What is an average award in the Fall Competition?
Awards vary greatly. For the 2008-2009 competition, the average award was $23,000 which included amounts for fringe benefits and tuition remission. The Committee usually funds some requests at the full amount, and some at partial amounts. Multidisciplinary team awards will usually follow this pattern, multiplied by the number of team members. In the Arts and Humanities, applicants often ask for summer salary, for a project assistant, for an hourly worker, and/or for flexible funds for research travel, supplies, etc. It is possible to ask for a semester research leave, if your eligibility allows. Note that a semester leave is an award substantially above the average, and is usually granted as supplementation or insurance to an external grant. Be sure to talk with your interviewer about your budget priorities.
