External Funding Opportunities for Students

ORCA does not offer support to students applying for external funding opportunities. Please consult your faculty or academic advisor if you choose to apply to a program.

2026–27 Buffett Institute Graduate Scholars: Biomechanics & Kinesiology Doctoral Program

The Buffett Early Childhood Institute at the University of Nebraska is currently accepting applications from advanced doctoral students within the university system for one-year fellowships worth up to $25,000.

The Buffett Institute Graduate Scholars program will award up to four fellowships to Ph.D. students. Our goal is to support high-quality research that impacts the early years of life, drawn from fields including health, education, social work, art, psychology, the neurosciences, and more. Multidisciplinary research and new methodologies are welcomed.

Completed applications are due by Friday, April 24.

Applicants will receive decision notifications by the end of June.

Additional details can be found in the materials below:

• Graduate Scholars Request for Proposals (RFP)
• Graduate Scholars Overview
• Graduate Scholars FAQ
• Graduate Scholars Program Webpage

If you have questions, please contact Alexandra Daro, Ph.D. at adaro@nebraska.edu

NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP)

EGFP supports Institutions of Higher Education (IHEs) in EPSCoR jurisdictions by providing fellowship funding to support EGFP-eligible students pursuing research-based master’s and/or doctoral degree programs in NSF supported disciplines. EGFP awards will be made to institutions in EPSCoR jurisdictions. Awards will provide three years of stipend and associated cost-of-education allowance for each NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellow. Stipends must be budgeted at the level of $37,000 per year per Fellow and cost-of-education allowances must be budgeted at the level of $16,000 per year per Fellow.

Current EGFP awardees/opportunities can be found: Programs | NSF Education & Training Application | ETAP

There are four ways to learn more about EGFP:

1. Review the Solicitation (LINK)
2. Review the Webpage (LINK)
3. For program specific questions contact: EGFP@NSF.GOV.
4. EGFP Office Hours
   • Designed to spend ~45 discussion the program and how to apply. The last 15 minutes are for Q and A. The same information will be presented at each office hour.
   • FAQs (LINK). Note that the dates listed here are past tense, however, the information has not changed.
   • Office hours are currently set for:
     • Monday March 30; 3 - 4 pm EST. Register Here: LINK
     • Thursday, April 2nd; 1 - 2 pm EST. Register Here: LINK

America's Startup

America’s startup is a national collegiate startup competition created to spotlight early-stage business ideas. Undergraduate students enrolled at a US institution are eligible. Click here for more information about America's Startup.

Nebraska Water Center seeking applications for Undergraduate Student Research Fellowship

As a part of its mission to train future water researchers and arrange research addressing water problems and the understanding of water, the Nebraska Water Center is seeking applicants for a new Undergraduate Student Research Fellowship program.

Undergraduate students who plan to go into a water-related career field and are interested in gaining research experience and coauthoring a publication are invited to apply. Applications are encouraged from students who have anticipated graduation dates in 2027 or 2028. Undergraduate research fellows would:

• Work with University of Nebraska faculty to help complete a research project leading to a publication.
• Conduct research during Summer 2026, to be completed by August 31, 2026. The fellowship positions will be paid $16 per hour.

Interested students should be full-time undergraduate students at any college or university in Nebraska and available to work up to 35 hours per week during the summer.

To apply, undergraduate students are asked to work with a faculty mentor to identify a research topic and prepare a proposal. Interested undergraduate students are asked to email their resume, transcript, proposal and letter of recommendation to Ann Briggs at annbriggs@nebraska.edu.

Applications are due March 13, 2026. Selected undergraduate fellows will be notified of their selection by mid-April.

Application instructions, sample proposals, and timeline details can be found at go.unl.edu/NWCFellowship.

Historic STEM Opportunity: Student Experiments on International Space Station, Open to School Districts and Colleges, Starting September 1, 2026

Inquiries due March 15, 2026

Click here for the press release and additional information about the SSEP.