Grants and Writing Resources for Florida State University

Three juniors and a sophomore at Florida State were named 2026 Barry Goldwater Scholars in April, the first time four FSU students have received the scholarship in the same year. Two of them study computational science, one alongside applied mathematics. The other two major in exercise physiology and in statistics. Three of the four credit the Office of National Fellowships with help on their applications.

Summer Grants and Spring Posters

The Center for Undergraduate Research and Academic Engagement (CRE) awards IDEA Grants for summer research, creative work and new ventures. A student in any major can apply with a supervising professor, and the summer stipend runs up to $4,000, or up to $6,000 for a group. The money can go to living expenses, materials, lost summer income and travel. Projects last 8 to 12 weeks and end in an oral, poster or creative presentation at the fall President's Showcase of Undergraduate Research Excellence in the Student Union. Donor-funded awards in the program include the Lisa Scott Award for first-generation students and the Tyler Center Research Award for projects outside the U.S.

First- and second-year students start earlier through the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program. UROP students put 5 to 10 hours a week into a faculty member's or graduate student's project and meet twice a month in a colloquium led by a UROP Student Leader. They then present at the spring Undergraduate Research Symposium, which the CRE describes as FSU's only all-campus interdisciplinary showcase of undergraduate research.

The Owl and Honors Theses

The Owl publishes original research by FSU undergraduates in any discipline. It takes term papers, directed independent study projects, Honors in the Major theses, IDEA Grant projects and research-based creative work. Submissions are read on a rolling basis, issues appear each spring, and there are no submission or publication fees. The CRE and the Student Government Association support the journal, and University Libraries hosts it.

Any student officially admitted to a major can join Honors in the Major and write an original thesis or complete a creative research project, followed by a defense. Finished honors theses sit in the Undergraduate Honors Theses collection of the FSU Research Repository.

Graduate Fellowships and Awards

The Graduate School's fellowships for incoming students include the Legacy Fellowship, a $10,000 supplement each academic year to a required 0.5 FTE assistantship. It runs up to five continuous years for newly admitted doctoral students and up to three for qualifying MFA students. Former McNair Scholars can receive the McNair Scholars Fellowship, a $10,000 supplement to a 0.25 FTE assistantship.

Doctoral students already enrolled can apply for the Dissertation Research Grant, which in the fall 2026 cycle pays up to $1,000 toward the expenses of dissertation research, in tiers set by the review committee's rankings. The application takes a CV and a statement form from the major professor. Among the student awards and grants, the 2026 Graduate Student Research and Creativity Award gave $1,000 each to two students in each of three areas: natural and physical sciences, social and behavioral sciences, and humanities and arts. Winners are honored at the April Celebration of Graduate Student Excellence.

The Three Minute Thesis competition gives each speaker three minutes and one static slide, and its winners represent FSU at regional and national competitions. For outside funding, the Office of Graduate Fellowships and Awards meets with students one on one, reviews application materials and runs workshops.

Writing Help and Manuscript Clearance

The Reading-Writing Center works with FSU students of all majors, in person or on Zoom, from brainstorming through revision. Its consultants are undergraduate and graduate students who act as a practice audience and teach strategies for editing. Personal statements, conference articles and thesis or dissertation sections are all on its list. The Digital Studio helps with research posters and presentation design.

Theses, treatises and dissertations pass through the Graduate School's Manuscript Clearance Office, which publishes formatting guidelines and Word and LaTeX templates on its thesis, treatise and dissertation pages. All submissions go through the ProQuest ETD Administrator. The submission process asks for an initial format review of a manuscript at least 90 percent complete, ideally sent when the draft goes to the committee before the defense, and two or three rounds of formatting revisions are typical. An embargo starts at 24 months on ProQuest and in the FSU Digital Repository, and the Dean may grant up to two more 24-month extensions.

Before a manuscript goes to the clearance office or a paper goes to The Owl, our editors can give it a final edit for grammar, consistency and format. See our Florida State University dissertation and thesis editing and Florida State University essay editing pages, or write to editors@editorsforstudents.com.

From Our Writing Guides

• How to Write an Analytical Essay: Analysis vs. Interpretation
• Writing the Abstract and Title: First Impressions Matter
• ProQuest Readiness: The Final Mechanical Audit