- Determine your goals.
Before you begin exploring opportunities, it is a good idea to clarify what you are seeking. Is it a summer opportunity? Funding for graduate school? Study abroad funding? This can help you from being overwhelmed by the sheer number of great opportunities. - Narrow down your results.
Use the following tips to refine your list:- Eligibility and timeline
Do you meet the minimum requirements and can you realistically meet the deadline? It is courteous to allow a month or longer lead time for letter writers. If recommendation letters are required and you have less than three weeks until the deadline, discuss this with your recommenders before you put energy into an application. - Finding a match
Research into the mission of the funding organization or agency. Does their mission speak to you? Locate the selection criteria which will be used to select recipients; do you fit all of them? It is okay if your fit is weaker from some criteria than others, but you should feel a “fit” to the award based upon the criteria that will be used for selection. It can be helpful to review the profiles of current or past recipients to get a better feel for the program and who it attracts.
- Eligibility and timeline
- It’s OK to start small.
Smaller and less competitive opportunities can serve as a launching pad to future opportunities.
