In the interest of supporting as many graduate student scholars and artists as possible, applicants are eligible to receive only one CAHI Graduate Capstone Research Award. Previous recipients will not be considered. If a student does not receive the full amount of the request or the full amount of $2,000, eligibility is still limited to one successful application.

In addition to travel costs, examples of what may be requested for these awards include (but are not limited to): fees associated with locating, accessing, and reproducing materials; research supplies (archival scans, difficult-to-access books, computer programs, equipment); art supplies; technical assistance; and support for digital projects, among others. Proposals and expenses must be oriented toward the completion of a specific project.

Expenses that are not supported include (but are not limited to) typing and duplicating of dissertations, tuition, normal living expenses, and computers, travel to or costs associated with attending conferences.

In the case of requests for equipment, the letter writer must verify that neither the equipment requested nor the funds received are otherwise available to the student in a timely manner. At the completion of the project, any equipment purchased must remain with the department and be made available for future research projects by other graduate students.

Please be specific about the needs and timetable for your research. If you have questions about whether your request is feasible, please contact us.

All awards are subject to university restrictions and regulations.

Applications for these awards have moved entirely to IU Scholarships. The application portal for Fall 2025 will open on September 1, 2025. The application portal for Spring 2026 will open on October 1, 2025. Awards are processed via IU Scholarships and credited to recipients’ bursar accounts.

Applications should include the following materials:

• 1-page cover letter outlining the research to be done—travel requests should discuss the necessity of the travel; other requests should identify the materials requested, as well as how they are useful to the research
• Short curriculum vitae (no more than 3 pages)
• Brief abstract of the dissertation or thesis project (no more than 200 words)
• Detailed budget showing estimated travel expenses and/or materials requested, showing itemized costs
• Letter of support from a faculty advisor, outlining the student’s progress toward the degree and the significance of the research trip and/or materials in relation to the applicant’s work

* Note: It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the letter of support is submitted by the application deadline. Applications that are missing a letter of support will not be reviewed.

Late applications will not be considered for funding.

Eligibility:

Who may apply: IU Ph.D. or M.F.A. students in the arts and humanities. Students must be enrolled in the College of Arts + Sciences at Indiana University Bloomington in order to apply for and receive award funding.

Applicants need to have completed all coursework and qualifying exams, been advanced to candidacy, and be at work on the dissertation. M.F.A. applicants must be within one year of completing their thesis work. M.Arch applicants must have successfully completed their third semester of course work signaling the end of the Core Curriculum. Those students must be beginning work on a faculty approved independent study and/or a final or capstone project in the last three semesters of the program.

If other internal or external funding is received for the same project, CAHI requires notification and reserves the right to adjust or reassign awards in light of this information. 

To apply:

Follow the link below to access the IU Scholarships application. Applicants will need to complete a general application consisting of seven required questions (answer only those marked with a ‘*’) before beginning the CAHI application. For the “Scholarship Essay” question, it is not required to write a full essay, but you must type at least one character in this field. We recommend typing “N/A”.

How to Apply for IU Scholarships – Student Guide