Doctoral students gain valuable experience by applying for, and winning, competitive grant funding. To encourage this pursuit, the Graduate School created a policy to reward students who actively pursue and secure funding from sources outside the University. The policy was put in place on September 1, 2008. It was modified in 2011, effective July 1. All external awards made from September 1, 2008 through June 30, 2011 are governed by the original policy. For those made on or after July 1, 2011, please refer to the current policy.

The Graduate School will continue to supplement external funding up to the standard stipend provided to doctoral students by the Graduate School (if necessary), and will also provide an additional incentive award in recognition of the receipt of new awards that will support doctoral students during the current academic year and beyond.

The amount of the incentive will depend on the amount and type of the award. The incentive award applies only to external stipend support, and only to a year in which the doctoral student is scheduled to receive stipend support from the Graduate School.

As a general guide, if the external grant provides a stipend that is:

Up to $3,000

• The student receives a supplement up to the standard stipend plus an incentive award equal to the amount of the external stipend.

$3,000 - $6,000

• The student receives a supplement up to the standard stipend plus an incentive award of $3,000, plus 50% of the excess above $3,000.

$6,000 - $12,900

• The student receives a supplement up to the standard stipend plus an incentive award of 75% of the external stipend; the total maximum stipend will not exceed $25,000.

Greater than $12,900

• The student receives the total stipend provided by the external award; if necessary, the Graduate School will provide a top-up to a maximum stipend of $25,000.
• The doctoral student is eligible for a sixth year of support from the Graduate School, if necessary and budget permitting, and for no more than one year.    
• For awards that include tuition, or that are a lump sum, the stipend amount will be capped (at $25,000).
• For lump sum awards, amounts over $25,000 will be applied to tuition and fees.

RESTRICTIONS: Full concurrent awards are not permitted. A student can accept both a Javits and a National Science Foundation award, for example, but must take them in sequential years. A student cannot hold a Javits (or NSF, etc.) in addition to Brown’s full University support.

Students applying for external funding should contact Associate Dean of Academic Affairs John Tyler  and Associate Dean of Finance and Administration Brian Walton at the Graduate School for further information.

Students in programs in the Division of Biology and Medicine should contact the Associate Dean of Medicine, Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies for further information regarding that Division's support policies.