- Start early! Even if you are a first or second year student, begin looking for funding now.
- Work with your research advisor to identify funding sources or programs that align with your research.
- See our list of common grants and fellowships sought by anthropology students
- Use IU-provided resources to further your search:
- IU GradGrants Center
- Pivot (set up personalized funding alerts for free)
- The Grantsmanship Center (many resources available for free)
Finding and Applying for External Funding
How to submit your proposal
NOTE: All proposals for external funding (some fellowships are excluded) must be reviewed and approved by the IU Office of Research Administration (ORA) before submitting.
Contact the Graduate Coordinator if you are unsure whether the program you plan to apply to falls under this requirement.
Steps to submit
- Consult with your research advisor far in advance to lay out a proposal you are both satisfied with.
- Email resdev@indiana.edu (IU Office of Research Administration) and cc the Graduate Coordinator at least 5 business days prior to the agency’s deadline. Allow more time if at all possible. The email should include the following:
- Budget (and justification, if required)
- The name of your advisor who will serve as PI
- A link to the funding agency’s specific program website
- The agency’s deadline
- You will then be assigned a grant consultant from ORA who will help you with the rest of the submission process.
For questions, contact the Graduate Coordinator at anthgrad@iu.edu or 812-856-2628.
National Science Foundation proposals
In addition to the steps above students applying to NSF programs must register for FastLane, NSF’s online application system. (If you already have a FastLane ID number and password created at IU, you do not need a new one.) To register, send a request to the Office Manager with the following information:
- IU username
- If a student, the name of your advisor
- Last degree completed
- Year last degree was completed
ORA will email you a temporary password, NSF username, and NSF ID number. Log in to FastLane, change your password, then immediately email the Graduate Coordinator all of your NSF (not IU) login information.
Required in FastLane no later than 4pm the day of the IU deadline
- Upload all application materials except bibliography, project description, budget and justification. This includes the Project Summary, Data Management Plan, Current and Pending Support for the PI and all co-PIs, NSF Biosketches for the PI and all co-PIs, etc.
- The Cover Page must be completed.
- The Allow SRO Access button must be clicked.
The College of Arts