Graduate Support

Investing in the Success of our Future

We value the importance of high-impact, hands-on education and want to help graduate students achieve their goals through assistantships, fellowships, grants and financial aid. Because of generous support from our alumni, friends and industry partners, we are able to offer qualified students options to support their education. 

Full-time graduate students appointed to any assistantship of at least $20,000 per year are also placed into the Graduate Student Support Plan, which covers all tuition and health insurance premiums on behalf of the student. However, under this plan, out-of-state tuition is only paid the first year of study.  

The best place to start looking for financial support is through the NC State Graduate School. Browse fellowship and grant opportunities on their website. Additional financial aid is also available through University Financial Aid, which can fill in the gaps between educational expenses and available assets.

Available Opportunities

Applying for an assistantship is simple. When filling out your Graduate School Application, check the box to request consideration for financial assistance. Documents submitted with your application will be used to assess merit.

Research Assistantships are often awarded to graduate students interested in working on current research projects. Keep in mind that grant cycles do not necessarily coincide with application deadlines, so many opportunities are filled from the current application and student pool. For questions about specific research opportunities and available funding, contact Forestry and Environmental Resources Faculty members about their individual projects.

Ongoing Funding Opportunities

• Camcore Stipends: awarded to graduate students who conduct international research focused on furthering our knowledge about tropical and subtropical forest species.
• The FER Enhancement Fund supports the academic and co-curricular experience of students in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources. Both undergraduate and graduates students can apply for funding. Each request is reviewed by the department head.
• Forest Productivity Cooperative Assistantships: awarded to outstanding graduate students working with the Forest Productivity Cooperative on specific areas of research.
• Gunnar and Lillian Nicholson Graduate Fellowships: awarded to Swedish graduate foresters studying forest genetics and forest management at NC State. Recipients receive funding for five years to earn a doctoral degree, including a $25,000 annual stipend plus all tuition, student fees and health insurance. Students also receive round-trip airfare once per year for travel to Sweden to promote the Nicholson exchange program. For more information, contact Rachel Cook.
• Tree Improvement Program Assistantships: Tree Improvement Program Assistantships are awarded to graduate students working with the Cooperative Tree Improvement Program. Research topics include recurrent genomic selection, QTL mapping/marker-aided selection, the genetic basis of fungal disease resistance in Pinus taeda, high-throughput genotyping platforms and variant calling from DNA/RNA sequence data, and seed orchard-related research.

One-Time Funding Opportunities

Assistantships

PhD Research Assistantships (Quantitative Genetics) at North Carolina State University Cooperative Tree Improvement Program
Two PhD graduate student research assistantships are available at the North Carolina State University Cooperative Tree Improvement Program (http://treeimprovement.org/) at the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources (http://cnr.ncsu.edu/fer/), Raleigh, NC. The candidates will work within a team on a gene stacking project for fusiform rust disease, genomic selection, and genetic basis of dwarfism in Pinus taeda (loblolly pine). The actual project will be determined based on the candidate’s background and interests. The assistantship will cover a generous stipend, tuition, health insurance, and fees. The assistantships will be for three years, with a possible extension for one more year.  
The PhD students will work with a team to genotype plants using SNP arrays and targeted GBS platforms and analyze different types of data (phenotype, genotype, RNA seq, and DNA seq data). They are expected to communicate the research results and publish them in peer-reviewed journals. Master students or students in their earlier PhD programs in plant pathology, genetics & genomics, plant breeding, bioinformatics, or related fields are encouraged to apply. Strong computing skills, including familiarity with the Linux command line and sequence data analysis, are plus but not required. To apply, please send a CV, a cover letter, academic records, and two references (one of which must be from an academic advisor) to Fikret Isik (fisik@ncsu.edu). Applicants must be formally admitted to the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources at North Carolina State University. They may contact the Graduate Program Coordinator Stephen Griffin (segriff5@ncsu.edu) at the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources for advice on application requirements and timing.

The Ecology Wildlife Foundation Fellowship is awarded to a graduate student (Master’s or PhD) with strong academic background and passion for work in the realm of wildlife conservation. Currently, I am looking for a student that is interested in understanding the effects of urbanization, river flow alterations, and/or climate change on reptiles and amphibians of North Carolina. The start date is Spring or Fall. Funding will include a graduate stipend of ~$25,000/year, tuition expenses, and health benefits. Students interested in working in my lab should send an email with: (1) a brief statement of research interest/goals including relevant experience, (2) CV, (3) contact information of 3 references. Mali Lab is committed to inclusion and student success. Students from various backgrounds are encouraged to apply. Contact email: imali@ncsu.edu.

NSF/NIFA Plant-Biotic Interactions Program – The project focuses on studying interactions between pine (Pinus taeda)-rust fungus (Cronartium quercuum fusiform) and identifying potential effector loci in the fungal genome. One of the goals is to enhance our understanding of virulence variation in fungal populations and the interactions of fungal virulence genes with the Pinus taeda QTLs identified in our previous research (Lauer and Isik 2021, Heredity). We will also be developing a pan-reference genome of the pathogen to benefit the forest pathology community. Our project team consists of plant pathologists, computational biologists, and quantitative geneticists from various departments at NC State. For any inquiries or to learn about the application process, please reach out to Fikret Isik at fisik@ncsu.edu

Fellowships

• Global Change Fellows Program: This program is designed to train the next generation of global change scientists by providing financial, scientific, and professional development support for graduate students who are interested in multi-disciplinary research. They come together across disciplines to discover, collaborate, and share their knowledge with diverse stakeholders. Additionally, students need to be dedicated to making the science related to climate change better, where better means more true, of a greater impact, or, as our land grant mission dictates, more ethical and just. This program is sponsored by the DOI Southeast Climate Adaptation Science Center and NC State University. Applicants must be an NC State master’s or Ph.D. student and nominated by a SE CASC Faculty Affiliate. The nomination process begins in January of each year. To learn more, view the Global Change Fellows page.

Funding for Current Students

• Bruce and Barbara Zobel Endowment for International Forestry Studies: awarded to graduate students traveling outside the U.S. to study silviculture and production forestry. A committee grants $8,000 per year for a variety of activities like workshops, conferences, internships and research. This endowment encourages forestry students to gain an international perspective by obtaining first-hand experience with forestry in diverse environments around the world. For more information, contact Rachel Cook.
• Laarman International Gift Fund: awarded to graduate students conducting creative and important international research in Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife Science, or Natural Resources. Awards are between $500 and $5,000. For more information, contact Rachel Cook.
• The Allen International Travel Endowment provides support for undergraduate and/or graduate students pursuing a degree in the Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources to travel internationally. For more information, contact JJ Acosta (jjacosta@ncsu.edu).