Guidelines For The Preparation Of Nominations For Master's Research Fellowship

/https://siu.edu/search-results.php

Last Updated: Oct 29, 2026, 08:27 AM

Master's Research Fellowship -- Stipends and Tenure of Awards

The Master's Research Fellowship will receive a monthly stipend. Fellowship stipends will be awarded for two semesters and one summer session, a total of eleven (11) months (summer intersession May 16- June 15 excluded). Students receiving an offer will begin the fellowship award in the fall semester.

U.S. citizens, permanent residents/immigrants, and international students may apply.

Fellowship recipients will be assigned a ten-hour per week research assignment that will provide professional development opportunities for the student and be of value to the program. The research assignment will be consistent with the student's educational objectives. The Program Chair will determine the research assignment and monitor the student's progress.

A fellowship covers full tuition (nine hours maximum in summer) and provides a monthly stipend.

Fellowship recipients are required to register for a minimum of nine (9) graduate credit hours for fall and spring semesters and three (3) graduate credit hours for summer. Please note that 601 or audit courses do not count toward the registration requirement.

Fellowship recipients may not accept employment inside or outside of the University.

During special recruitment and graduate enhancement events held at SIU, the Graduate School will solicit the attendance of the Fellows to participate in seminars, orientation, and the Assembly of Fellows programs. The Fellows will also be expected to present at internal research or create events.

Note: The Master's Fellowship is considered a recruitment/retention tool, and it is not to be given to students who are in the final stages of their degree.

Tax Information

Fellowship stipends are paid through the university's payroll system which requires income taxes to be withheld. Fellows will fill out the Employee's W-4 Withholding Allowance Certificate form (W-4 form) as part of the research fellowship award packet. International students on temporary visas should contact the International Tax Office, Woody Hall, or phone for an appointment at (618) 453-5275. Information on taxation of fellowship awards can be found in IRS Publication 970: Tax Benefits for Education (PDF).

Eligibility for Master's Level Graduate Fellowships.

Although a student who has not yet completed all steps in the application process to the Graduate School and the program may be nominated, there must be sufficient documentation (transcripts, letters of recommendation, test scores) to ensure that the student is fully admissible and fully qualified. The nominee must meet the following eligibility criteria*:

  1. An overall undergraduate grade point average of at least 3.40 (A=4); or
  2. An undergraduate grade point average for the last two years of at least 3.50 (A=4); or
  3. A score at or above the 75th percentile on a standardized test such as the GRE, MAT, or GMAT (if applicable).

It should be noted that students may only receive the master's Fellowship once. This is a one-time only award at the master's degree level. Also, note that a master's student cannot receive more than three calendar years (36 months) of financial support of all types (support limits may vary) unless granted an exception by the Graduate School.

Criteria for Awarding Master's Level Fellowships

Master's Level awards will be offered to the nominees who show the greatest promise for scholarly and professional achievement in their respective disciplines. It is expected that both undergraduate and graduate grade point averages will be high, and that if any, the nominee's graduate work will have been of extremely high caliber. The following criteria will be employed as indices of promise:

  1. The assessment by the program of the nominee's abilities and achievements including honors and publications.
  2. Overall undergraduate and graduate grade point averages.
  3. Strength of letters of recommendation.
  4. Personal statement of the student.
  5. Standardized Test scores (recommended but not required).

For more details in preparing the fellowship nomination packet, please follow the instructions in the section below entitled “Required Nomination Materials for Fellowships”:

Deadlines – Close of business

January 22, 2027:  Deadline for submission of fellowship nomination                                                                                             materials to the Graduate School.

February 12, 2027: Date fellowship offers are to be announced.

 April 15, 2027: Deadline for acceptance of offers.

Submission Process

The completed fellowship nomination packet should be submitted via email (in .pdf format) to gaoffice@siu.edu. The email Subject should be Master's Fellowship Nomination – Last Name. Packets received after the above deadline will be considered ineligible.

Programs submitting multiple nomination packets should create a .pdf file for each nomination packet.

Required Nomination Materials for Master's-Level Fellowships

The nomination materials are routed among members of an evaluation committee; therefore, each set of materials for each student should be complete in and of itself. Only nominees whose nomination materials are complete will be considered in the competition. A completed nomination dossier will include the following in the order listed below:

1. FELLOWSHIP PACKET CHECKLIST

a. Completed by the program.

2. APPLICATION FOR FELLOWSHIP AWARD

  1. Completed by the student or by the program; please check to make sure the data is up-to-date.
  2. Program completes section “For Program Signature.”
  1. Indicate the specific award for which the student is being nominated.
  2. Provide the signature of the Program Chair or Director of Graduate Studies, the date, and the name of the program making the nomination.
  3. Students cannot apply on their own. They must submit all documents to the program for nomination.

3. PERSONAL STATEMENT

  1. Completed by the student.
  2. Three-page (maximum) personal statement indicating firsthand experiences, educational goals, and professional interests and how these items can contribute to a more reflective, responsive environment in the program, the discipline, and the larger university community. The statement should also address academic qualifications regarding academic excellence which should include, but not be limited to the following: academic achievements, honors, awards, publications, and extracurricular activities.

4. CURRICULUM VITAE

a. Completed by the student.

5. PROGRAM'S FELLOWSHIPS NOMINATION FORM

  1. Completed by the program.
  2. Graduate Degree and GPA, if any.
  3. GRE/MAT/GMAT results (recommended but not required).
  4. Program's Ranking. The rankings of the nominee relative to all other master's fellowship nominees from the program. For example, a program might submit five fellowship nominees. In this case, it would state for each nominee that he or she was '1 of 5' or '2 of 5', etc.
  5. Define the reasons this student is being nominated and the basis for the program's ranking. Include such factors as the academic quality of the program from which the student received their degrees, and information concerning any special accomplishments, which qualify them for a master's-level award. Also, include any information supporting the student's commitment to advanced study and a summary of any experience since being awarded the bachelor's degree. PLEASE TYPE.

6. THREE (3) LETTERS OF RECOMMENDATION

  1. These should be from persons who are familiar with the nominee's academic record and who are qualified to judge his or her promise for success in graduate studies. These letters may be copies of those already received in the program in support of the nominee's application for admission to the program; however, it may be preferable to have new letters specifically written to support the fellowship nomination.
  2. These letters should refer to one or more of the following characteristics/skills: communication, creativity, explanation (a reason or cause for some phenomena or finding), motivation, planning, professionalism, and synthesis (those skills that facilitate the development of an expert domain of knowledge structures). The letters should accompany the nomination; they should not be sent separately to the Graduate School.

7. TRANSCRIPTS

a. Please attach copies of final transcripts for ALL institutions that grant degrees, even if a degree was not obtained. This includes transcripts from SIU.

  1. A missing transcript will result in the automatic rejection of the fellowship application.

8. STANDARDIZED TESTS SCORES (recommended but not required)

a. If applicable, please attach a copy of the official standardized test score.

  1.  Acceptable standardized tests are GRE, MAT, or GMAT.