Applications are now open for the second round of Syracuse University Research Excellence (SURE) grants, an internal funding program designed to help doctoral students advance their dissertation research. Launched last spring, the SURE program provides Graduate School funding for up to $3,000 to cover operational costs for dissertation projects.

Ava Breitbeck, Ph.D. candidate in science teaching and 2024-25 graduate student representative to the Board of Trustees, collaborated with Dean Peter Vanable and others in the Graduate School to launch the program.

“My motivation was to help doctoral students cover operational costs of their research,” Breitbeck says. “I am really pleased that many students were awarded funding last spring, and I am thankful for the phenomenal support from the Graduate School in pursuit of this initiative.”

Supporting Doctoral Research Across Disciplines

In its inaugural year, SURE grants provided assistance to 11 doctoral students, enabling them to overcome research hurdles and make progress on their dissertations.

For example, Ben Valen, a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellow in the social psychology doctoral program, used SURE funding to launch experiments that form the backbone of their dissertation.

“The SURE Grant was an invaluable resource that enabled me to collect data for the first two of four experiments making up my dissertation,” Valen says. “This funding allowed me to compensate participants and make substantial progress on my dissertation by analyzing the data from these experiments ahead of schedule.”

David Moses, a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering, relied on SURE support to replace damaged laboratory equipment and pursue advanced training at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. “The grant made a significant difference in keeping my research moving forward,” Moses says. “It allowed me to overcome unexpected research setbacks and gain valuable training opportunities.”

Apply for Fall 2025 Awards

Applications for this semester’s round of SURE grants are open now through Friday, Oct. 24. Dissertation-stage doctoral students from across the University are encouraged to apply using the Syracuse University Application Portal. Application materials include a brief narrative, CV, advisor’s letter of support and proposed budget. For details, including eligible expenses, visit the SURE Grants website.