February 16, 2021

Sigma Xi invites undergraduate and graduate students to apply for research grants from its Grants in Aid of Research (GIAR) program. The application portal will close on March 15 www.sigmaxi.org/giar. Awards in this cycle will be dispersed in June 2021.

GIAR application deadlines are March 15 and October 1 each year. The program awards grants of up to $1,000 to students from most areas of the sciences and engineering. Larger grants of up to $5,000 are available for research related to astronomy and vision, and for vision-impaired students. 

The grants are used to cover travel expenses to and from a research site, or to help a student purchase non-standard laboratory equipment that is necessary to complete a specific research project. 

In the fall 2020 cycle, GIAR awarded $107,549 to 101 students, out of the 682 applications received. These undergraduate students, master’s degree students, and doctoral candidates from two countries and 33 states are using their grants to tackle a diverse set of projects.

Funds from the National Academy of Sciences and individual gifts make the grants possible. The program is also operating with extra funds from a gift from the San Antonio Lighthouse for the Blind & Vision Impaired, which creates funding for vision-related research and for vision impaired students. Additionally, designated funds are available for research projects that investigate antibiotic resistance and the origin of life. 

To see stories of past recipients, visit the Faces of GIAR page. 

GIAR funded 15 percent of the grant applications received in the previous cycle, but it could award more grants in future cycles if the program receives more gifts. Sigma Xi is committed to strengthening the GIAR program, which has awarded student research grants since 1922. To make a gift to GIAR, go to www.sigmaxi.org/support-giar.