Grants and Writing Resources for Florida Atlantic University

In April 2026 two FAU undergraduates were named Goldwater Scholars, the fifth year in a row that FAU students have won the national research award. One, a Wilkes Honors College student majoring in chemistry and biology, works on matrix metalloproteinase inhibitors for cancer and related disorders. The other is a dual-enrolled student at FAU High School, working toward a joint bachelor's and master's in mathematics, who uses dynamical systems to prove how machine-learning optimizers converge.

Grants and Summer Fellowships

The Office of Undergraduate Research and Inquiry (OURI) funds independent research and creative projects done with FAU faculty through its Undergraduate Research Grants. An honors thesis or a part of a larger ongoing study can qualify. Priority goes to teams that include a degree-seeking lower-division student, meaning a first-time-in-college freshman or sophomore or a transfer junior with an AA.

For summer, the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) sets aside $4,000 per project for ten weeks of research with a faculty mentor. Of that, $3,100 is summer support for the student and $900 pays for materials and supplies. The faculty member submits the application, and fellows present posters at the SURF Student Summer Showcase.

Where Student Work Appears

OURI's Undergraduate Research Symposium takes place in April on the Boca Raton campus, and the 2027 event will be the 17th. Oral presenters get eight minutes and two more for questions. First-place winners in the oral and performing arts category are eligible for a cash award from Dr. Eric H. Shaw, emeritus professor in the College of Business. Each year one student from each college is named Undergraduate Researcher of the Year, which carries a $500 stipend and a stole for graduation.

OURI also publishes the Florida Atlantic University Undergraduate Research Journal (FAURJ), an interdisciplinary, peer-reviewed annual in print and online. Volume 15 came out in spring 2026. Fiction, nonfiction, poetry, translation and visual art go to Coastlines, FAU's annual undergraduate literary magazine, founded in 1970.

Prizes and Graduate Fellowships

The Pen-to-Paper Writing Contest, funded by the Kossoff family, asks for an essay of 450 to 650 words in any style, judged in separate undergraduate and graduate categories. In 2026 the best essay in each category won a $700 scholarship prize if the category drew at least eight entries, and the first and second runners-up each won $400. Entries may not be AI-assisted.

The Graduate College lists its fellowships and awards in one place. A Thesis and Dissertation Scholarship of up to $1,500 goes to students in programs that require a thesis or dissertation. Full-time doctoral students with financial need and a 3.70 GPA can apply for the $5,000 Newell Doctoral Fellowship. New doctoral and MFA students who hold a qualifying assistantship can be chosen for the Presidential Fellowship, $5,000 a year for two years. Program admissions committees make the awards from the admission application. Graduate students also pitch their research in FAU's Three Minute Thesis competition, which held its tenth annual round in 2026 and pays scholarship prizes in the preliminary and championship rounds. For national awards such as Fulbright, Truman and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship, FAU's fellowship advisors work with undergraduates, graduate students and recent alumni through Prestigious Fellowships.

Help With Writing and Theses

The University Center for Excellence in Writing offers in-person and live online appointments at Boca Raton and Jupiter, and holds hours twice a week in the S.E. Wimberly Library. Graduate students writing a thesis or dissertation can take the Thesis and Dissertation Writer Workshop (PELS 6003), a free ten-week, in-person course run by Professional English Language Support.

The Graduate College's thesis and dissertation page sets out the steps, from a formatting review before the defense to electronic signatures after it. Students can also request a Turnitin account to check their manuscripts. FAU's Thesis and Dissertation Guidelines let a student format the manuscript or employ a skilled formatting editor. Either way, the student is responsible for clear and correct English and for meeting every requirement in the guidelines. Approved work is published through ProQuest and the library's Electronic Theses and Dissertations collection.

Before a manuscript goes to the Graduate College for format review, our editors can give it a final edit for grammar, consistency and format. See our Florida Atlantic University dissertation and thesis editing and Florida Atlantic University essay editing pages, or write to editors@editorsforstudents.com.

From Our Writing Guides

• How to Write a Personal Essay: Reflection & Growth
• Writing the Abstract and Title: First Impressions Matter
• ProQuest Readiness: The Final Mechanical Audit