Grants Management Services

A key part of career development in science is learning how to apply for and obtain grants and fellowships. DBBS provides assistance with managing fellowships and grant applications for students, including support during the application process, assistance navigating University grant protocols, and help with the management of merit and other awards. As a result, DBBS students are very successful in obtaining nationally competitive fellowships. Additionally, award recipients who obtain competitive external fellowships or scholarships may be eligible for an internal merit award.

Merit awards

Any DBBS student who obtains competitive external fellowship or scholarship awards providing a minimum annual stipend ($27,144 effective January 2024; subject to change annually) is eligible to receive an annual $5,000 merit award (paid by the student’s advisor) for the duration of the fellowship, provided they remain in good academic standing. At the end of the fellowship, the stipend amount will revert to the current DBBS stipend.​

ISF Merit Award

Current international DBBS students, who are ineligible for NIH/NSF and other external grants, are invited to apply for the DBBS International Student Fellowship (ISF) merit award. The ISF is open to international students in their early training who have completed the thesis proposal and grants two Fellows an annual $5,000 merit award for two years, supplementing the base annual stipend. Fellows also sit on the review panel to select the next year’s recipients.

ISF Eligibility
  • Current DBBS PhD or MSTP student in early training (not beyond GR4)
  • Must have completed thesis proposal
  • Must be an international student (i.e., not a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident of the U.S.), who is ineligible for NIH or NSF fellowships
ISF Application materials
  • Research proposal in the form of an NIH pre-doctoral proposal research plan
  • Research proposal abstract describing how research supports and contributes to developing and improving interdisciplinary research at DBBS
    • 250 word limit
  • BioSketch (how to create an NIH biosketch)
  • Reference Letter(s)
    • maximum of two (2) letters
    • letters should be from WUSTL faculty that address merit of the applicant and cite quality of applicant’s research
    • faculty must submit letters directly to fellowship manager Julianne Mason
ISF Submission and deadlines

Application Deadline: April 30, 2024

Applications must be complete and submitted on or before the deadline. Notification of awards will be made in June.

Apply for DBBS International Student Fellowship