Grants and Writing Resources for Southern Methodist University
SMU Mock Trial opened its invitational season with two tournaments in October 2026. At the Rice Bowl Invitational in Houston, one SMU team finished undefeated at 8-0. A first-year student competing for the first time won an Outstanding Witness award there with perfect 20/20 rankings.
Presenting and Publishing Research
SMU's spring showcase is Research and Innovation Week. The Office of Engaged Learning runs an Undergraduate Research Showcase, and the Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies holds graduate poster sessions, one for Dedman College students and one for other graduate programs and postdoctoral scholars. In the fall, students in programs such as the Engaged Learning Fellowship, Hamilton Scholars and McNair Scholars are invited to the Fall Research Symposium, a small conference of 10-minute talks.
Finished projects can go to the SMU Journal of Undergraduate Research (JoUR), which appears in print and on SMU Scholar and reached Volume 9, Issue 2 in 2026. Authors work with a faculty mentor and go through peer review. The journal takes scientific research, engineering design, archival research, policy analysis and performance-based projects.
Undergraduate Research Funding
The Engaged Learning Fellowship gives up to $2,500 for a capstone-level project in research, service or creative work. A fellow needs a faculty mentor, must apply at least one term before graduating, and gets one fellowship only. The project title goes on the transcript and in the commencement booklet. Fellows present the work in public and turn in a final product, such as a research paper or a film with an accompanying essay.
Students who would rather join a professor's project can look for an Undergraduate Research Assistantship. Faculty recruit these assistants directly, and the Office of Engaged Learning matches half the wages, up to $1,500 per assistant for the year. About 100 are hired annually. For national awards such as the Goldwater, Truman, Marshall and Fulbright, the Office of National Undergraduate Fellowships holds information sessions and works with applicants one on one.
Graduate Fellowships and Travel
Doctoral students in the writing phase can be nominated by their departments for two kinds of dissertation fellowships. A Moody Dissertation Fellowship pays a $31,500 stipend for one year, along with a tuition waiver and health insurance. A Dean's Dissertation Fellowship carries the same waiver and insurance and a stipend equal to the department's standard Ph.D. stipend. Either way, the student must finish and defend during the fellowship year. Dedman College graduate students can also apply to the Graduate Student Assembly for thesis- and dissertation-related costs, including conference presentations and journal subscriptions.
The Moody School's Graduate Student Travel Grant covers up to $750 for presenting an accepted paper, poster, creative project or performance. The department chair and graduate advisor sponsor the request, it has to come in before the trip, and each student gets one grant per academic year.
Writing Centers and the Thesis Deposit
Undergraduates book sessions with the Writing Center in the Altshuler Learning Enhancement Center, on the fourth floor of the Blanton Student Services Building. Tutors there help with research, critical reading, building an argument and revising drafts.
Master's and doctoral students in Dedman College and the Lyle, Meadows and Simmons Schools use the Graduate Writing Center. Ph.D. students trained as consultants hold 30-minute sessions in Moody Hall or on Zoom, and international students can book ESL consultations. Bring 10 to 15 pages for big-picture feedback, or up to five for detailed copyediting.
The Moody School's Dissertation and Thesis Guide page has the formatting guide, Word and LaTeX templates, and accessibility instructions that are now required. Finished theses and dissertations are uploaded to SMU Scholar, the repository SMU Libraries manages with the Moody School and the Office of Information Technology.
Before a JoUR submission or a dissertation goes to SMU Scholar, our editors can give it a final edit for grammar, consistency and format. See our Southern Methodist University dissertation and thesis editing and Southern Methodist University essay editing pages, or write to editors@editorsforstudents.com.
From Our Writing Guides
Compiled by James Peterson Brown, PhD, Managing Editor of Editors For Students. Links checked October 2026.
Editors For Students is an independent editorial service and is not affiliated with Southern Methodist University, and your faculty may endorse our services individually. We look forward to helping you bring your SMU writing to its strongest, submission-ready form.