Graduate Research Awards

The family of John S. Tuckey, in honor of his memory, has generously established the John S. Tuckey Graduate Research Award. Tuckey was a Purdue University Northwest professor whose teaching of American literature and editing/publishing of Mark Twain texts were internationally acclaimed. Dr. Tuckey’s long, outstanding service to the institution included chairing of the Department of English/Philosophy and serving as Assistant Dean of the Graduate School. His accomplishments were recognized when Purdue University conferred upon him the Hovde Distinguished Service Professorship.

The amount of the John S. Tuckey Graduate Research Award will be $1,500.

An applicant must be a regularly admitted, degree-seeking graduate student, or a college senior who will be a fully admitted, degree-seeking graduate student during the award year, in the humanities at Purdue University Northwest. The recipient must be enrolled in no fewer than three (3) graduate-level credits per semester during the award period. Students may be enrolled in both semesters.

Recipients may apply the award to research expenses during the award year. Expenses may include (but not limited to) travel, food and lodging, photocopying or research materials. Tuition or other payments directly to the graduate student or faculty mentor are disallowed. Publications resulting from research supported by this award are expected to acknowledge the support of Purdue University Northwest.

The CHESS/Education Graduate Research Award will be in the amount of $1,500. An applicant must be a regularly admitted, degree-seeking graduate student, or a college senior who will be a fully admitted, degree-seeking graduate student during the award year, in the College of Humanities, Education and Social Sciences (CHESS) or in the School of Education & Counseling. The recipient must be enrolled in no fewer than three (3) graduate-level credits per semester during the award period. Students must be enrolled during both semesters.

Recipients may apply the award to research expenses during the award year. Expenses may include (but are not limited to) travel, food and lodging, photocopying, or research materials. Tuition or other payments directly to the graduate student or faculty mentor are disallowed. Publications resulting from research supported by this award are expected to acknowledge the support of Purdue University Northwest.

The Graduate Studies Office also announces the availability of up to five (5) Graduate Research Grants, which will be in the amount of $750. An applicant must be a regularly admitted, degree-seeking graduate student, or a college senior who will be a fully admitted, degree-seeking
graduate student during the award year, in any academic discipline. The recipient must be enrolled in no fewer than three (3) graduate level credits per semester during the award period, be in good academic standing, and maintain a minimum G.P.A. of 3.0.

Recipients may apply the award to research expenses which relate to program requirements. Tuition or other payments directly to the graduate student or faculty mentor are disallowed. The enrolled credits must be in pursuit of the degree, including required coursework, thesis research, or non-thesis directed or capstone projects. Recipients should plan to present their work at PNW’s Days of Discovery in the spring semester of the award year, either by poster or oral presentation.

As funds may allow, students who will only be registered for one semester (i.e., December candidates for graduation) may be eligible for a pro-rated Graduate Research Grant ($375), so long as they meet all the other eligibility requirements. Students may only receive one of these awards per year. Current award recipients are not eligible for an award next year.

Prepare the following:

Project proposal for research, including:

1. • Title
   • Brief description of research project
   • Goals of research project
   • Significance of research
   • Project design or approach
   • Brief bibliography or literature review
   • Description of any previous research on this topic by applicant
2. Short biographical sketch of applicant.
3. Name and content information for the faculty sponsor.
4. For the CHESS/Education Graduate Research Award only:  Budget estimates with justification for all expenses.
5. Names and contact info for two people to write letters of recommendation. One of the letters should be from your faculty mentor.

There is no page limit, but students are encouraged to be concise in their project proposal. Each application should include adequate detail to allow the reviewers to understand the research project and its significance in the discipline. Reviewers will not necessarily be experts in your field, so please write for a generally intelligent audience, but avoid jargon. If the application is based upon a thesis, do not submit the thesis in its entirety. The project description should be a more focused and concise summary of your research project.

The application deadline is April 28, 2025.

Proposals will be evaluated on:

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS – Applications lacking these will not be considered further:

• Completeness of application (all required items submitted)
• Project eligibility
• Student eligibility

COMPETITIVELY RANKED – Proposals will be evaluated by a review committee and rated on a scale of 1 (poor) to 5 (outstanding) based on the following criteria:

• Quality of proposal overall
• Budget/budget justification (reasonable permitted expenses, in type and amount), if a budget is required
• Goals and significance
• Project design/approach
• Bibliography/literature review
• Any previous research