Grants and Writing Resources for Mississippi State University

Three Mississippi State students were named Goldwater Scholars in March 2026: a microbiology junior, a chemical engineering sophomore and a biomedical engineering junior, all members of the Judy and Bobby Shackouls Honors College. They bring the university to 30 Goldwater recipients. It was only the third year in MSU history with three winners at once.

Where Undergraduates Present and Publish

The Spring Undergraduate Research Symposium is open to every undergraduate doing faculty-mentored research or creative work. Entries fall into eight categories, among them Humanities and a combined Arts, Music and Design category. The Shackouls Honors College hosts it with the Office of Research and Economic Development.

Students edit Endeavors: Mississippi State Undergraduate Research Journal, the university's first peer-reviewed undergraduate research journal. It takes original research, literature reviews and Honors Theses in any field, and editors from the graduate school review each submission blind. Volume 2 came out in 2026.

Research Fellowships and National Awards

Shackouls Research Fellowships pay Honors students working on projects with MSU faculty. Budgets run up to $2,000 per student for an academic term and up to $3,600 for summer, covering materials and some salary, though the college says it can rarely fund a project in full. Recipients present at the Undergraduate Research Symposium and file a report within 30 days of the funding period.

The Office of Prestigious External Scholarships coaches undergraduates, graduate students and recent alumni through applications for awards such as the Goldwater, Truman, Fulbright and the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship. Honors College membership is not required.

Graduate Travel Grants and Prizes

Master's and PhD students presenting at national or international conferences can apply for TAGGS, the Graduate School's Travel Assistance Grants for Graduate Students. The ceiling is $800 per request, with one award per student each academic year. Applicants must also take part in the Graduate Student Research Symposium, the 3MT or Image of Research in the semester they travel.

The Graduate Student Research Symposium, run with the Graduate Student Association, pays $150 for first place and $75 for second in each of five categories, for both flash talks and posters. In the 2026 Three Minute Thesis competition the Grand Champion received $400 and a place at the regional contest of the Conference of Southern Graduate Schools.

Help With Writing and Theses

The Writing Center meets students in Mitchell Memorial Library, at Templeton and online. Its consultants do not edit papers. For graduate students working on a thesis, dissertation or materials for publication, the center can arrange a professional editing match with an editor, usually a graduate student or faculty consultant, though it cannot promise a match for every project. The student and editor settle the pay and timeline between them.

The Office of Thesis and Dissertation, on the second floor of Mitchell Memorial Library, checks formatting once the committee has approved the content. It publishes standards and templates and offers formatting consultations and workshops. Finished work goes into the Theses and Dissertations collection of Scholars Junction. The repository also archives each Honors Thesis after its public defense.

Before a thesis reaches the format review, or a term paper reaches a professor, our editors can give it a final edit for grammar, consistency and format. See our Mississippi State University dissertation and thesis editing and Mississippi State University essay editing pages, or write to editors@editorsforstudents.com.

From Our Writing Guides

• The Secret to Better Grades: Starting Your Writing Process Early
• ProQuest Readiness: The Final Mechanical Audit
• From Dissertation to Publication: The Final Scholarly Synthesis