Grants - FAQs
Application Process
All Newcomb-Tulane College (NTC) students are eligible to apply for NTC grant funding. All full-time undergraduates of Tulane University are considered NTC students. Students who are in their fifth year, as part of a joint graduate degree program, are considered NTC students until their undergraduate degree has been conferred. Students in their first semester, whether first-year students or transfer students, are not eligible to apply for an NTC grant.
The monthly grant deadline for all NTC grants is on the 15th of each month at 5:00 p.m., during the fall and spring semesters. Applications submitted after the deadline will be considered during the following month’s cycle. This includes the recommendation letter.
No, you may simply submit an application and our staff will determine the grant that most accurately represents your project. However, you are more than welcome to indicate any specific grants in which you especially interested. You may take a look at the details of all our various grants by visiting our grants page.
During each grant cycle, students will learn of the committee’s decision by the 1st week of the new month.
You may apply for and receive multiple (individual or group leader) grants from NTC, not exceeding the total of $1,500 per academic year, if approved by the grant committee. (Exceptions are made for recipients of the Gordon grant, CAIDS: Focus on Data grant, and CGE grant). You can also apply for various grants from other on-campus offices.
NTC grant applications are only accepted while classes are in session, during the fall and spring semesters of the academic year.
Yes. Only one primary recommendation letter is required, and that letter can come from an either a faculty or staff member at Tulane. Secondary letters are optional, and are accepted from non-Tulane faculty and/or other community professionals who can speak to your project and application.
The content of your recommender's letter of support should come directly from the recommender, and there is no template for your recommender to write their letters. Be sure to review your cover letter with the recommender, and that they can speak to the project that you're applying for and your ability to successfully undertake the project.
Since NTC grant applications are reviewed monthly, and decisions are issued by the 1st week of the new month, you will want to apply during the month/cycle that you'd like a decision. For example, if you're interested in receiving a funding decision on the final day of September, you'll want to apply in time for the September 15, 5:00 p.m. deadline. The application is closed during the summer sessions (May through August), and the application will not open until the first day of classes in late August. You may apply as late or as early during the month/cycle as you wish.
For NTC grants, there are three notifications or designations for applications, based on the committee’s decisions: 1) acceptance; 2) revise and resubmit; 3) decline funding. If your application is not accepted and your project is declined funding, it is not recommended that you re-apply for the same project. However, you are encouraged to apply for a different project, if it fits within NTC grant criteria. If you receive a decision that requests that you "revise and resubmit" some part of your application, then you are able to reapply.
To write your one to two page cover letter, clearly explain the nature of your project, detail how you will make use of the grant, describe what you hope to accomplish and how you reasonably plan to do it. This may include the significance of the project (personal, educational, professional), and any qualifications you possess. We recommend including how much you're requesting and what it will be used for in the first paragraph of your proposal. Be sure to discuss your project with your recommender who will be writing your letter of support, so that they can testify to your project's merits, your qualifications, and if they are clearly stated in your cover letter. Please refer to the "How to Apply" tab for additional information.
The grant committee, who determines which applications will receive funding and for how much, make decisions solely based on whether or not the project or request fits within NTC grant specifications, and if the request or project can be reasonably completed by the student, based on the cover letter. If awarded, the dollar amount is determined by the information that you provide in your budget. Please be specific with your budget requests and only include the items that you need, while noting that most NTC grants award up to $1,500. The quality of your project and application will play more of a determining factor in your chances of receiving a grant award than the dollar amount requested.
Funding
NTC grants support academic projects and research, academic conference travel (for presenters), virtual and local (New Orleans) conference attendance, internship travel and related costs, some service projects, and other projects related to one's studies or academic-related interests.
Food costs (unless you're a digital media production or film student). Stipends or salaries. Costs for any program or course where you are receiving credit. Costs to take classes or courses, whether for credit or not for credit. Study Abroad tuition costs. Start-up ventures. For-profit or non-profit companies that either require a high donation fee or charge a high fee to place you with an internship or "voluntourism"-oriented excursion. Personal items such as medical insurance, cell phones, etc. Durable items or supplies (cameras, etc.) that are over $100 (unless you intend for them to remain the property of your department.) NTC: OAE will not fund travel to countries on the U.S. State Department’s Travel Advisory List that are designated as “Level 4: Do Not Travel,” and will consider travel to countries designated as “Level 3: Reconsider Travel” on a case-by-case basis. Travel costs for attending a conference without presenting (virtual and local New Orleans conferences okay). Projects or travel for student organizations. Global Brigades trips, effective 2019-2020 school year.
As an individual, you are eligible to apply for up to $1,500. The only exceptions are as follows:
The Center for Global Education Grant for Experiential Learning offers grants up to $2,500 that can be used to support international independent research projects or other forms of international experiential learning that support students’ academic and/or professional goals.
CAIDS offers grants up to $2,500 that can be used to support student projects with a focus on data literacy, data analysis, or data management. This includes expenses related to student research that collects, analyzes, or digitalizes data, and travel to conferences where students are presenting or attending workshops on data-specific content.
The Gordon Summer Fellowship offers up to $5,000 for projects that are completely independent from existing faculty research, and student-designed and directed, from beginning to end.
If you are applying for a group grant, with two or more members, you are allowed to apply for up to $3,000, with no more than $1,500 per student.
Your grant funds would be issued in one of the following four ways (or perhaps a combination of these options), which you would discuss in a meeting with a staff member:
- A standard check or direct deposit for the amount of your grant award
- A reimbursement check, where you are required to provide receipts and other supporting items of proof
- Transfer of funds directly into the account of your department
- Direct payment of items purchased on your behalf, typically for high cost, travel-related items that the student may not be able to afford up front, such as airfare and lodging costs.
General Newcomb-Tulane College grants cannot be used for research stipends or salaries. However, your professor can apply for CELT grants to pay students for research work
Yes, visit our Other Grant Funding Sources for more details.
Grant funding for conference travel can be used for travel/transportation, lodging, and registration fees. It may not be used for food costs.
Grant funds can only be used for projects, travel, or internships that you fully complete prior to your graduation date.
No. Retroactive funding requests are no longer accepted.
Funding eligibility for service projects is determined on a case-by-case basis. Generally, students must prove that the project has a strong relationship to their academic interests. Preference is given to service trips of longer duration rather than brief “voluntourism”-type experiences.
No. The Taylor Center may have funding for these types of projects.
Please accept your grant award and fill out the requisite paperwork as soon as possible. If the requisite paperwork is not returned within 10 days, the offer will be assumed to be declined.
