Fellowships and Scholar Awards
Travel and research support
We are very proud that graduate students have access to several special funding resources and continual travel support from our endowment funds. Each year we help support travel to a professional meeting for all students. We also help support international travel once in the degree program. We have research grants for both M.S. and Ph.D. students, and we support other special initiatives, such as student-selected guest lecturers and specialty courses with distinguished guest speakers from other institutions.
The Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program offers a second (joint) Ph.D. degree with Entomology and other departments. Students are urged to consider this excellent option. In addition to department resources, the EEBB Program also funds summer research up to $1,000 and partial annual travel support to professional meetings.
The Rhodes (Gene) Thompson Memorial Fellowship
Gene Thompson, a former Acting Division Director for the Michigan Department of Agriculture, died in July 1997. In his memory, Sigurd and Sheila Nelson, close friends who knew Gene from his student days, have established a recruiting fellowship of $1,000 in support of an entomology student in applied entomology (which covers pretty much everything entomologists do).
Recipients are selected according to the following criteria:
- Be admitted with enrollment pending as a graduate student studying applied entomology.
- Have an oustanding academic record.
Application process
- Apply for graduate admission to the Department of Entomology, including a completed application for admission to graduate study, undergraduate transcripts, graduate record exam scores, a personal statement, and letters of reference.
- Submit an additional letter requesting consideration for the Rhodes (Gene) Thompson Endowed Fellowship, including a brief statement of your areas of study, and how your proposed research will contribute to the discipline of entomology.
- Completed applications are preferred by May 31st or earlier to allow full consideration for this and other awards and fellowships.
- For more information, contact the Graduate Secretary.
Applications will be reviewed, selections made, and recipients notified during spring semester. Recipients are required to write a letter of acceptance of the award to the Department of Entomology within four weeks of notification. Awards will normally be effective fall semester following selection. Fellowship recipients must be enrolled the semester in which they receive the award.
REQUIRED: The recipient must include in publications resulting from research performed during the tenure of the Fellowship, the footnote, "This research was supported in part by the Rhodes (Gene) Thompson Endowed Fellowship in Entomology."
Roger and Barbara Hoopingarner Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Entomology
This fellowship was established by Roger Hoopingarner, a faculty member of the Department for 38 years who retired in 1997. The fellowship helps support a student enrolled in the area of apiculture or honey bee science.
Recipients are selected according to the following criteria:
- Be admitted with enrollment pending as a graduate student studying apiculture or honey bee science.
- Have an outstanding academic record.
Application process
- Apply for graduate admissions to the Department of Entomology, including a completed application for admission to graduate study, undergraduate transcripts, graduate record exam scores, a personal statement, and letters of reference.
- Submit an additional letter requesting consideration for the Roger and Barbara Hoopingarner Endowed Graduate Fellowship in Entomology, including a brief statement of your areas of study, and how your proposed research will contribute to the discipline of entomology and apiculture.
- Completed applications are preferred by May 31st or earlier to allow full consideration for this and other awards and fellowships.
- For more information, contact the Graduate Secretary.
Applications are reviewed, selection made, and recipients notified during the spring semester. Recipients are required to write a letter of acceptance of the award to the Department of Entomology within four weeks of notification. Awards will normally be effective the fall semester following selection. Fellowship recipients must be enrolled the semester in which they receive the award.
REQUIRED: The recipient must include in publications resulting from research performed during the tenure of this Fellowship, the footnote, "Roger & Barbara Hoopingarner Graduate Fellow."
Mark and Kathleen "Scriber Scholar Award in Butterfly Biology and Conservation"
This award was established by Mark and Kathleen Scriber to foster continued research and/or public science education outreach in butterfly biology and conservation. Awards will normally be effective for summer or fall semester following selection. Awardees must be enrolled the semester in which they receive the award. The award will be in the form of a $1000 (or more) operating budget account in the Department of Entomology.
Recipients will be selected by these criteria:
- Must be enrolled as an undergraduate or graduate student in the Department of Entomology, Zoology, or the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and Behavior Program at Michigan State University.
- Must have an outstanding academic record.
- Quality of the student proposal and a faculty letter of recommendation/nomination.
Application process
Submit a short proposal including a statement of how your proposed research will contribute to research and/or outreach in butterfly biology and conservation. The budget may include travel support for research and meetings, operating, hourly labor assistance and supplies. These funds cannot be used for the purchasing equipment such as computers, cameras, etc. or for the awardees salary.
1) Submit two copies plus original of the proposal including:
a. Abstract (overview)
b. Introduction (statement of the purpose)
c. Objectives (general and specific)
d. Methods (approach)
e. Significance in the specific field of biology (in particular, Lepidoptera)
f. Literature Cited
g. Budget and Justification (specify what will you do with the money)
2) Letter of support/nomination from a faculty member
3) Updated curriculum Vitae
4) Transcripts
Application deadline
Completed applications are preferred by April 30 or earlier. Submit applications to: the Department of Entomology, 245 Natural Science Building, East Lansing, MI 48824. Recipients will be notified during the spring semester and are required to write a letter of acceptance within four weeks of notification.
REQUIRED: The recipient must include in publications resulting in part from this award an acknowledgement of the "Scriber Scholars in Butterfly Biology and Conservation." A short summary reporting on accomplishments will be filed with the Department of Entomology with a copy to Mark and Kathleen Scriber.
For more information contact the Graduate Secretary.