Monthly Mini-Grants

A complete mini-grant application includes:

• An itemized budget and detailed budget justification with all figures rounded to the nearest $10. To view a sample budget, please click here. Please note that the Committee expects students to put forward a plan to use the funds as effectively as possible. This often means staying in hostels, sharing hotel room, using mass transit when possible, etc. Students are also expected to see if departmental funds are available and, if available, explain how they will be used.

• A PDF of the student's unofficial academic history from Polaris.

• One letter of support from the faculty mentor.

All applications, including the faculty member’s recommendation, should be emailed to Corey Colwill ccolwill@bowdoin.edu.

The submission deadline is noon on the 15th of each month during the academic year. If the 15th falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the deadline will be extended to 8:00 a.m. on the following Monday.

• Students may only receive mini-grant funding once per semester.
• If two or more students are seeking funds for the same travel experience (e.g., attendance at a conference), the Student Fellowships Committee can support up to $2000 total (two students at $1000 each, four students at $500 each, etc.). However, it is not guaranteed that all applicants within the same travel group will receive funding.

• Some conferences require undergraduates to be accompanied by a faculty “chaperone.” If you are seeking funding for a conference with this requirement, please ensure that a Bowdoin faculty member can attend the conference before submitting your mini-grant application. If a Bowdoin faculty cannot attend as a chaperone, please select a conference that does not have this requirement.  

• If students need to purchase technical equipment (cameras, microphones, etc.) as part of their research projects, please first check with IT Loaning to see if the necessary equipment can be borrowed. If the Student Fellowships Committee approves the purchase of technical equipment, students must consign that equipment to IT Loaning once their projects are completed, so future students may benefit. Requests for personal items (laptops, phones, tablets, etc.) will not be approved.
• Mini-grant funding is not guaranteed throughout the entire academic year. The Student Fellowships Committee plans to accept applications until May, but due to varying budget constraints each year it is possible that funds will deplete earlier than expected. If students need funding for later in the spring semester, please plan ahead.

*Please also note that mini-grants do not support internships, volunteer opportunities, or pre-professional training. Funds must be used for research projects or travel associated with a research project.

The Grua/O’Connell Fund* supports faculty-mentored student research, regardless of discipline.  Awards from this fund can be used to offset student travel that will substantially enhance students’ research and to defray students’ research expenses such as purchasing of books and equipment, publishing research results, or any combination of these expenses.