Funding for Students

Irving Institute Student Mini-Grants

The Irving Institute offers mini-grants up to $1,000 for enrolled undergraduate and graduate students who are advancing the Institute's mission of transforming humankind's understanding of energy issues, and driving the creation of ideas, technologies, and policies that improve the availability and efficient use of energy for all people.  The purposes of the program are to: 

• support student initiative in energy and society
• foster learning through experience
• inspire creativity, and 
• directly involve students in accelerating transitions toward socially and environmentally sustainable energy futures.

Grant Types

Irving Institute mini-grants are available in three categories:

• Independent Research/Project.  Identify an energy and society question or problem that you wish to investigate, with mentorship from a Dartmouth faculty member or post-doctoral associate, or Irving Institute staff member.
• External Internship.  Secure an unfunded energy internship with an external organization. 
• Professional/Educational Growth.  Possible opportunities include:
  • Presenting an energy-focused paper or poster at an academic or professional conference or major meeting
  • Attending an energy-focused academic or professional conference or event
  • Taking an intensive course/training in energy that's not offered at Dartmouth
  • Leading an energy initiative or event on campus
     

Eligibility

NOTE:  Funding for fall 2020 is only available for remote/virtual opportunities. In keeping with Dartmouth policy during the COVID-19 pandemic, mini-grants will not support travel.  

• You must be a current Dartmouth undergraduate or graduate student in good standing.
• Your opportunity must be unpaid.
• If applying for funding from other Dartmouth organizations, such as the Dickey Center, UGAR or the Center for Professional Development, you may accept only one grant from Dartmouth per term.
• Grant funding is to be used to supplement one's own resources to offset the cost of eligible living expenses, including housing, food, transportation to and from the internship or research location, and daily commute costs.
• No retroactive funding will be provided.
   

Application

To apply for funding, complete the online application and submit all supplemental application documents by the deadline. The application will close at 5 p.m. (EST). Applications that are received after the deadline will not be considered.

An updated application for fall 2020 grants will be posted the week of July 6, 2020. 

• An application is considered INCOMPLETE if it does not include all required items listed for the grant type for which you are applying.  
• NOTE that faculty recommendations are required for all mini-grant types – please give your faculty mentor adequate time to complete and submit their recommendation.
• We advise that you plan ahead and submit early and do not wait until the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

If you have questions or concerns please contact us at irving.institute@dartmouth.edu.

NOTES:

• Grants may be considered taxable income by the Internal Revenue Service if you are a U.S. citizen. Please consult your tax professional for further information.
• For international students, grants awarded may be subject to taxes and fees that could be subtracted from your grant. Please consult with Dartmouth's Office of Visa and Immigration Services for further information.
• Grants are not transferable to a different project/internship/opportunity from what is listed on your application.

Notification of Decisions

• Funding decisions are announced 2-4 weeks after the application deadline.
• This notification deadline is typically after the deadline to apply for D-plan changes. If you are applying for a leave term grant, consider the implications of receiving vs. not receiving a grant in terms of the impact on your D-plan. Refer to the Registrar's website for information and deadlines to submit a change of enrollment petition.
• If your plans change and you are not able to conduct the project in the term for which you received funding, you may not defer the funding to a subsequent term. If the project is unchanged, you do not need to submit a new application, but your application will be reviewed again, along with the applications for that next term.