CLIMB Graduate Frequently Asked Questions

Learn more about what to expect during your CLIMB experience.

I’m a master’s student and I want to learn about Grant Writing. Can I take your workshop?

The Grant Writing workshop is geared towards PhD-eligible fellowships, so it is not a great fit for master’s students. We don’t currently offer workshops for master’s-eligible awards, but we recommend that you check out the Office of Fellowships and Scholarships for general grant-writing workshops and for support in applying to the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program. If you want us to offer grant writing for master’s students in the future reach out and let us know!

Who can sign up for these workshops? Who are these workshops for?

These workshops are open to anyone who is entering a scientific research-based graduate program at UB.

What is the time commitment like?

In the first year for both master’s and PhD, workshop sessions are roughly one hour per week (usually less than ten sessions per semester) and there are a few formal assignments to complete each semester as well.

The Grant Writing workshops are more intensive, with more writing and outside assignments.

I’m an international student and I’m not eligible for a lot of fellowships in the US. Is the Grant Writing workshop still worth my time?

Yes! We think you will get something useful out of the series for three reasons:

  1. Most PhD programs require you to complete some fellowship-style writing for your qualifying exam and we can help you plan for and accomplish this!
  2. The guidelines for student fellowships from research funding agencies like NIH and NSF are VERY similar to their guidelines for full-fledged grants. If you plan on doing grant-funded research in the future, this workshop is going to help you with that career goal.
  3. You can never get too much scientific writing practice!