There are several types of funding and scholarships available to Fisheries and Wildlife graduate students. Each type is administered by a different entity through Corvallis Campus. Please review the following for information on how to finance your education.
Graduate School Fellowships and Scholarships
The Graduate School offers Fellowships and Scholarships that require a nomination by the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife. Students are selected for nomination by the Department Head after a review of applications by the Department's Scholarship and Graduate Committees. For more detailed information, visit the Fellowships and Scholarships webpage (above).
For questions regarding the Graduate School Fellowships and Scholarships application process, please contact fw.gradadvising@oregonstate.edu.
College of Agricultural Sciences Scholarships
The College of Agricultural Sciences has many opportunities to help fund your education through their annual scholarship awards. Typically the deadline for scholarships is mid-February, but students can start applying mid-November by using the link above. This year the ScholarDollar application period has been extended to March 8th.
For information on how to apply, deadlines, and for any other questions please contact CAS scholarships: casstudy@oregonstate.edu or 541-737-2211.
Departmental Scholarships
These are available for current graduate students (those matriculating Winter 2021 or earlier) and will be awarded beginning Fall term 2021. Students graduating prior to Fall 2021 are not eligible. The application is available through a Qualtrics survey that will be available on February 23rd and is due April 12th, 2021 by 11:55 PM. Please do not wait until April 12th to submit you completed application as the survey will not be available after the deadline.
General
Briggs Scholarship in Biogeography – Recipients should have completed their undergraduate degree at another institution in the US or abroad. Preference to students with a strong interest in the distribution and evolution of terrestrial, freshwater, or marine organisms.
Thomas G. Scott Achievement Award - Multiple awards to outstanding M.S.students; and outstanding Ph.D.students; to recognize research potential in graduate students majoring in Fisheries and Wildlife.Two letters of reference needed.
Charles E. Warren Award for Ecology and Sustainable Societies - Preference is given to students whose research best integrates ecological and social sciences in the quest for sustainable relationships between communities and their natural resources.
Ted Thorgaard Student Research Fund - Awarded to a full-time graduate student conducting research in conservation biology. May be used for travel, supplies, or other expenses.
Coombs-Simpson Memorial Scholarship - Created to honor the memories of of Candia Coombs ('79) and Gay Simpson ('79), two outstanding alumnae of the department whose lives and bright careers were prematurely shortened. Awarded to a graduate student who is committed to increasing diversity and inclusiveness in the Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Science professions.
Santiam Fish and Game Association Endowed Scholarship Fund – First preference will be given to Linn or Benton County residents, second preference to students who are residents of any county in Oregon.
Aquatic
M.A. Ali Graduate Chair Award in Fisheries Biology - Awarded to graduate students recognized for their accomplishments in research, communication of their science, and participation in the graduate program and evidence of leadership.
David J. Ashkenas Memorial Fellowship - Awarded to graduate students whose research has an international component requiring travel abroad or an international student who wishes to complete their degree at OSU. Preference is given to students working in freshwater riparian ecosystems, followed by marine ecosystems and then by terrestrial ecosystems.
Neil Armantrout Graduate Fellowship - Awarded to a full-time graduate student conducting research on wild salmon or fisheries habitat improvement, excluding aquaculture.
H. Richard Carlson Memorial Scholarship - Awarded to a graduate student with research emphasis in marine fisheries biology. Two letters of reference needed.
Stan Gregory Stream Team Scholarship - Awarded to students whose focus/research involves stream ecology or riparian ecosystems. May be used for travel.
Oregon Council Federation of Fly Fishers Scholarship - Two awards to graduate students researching native fishes of interest to the Oregon Council.
James Sedell Graduate Award in Fisheries and Wildlife - Awarded to graduate students working on native fish conservation, aquatic habitat restoration, and landscape conservation planning. Full-time graduate students based on merit, research potential, leadership and financial need. May also be used for travel.
Washington County Flyfishers - Awarded to graduate students working on freshwater salmonid conservation or ecology with a specific interest in habitat restoration, in-stream management, and aquatic entomology.
Terrestrial
Robert Anthony Graduate Scholarship in Population Ecology, awarded to a student in Wildlife Science working on population ecology of threatened or endangered species, raptors, or predators. Preference to those with membership in a professional wildlife organization. Can be used for travel.
David B. and Georgia Leupold Marshall Wildlife Graduate Scholarship - Full-time graduate student conducting research with strong management implications for wildlife or wildlife issues of special interest. Preference is given to members of OR-TWS.
Munson Wildlife Graduate Scholarship - Awarded to a full-time wildlife graduate student with an interest in interdisciplinary natural resources management and research. Oregon resident preferred. May be used for travel, supplies, etc. (see below for how to apply).
HMSC Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards
The Hatfield Marine Science Center administers multiple scholarships, fellowships, and awards annually. Graduate students are eligible for financial support that can cover housing expenses for residency at HMSC during summer coursework, travel expenses to attend a professional conference, and projects/research that contribute to fisheries development, marine education, shellfish aquaculture, fisheries ecology and many more marine-related studies. For more information about when and how to apply, please reference the HMSC Scholarships, Fellowships, and Awards website.
Travel Awards
Departmental
Graduate students can apply for a travel award any time for expenses related to the following in priority order:
- Students doing an oral presentation of their final research at a prestigious conference.
- Students doing an oral presentation of their research at any stage.
- Students presenting either a paper or poster.
- Students attending a training or workshop essential to their research.
- Students attending a conference.
When applying for a presentation of a paper or poster at a conference please include the acceptance letter from the conference organizers.
To apply: Send a cover letter describing your request, how it meets the criteria for a travel award, and when you plan to graduate. Include a budget (must have a minimum amount needed), an acceptance letter from conference organizers if appropriate, and a letter from your major professor stating the importance of your request and that no funds are available to fw.gradadvising@oregonstate.edu.
Graduate School
The Graduate School also provides quarterly travel awards for students who have been accepted to present their research at a conference or meeting. Information found here. Contact fw.gradadvising@oregonstate.edu for more information on how to apply.
Publishing Expenses
The Thomas G. Scott Publication Fund, Henry Mastin Graduate Fund, or the James Sedell Graduate Fund may be awarded to any student or staff member for publications where Fisheries and Wildlife is listed as the author's institution. You must submit acknowledgement of funding in your publication, therefore, requests made after publication cannot be considered. Can apply at any time. To apply: send a request for funds with amount needed, abstract, and letter from the publisher acknowledging acceptance to fw.gradadvising@oregonstate.edu.
Graduate Teaching Assistant Positions
Graduate students, in consultation with their major faculty member, may gain teaching experience or extend the period of time covered by research support through a Graduate Teaching Assistantship (GTA). The GTA positions should not be considered a permanent source of funding.
GTA support comes in three forms:
- Online courses assigned to the students of the Course Supervisors
- Online courses that have not been assigned to the students of a Course Supervisor (because he/she does not have a student who needs the support)
- A limited number of on-campus GTAs that are subsidized by our Ecampus program revenues. These on campus GTAs can be “grader” positions for large courses or lab TAs. On campus, GTAs are filled by review of qualified applicants, but require the GTA to be on campus for labs and office hours.
All FW students are eligible for GTA positions. Students in need of support who are qualified to assist with particular courses will be assigned first. We occasionally hire a student from Marine Resource Management, Environmental Science, or Zoology after FW students are covered. Graduate students cannot instruct graduate-level courses, and can only assist with “slash” courses if they do not have grading responsibilities for the grad students in the class.
Graduate students can apply for a Graduate Teaching Assistant position by completing the GTA Application Form, and submitting a signed copy to 104 Nash Hall – Bruce Dugger’s mailbox. The form should be filled out in consultation with the student’s major professor and requires his or her signature. GTAs are important positions that require careful evaluation and screening to assure that there is a good match between the course and the student; as such, we ask that students and their mentors do not submit a request as a “placeholder” if other sources of funding are likely to become available. Priority assignment will be given to students who apply at least one term prior to the need for support, and applications should be submitted no later than 3 weeks prior to the start of the term for which the student is hoping to teach.
PhD students who are interested in developing a course for teaching experience should discuss opportunities and time commitment needs with their major professor first, then meet with the Associate Department Head, Bruce Dugger.