Funds – MIT Graduate Student Council
Source: https://gsc.mit.edu/about/funds/ Parent: https://asa.mit.edu/group-resources/group-funding/
Note: Knack is being decommissioned. Please do not submit new applications there!
Available Funds
All funds operate under the following timeline:
| Cycle | Applications Deadline | Cycle Start | Cycle End | Reimbursement Deadline |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer | June 15 | July 1 | September 30 | October 15 |
| Fall | September 15 | October 1 | December 31 | January 15 |
| Winter | December 15 | January 1 | March 31 | April 15 |
| Spring | March 15 | April 1 | June 30 | June 30* |
Contents
- 1 Initiatives Fund
- 2 Professional Development Exploration Grant
- 3 Sustainability Fund
- 4 DEI Community Fund
- 5 DEI Conference Grant
Initiatives Fund
About
The Initiatives Fund shall be allocated to students who seek funding for general events that do not fit under any other funding source or the SGFC funding. All items under the Initiatives Fund must be either events that benefit the graduate student community or be capital expenses. Applications to the Initiatives Fund may be submitted as an individual, an unrecognized group, or an ASA-recognized group. Typical submissions to the initiatives fund are for $2000 or less.
Requirements
Questions? Contact gsc-treasurer@mit.edu.
Professional Development Exploration Grant
About
The Professional Development Exploration (PDE) Grant is designed to support MIT graduate students from all schools and departments in their pursuit of local professional development opportunities outside their direct area of study or research. Specifically, this fund is allocated to cover registration fees that are not currently funded by the student’s advisor or other funding sources. Registration would be covered, depending on fund availability, for professional development activities including but not limited to seminars, workshops, conferences, and meetings.
Reimbursement Process
Please file an RFP on Atlas (https://atlas.mit.edu) to request reimbursement for your registration fee.
Questions? Contact gsc-fundingboard@mit.edu.
Sustainability Fund
About
The goal of the GSC Sustainability Fund is to educate and to engage graduate students in environmentally sustainable living practices. The sustainability fund was introduced to provide grants to graduate students and groups who are keen to champion an activity or lead an action that directly aids towards making the MIT campus clean, environmentally benign and resource efficient. Both student groups and individuals can apply for events or activities aimed at campus sustainability initiatives. GSC Sustainability helps to manage the fund and details of funded projects can be found on their website.\ \ Funding is typically in the amount of $100-$1000, though exceptions may be made for projects that impact a large portion of the graduate student body. Previously-funded projects include sustainability speaker events, recycling facility tours, composting programs at graduate dorms, community garden spaces, and more.
Requirements
- Applicants must be current MIT graduate students, who may apply individually or on behalf of a student group.
- Application and Report
- Please provide detailed descriptions of the project and the budget in the application.
- Planning a Green event
- Applicants should keep environmental responsibility in mind when organizing their events. For example, incentivize attendees to bring usable utensils and containers.
- Funding Guidelines
- Event Publicity Guidelines
Questions? Contact gsc-fundingboard@mit.edu.
DEI Community Fund
About
The GSC DEI Community Fund aims to provide a source of funding for underrepresented student groups without a formal organization (e.g., groups without GSC or ASA recognition status) to host events geared towards community and DEI-focused goals and outcomes. The fund supports small and medium-sized events (<= $300 per event), and does not fund large events and/or capital expenses.
Steps to receive funding
- Represent a community or identity-based student organization at MIT. The group and/or individual applying for the grant must also not have violated MIT, department, or DSL student group policy. Past awards include:
- An Eid celebration for Muslim students in Sloan
- A lunch event for children of immigrants/refugee
- Nigeria Day celebration
- Health Sciences and Technology Queer and Ally Matcha Tasting Event
- Apply for funding:
- While applications are considered on a rolling basis, submit your application at least three weeks before the event.
- If requested, answer additional questions about your funding request.
- Publicize the event at least one week in advance through the department(s)’ administration and/or listserv, as well as the GSC Anno and other media outlets.
- Comply with MIT Alcohol Policies, including the additional restrictions which apply to student groups. Failure to comply with MIT policies and/or GSC Funding Board Guidelines could lead to citations and/or warnings from the GSC Funding Board regarding the GSC funding related issues, and/or a failure on the part of the GSC to provide funding and/or reimbursement.
- At most two weeks from the event date, submit your reimbursements to gsc-dei-chair@mit.edu and provide a post-event report (250 words maximum) that includes a summary of the event and the outcomes of the event.
Timeline
Starting, October 8, 2025, applications will reviewed on the above schedule (every 3 months), and NOT on a rolling basis.
Requirements
- Must be open to all MIT graduate students.
- Up to two grants will be awarded per graduate student per fiscal year.
- Must not charge MIT students entrance or participation fees.
- Event information must be publicized at least 7 days before the event and include GSC DEI as a sponsor.
- Advertising must include all relevant information in English.
- The Fund will not fund speaker fees/honoraria, speaker travel expenses, speaker gifts, or prizes.
For additional questions and/or concerns, please reach out to gsc-dei-chair@mit.edu.
DEI Conference Grant
About
The GSC DEI Conference Grant is intended to support students attending identity-based conferences (e.g., NOBCChE) or presenting/participating in DEI-related research. The Conference Grant can be used to support travel, registration fees, lodging, and other costs associated with attending these conferences. Past awardees include:
- Attending the Women in Nuclear Engineering conference
- Attending the NOBCChE (National Organization for the Professional Advancement of Black Chemists and Chemical Engineers) Annual Conference.
- Presenting research on designing urban infrastructure for walkability and inclusion.
- Presenting research on indigenous Latin American food delivery workers in New York City.
Timeline
Starting, October 8, 2025, applications will reviewed on the above schedule (every 3 months), and NOT on a rolling basis.
Requirements
- Attend an academic or industry-related conference where the grantee will present a DEI-related poster or paper and/or will participate as a panelist or discussant.
- Up to one grant will be awarded per graduate student per fiscal year (eg. July 1st – June 30th) with a ceiling of $1000 for in-person or $300 for virtual conferences.
- Attending summer school or competitions is not supported by the this Grant.
A recommendation letter is mandatory for the application. It is your responsibility to inform your recommender to send the letter of recommendation on your behalf to the following email: gsc-dei-chair@mit.edu. It should be submitted by a staff member (and ideally a faculty) from MIT or other universities/institutes. By submitting the Conference Grant application, you are waiving your right to view the recommendation letter.
For additional questions and/or concerns, please reach out to gsc-dei-chair@mit.edu.