Zamora Biology Scholarship - Awarded to support research activities, supplies, or travel for meritorious graduate students. Past recipients