Grants and Writing Resources for the University of Massachusetts Boston

UMass Boston's 2026 Ryan Award went to a junior, who was recognized at Convocation. First given in 1971, it goes to the student with the highest cumulative average over four semesters in residence. In September the university also reported that a master's student in Urban Planning and Community Development was one of 12 New England Council Fellows for summer 2026, placed at Freedom House to support its Summer Learning Institute for Boston teenagers.

Money for Undergraduate Research

The Office of the Vice Provost for Research runs the Undergraduate Research Funds, and a faculty committee makes the awards. In the 2025-26 cycle, grants typically ran from $500 to $1,500, with up to $2,000 considered in exceptional cases. The money can buy books, lab materials, equipment and payments to human subjects, or pay for travel to archives and research sites. It also covers lodging, transportation and registration for students whose paper or poster has been accepted at a regional or national conference.

Applicants need 60 or more credits and typically a 3.0 GPA, plus a letter from a faculty sponsor. Funds arrive as reimbursement once receipts are in. The Undergraduate Research page also lists the Beacon Student Success Fellowship for summer work.

Posters, Prizes and Honors Theses

The College of Science and Mathematics held its tenth CSM Showcase in May 2026, with 98 posters from undergraduate and graduate researchers in the Campus Center atrium. The showcase gave six student awards: Best Research, Best Design and Creativity, and Best Presentation, each at both levels.

Honors College seniors complete independent senior projects, including theses. Finished work goes into the Honors College Theses collection in ScholarWorks, the library repository.

Graduate Grants and Fellowship Advising

Doctoral students whose committees have approved the dissertation proposal can apply to the Doctoral Dissertation Research Grant Program. For the spring 2025 cycle, the maximum award was $2,000, subject to slight variation, from a $30,000 total. The same page lists the Graduate Student Assembly's grants: the Dr. Robert W. Spayne Research Grant for master's and capstone research, the Craig R. Bollinger Memorial Research Grant for doctoral work, Professional Development Grants for conferences, and the Chancellor's Distinguished Dissertation and Thesis Awards.

For outside awards, Fellowships advising works with students and alumni on applications for research, graduate study and teaching, regardless of citizenship status. The first step is an interest form, then an unofficial transcript and, if you have one, a résumé sent to fellowships@umb.edu.

Writing Center and Thesis Standards

The Writing Center books 45-minute appointments in Campus Center room 1300, at a Wheatley Hall satellite or on Zoom, with a limit of two a week. In-person drop-ins tend to run about 20 to 30 minutes. Graduate students are encouraged to book graduate consultants. The center also hosts accountability writing groups, where students in any field set goals and then work independently.

The Office of Graduate Studies publishes the thesis and dissertation standards. Its format editor checks only those standards; content, grammar, notes and bibliography format belong to the student's program. The October 2026 edition asks for Times New Roman, one-inch margins and an accessibility report showing 100% compliance. Final copies go to ScholarWorks after program approval.

Before a thesis goes to the format editor or a paper goes to a professor, our editors can check grammar, consistency and format. See our UMass Boston dissertation and thesis editing and UMass Boston essay editing pages, or write to editors@editorsforstudents.com.

From Our Writing Guides

• The Secret to Better Grades: Starting Your Writing Process Early
• The Literature Review: Avoiding Intellectual Overwhelm
• Writing the Abstract and Title: First Impressions Matter