Summer Graduate Research Awards

The Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences is pleased to offer its annual Summer Graduate Research Award competition.

CCBS, together with participating faculty and departments, offers annual summer stipends to graduate researchers. The goal of the Graduate Research Award program is to support innovative interdisciplinary research in cognitive and brain sciences. Students with interdisciplinary interests are encouraged to apply. Each award equals the GRA stipend amount set by the OSU Graduate School for the full summer term. 

Check back for the 2026 application in January! 

Applicant Information

Applicants must be matriculated graduate students at the Ohio State University working with faculty who are members* of the Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences (CCBS). Applicants are asked to propose a research project in collaboration with primary and secondary advisors who carry affiliations in two different academic departments. The secondary advisor will be referred to as the “visiting department advisor". Proposed projects will be interdisciplinary and relevant to the Center for Cognitive and Brain Sciences.   

A student with a fellowship or a summer graduate appointment (GRA, GTA, or GAA) in the same semester as this award is not eligible to apply. Former award recipients are eligible, but priority will be given to new applicants. CCBS awards cannot be deferred to any other session or year. 

Only one of the student's advisors is required to have status (i.e., M or P). However, both should hold a PhD or equivalent terminal degree.

Awarded students are required to participate in one session of the CCBS Undergraduate Summer Institute during the same semester as the award (1-hour commitment). Awarded students are also encouraged to attend the CCBS Fall Retreat in the semester following the award (2-day commitment). More information will be provided about these events at a later date. If you have questions, please contact ccbs@osu.edu. 

*Advisors who are not members should complete the CCBS Membership Form before submission of this application.

Email a complete application to ccbs@osu.edu in early March 2026.

Applications should consist of the following elements:

  • Application (2025 app posted for reference, will be updated for new cycle): 

  • Resume or Curriculum Vitae
  • 2-page proposal of your interdisciplinary cognitive science research project
    • The proposal will be evaluated on both intellectual merit and broader impacts. It should have specific, focused goals, and it should detail your planned activities (e.g., describe your experiments and/or research methodology).  A scholarly literature review is essential as well.  Please emphasize the interdisciplinary nature and benefits of the work, and state how the work addresses major themes in cognitive science.
  • Short description of all summer commitments outside of the proposed research
    • Including credits enrolled, internships, and/or volunteer positions. Add how many hours per week you will spend on each commitment.

Signatures on the application can be collected in any format. This may include using DocuSign, a digitally signed PDF, or collecting a wet signature.  

Award notices will be sent in late March 2026

Congratulations to our 2025 Award Recipients!