Welcome to the 54th year of the Mark Diamond Research Fund (MDRF)! The MDRF offers grants to graduate students for research expenses related to their thesis or dissertation. PhD students may apply for up to $5,000, and Master’s and MFA students for up to $3,000. The MDRF grant is only for University at Buffalo graduate students in programs participating in the Graduate Student Association and who have not waived the student activity fee. Applicants should be in the latter stages of research.
If you have any questions, please contact MDRF Director, Courtney Doxbeck, at gsa-mdrf@buffalo.edu. Please note: due to the high volume of emails and applications for review, the Director does not schedule application review meetings within two weeks of a deadline.
Upcoming MDRF Application Deadlines
PLEASE NOTE: It may take up to 3 weeks to complete paperwork and procedures required to activate MDRF grants once they have been approved. All grants must be activated within 60 days of the grant start date. Please plan accordingly when deciding on which deadline is most appropriate to submit your application.
Electronic applications are due by 3:00pm on the due date. Failure to adhere to this deadline will result in the automatic rejection of your application. The following deadlines are for the electronic submissions:
WINTER: Friday, October 25, 2024, for research to be conducted December 1, 2024 – November 30, 2025
SPRING: Friday, March 28, 2025, for research to be conducted May 1, 2025 – April 30, 2026
SUMMER: Friday, June 27, 2025, for research to be conducted August 1, 2025 – July 31, 2026
All application cycles will be electronic-submission only through our new grant management system via the link below.
**As per the MDRF Guidelines and Obligations, and GSA’s Financial Policies and Budgetary Guidelines, all grant expenses must be paid or reimbursed out of the budget from the fiscal year in which they were incurred. Therefore, no grant expenses may be incurred between July 15th and July 31st each year in order to allow for the proper closing of the fiscal year.**
Applying for the MDRF
The Spring 2025 MDRF grant application is now OPEN. Decisions regarding your Spring application will be issued by April 30, 2025. All decisions are final and cannot be appealed. Advisors cannot email the MDRF Director regarding decisions.
MDRF Application Instructions (updated 10/31/2024)
MDRF Grant Application: HTTPS://UBMDRF.GRANTPLATFORM.COM/
Note: If you are a first-time applicant, you must register an account to fill-out and submit an application. Please use your UB email address when registering. If you are a reviewer and wish to submit an application, please contact the MDRF Director for an account role change.
Committee Member Assurance Form
MDRF Regulations and Penalties
Grant Application Workshops and Review
Application Workshops: The MDRF application workshop can be accessed via the links below. After reviewing these videos, any additional questions can be addressed via email or during office hours.
AI Generated Podcast: New to 2025 is an AI generated podcast discussing the MDRF, its guidelines, and information about completing the application.
Application Review: Applications for review should be emailed to the MDRF Director in a Microsoft Word Document and will be accepted for one full review. Please send the document to gsa-mdrf@buffalo.edu no later than March 12th at 10:00am.
FAQs
What is the Mark Diamond Research Fund (MDRF) and who is eligible to apply?
The MDRF provides grants to University at Buffalo graduate students for research expenses directly related to their thesis, dissertation, or final projects. PhD students are eligible to apply for up to $5,000, while Master’s and MFA students can apply for up to $3,000. To be eligible, students must be enrolled in a program that participates in the Graduate Student Association (GSA), must have paid the student activity fee, and must be in the latter stages of their research with a finalized project and an anticipated graduation date. Students who have received a waiver for the student activity fee are not eligible to apply for the MDRF.
How does the MDRF application process work?
The MDRF application is completed entirely online through the grant platform website using your UB email address to register. Applications are due at 3:00 PM on the posted deadline dates, which vary depending on the granting period (winter, spring, or summer). The system automatically closes applications at the deadline, and late applications are not accepted. The online application requires several components, including applicant information, an abstract, a detailed project plan, a budget with justification, appendices, supporting materials (optional), and committee member assurance forms. All required sections and forms must be included in the application at the time of submission. Incomplete applications will be automatically rejected and any needed signatures for forms must be digital or actual signatures rather than typed names.
What are the key components of a successful MDRF application?
A successful MDRF application requires careful attention to detail and clarity. The abstract and project plan must be written in language understandable to any UB graduate student, avoiding excessive technical jargon or ensuring that such terminology is clearly defined in the required glossaries (one for the abstract, one for the project plan, and a final cumulative glossary). The budget must be accurate, and each item must be clearly justified. Applicants should clearly delineate their research from that of their advisors, highlighting their own contributions. Furthermore, the application must demonstrate strong faculty support through a letter from the applicant’s advisor, and should follow all of the given instructions and submission guidelines thoroughly. The MDRF review council highly values well-organized, clear applications and often rejections and reduced funding decisions are the result of not following all guidelines closely.
How are MDRF applications reviewed and what criteria are used for funding decisions?
MDRF applications are evaluated by the MDRF Review Council, which consists of previous MDRF recipients, other UB graduate students, and two non-voting members: the MDRF Director and a representative of the Graduate School. Funding decisions are based on a majority vote of the council. The review process assesses the clarity of the abstract and project plan, accuracy and justification of the budget, how well the applicant follows the given instructions, evidence of faculty support (i.e. advisor letter), and overall application organization. It is very important to note that funding decisions made by the Review Council are final and cannot be appealed.
What types of expenses are typically funded by the MDRF, and what are some common exclusions?
The MDRF generally funds research-related expenses, such as travel necessary for field work (with limitations on local travel and required documentation), research materials and supplies, equipment needed for research purposes, transcription services, software licenses, human subject costs, special services for research (translators, etc.), animal costs, space or equipment rentals, gallery fees for final artistic projects, postage related to research, and limited photocopying. Items that are not typically funded include salaries or stipends for the applicant or research assistants, conference fees, tuition, most books, general office supplies, personal computer equipment (usually), insurance, routine travel to and from the University at Buffalo, and post-research expenses such as presentation software, printing and binding. If 51% or more of a budget consists of non-fundable items, the application will be rejected. It is important to note that the Graduate Student Association is now tax exempt, therefore sales tax is non-fundable.
What are the key budgetary guidelines and financial procedures that MDRF applicants need to know?
MDRF applicants must submit detailed budgets using the online forms provided, adhering to all requirements and deadlines of the GSA. All expenses must be clearly itemized and justified, and applicants must obtain three price quotes for any single item or collection of the same item totaling over $200 and use the lowest of those three quotes in the budget. They need to accurately calculate all costs, ensuring that the total of all project expenses (Section A) minus available resources from other sources (Section B) equals the total MDRF request (Section C). The MDRF will not reimburse for items purchased before the grant period begins and all purchases must take place during the grant period as well as adhere to the GSA fiscal year end where no expenses can be incurred between July 15th and July 31st each year. Grant funds are provided by UB purchasing or check reimbursements, with no cash awards. Recipients are required to submit receipts or invoices in a timely manner to receive reimbursements, and items purchased through MDRF become the property of the GSA and must be returned upon project completion.
What obligations and responsibilities do MDRF grant recipients have?
Grant recipients must activate their award within 60 days of the grant start date which includes attending a mandatory meeting with the director to review MDRF guidelines, watching an informative video, and signing a certificate of understanding and acceptance. All funds must be expended within the grant period and be used only for items in their approved budget with proper documentation (requisition forms, original receipts and invoices). They are also obligated to participate in at least one MDRF Review Council session during their grant period and must return all equipment purchased with MDRF funds at the end of the grant. Furthermore, they must submit a final report detailing their research. Grant recipients need to be mindful of deadlines for submitting reimbursement requests (requisition requests) and ensure that all paperwork is turned in. Failure to comply with these obligations will result in termination of the grant and possibly other penalties. Grants also cannot be used for any purposes other than the approved, specific research project.
What are the potential penalties for misuse of MDRF funds?
The MDRF takes misuse of funds very seriously as the funds come from the graduate student activity fee. Students are prohibited from using funds for personal gain or for purposes other than what was specified in their approved application. Requesting funds for goods, materials, or services that are intended for other purposes or are provided by the student’s department/advisor is strictly forbidden. Students found in violation of these rules will have their grants voided, be required to repay any spent money, and may become ineligible for any future funding from the GSA. Advisors who sign off on applications that are found to have improperly procured funds may be banned from signing off on future MDRF applications for several grant cycles. In cases of severe violation, departments may also face penalties, including ineligibility to receive MDRF funds for multiple cycles.
About Mark Diamond
Mark Diamond attended the University at Buffalo as a graduate student in the 1980s. He was very active in the Graduate Student Association and worked tirelessly to continue making research funds available to UB graduate students, regardless of their area of study, as Director of the then “Graduate Resource Access Development Fund.”
This fund was an initiative that was started by the Graduate Student Association in 1971 to help students gain access to funds needed in order to complete their research goals. Unfortunately, Mark perished in an automobile accident after having served as the fund director from 1981-1985. As a tribute and legacy to him, the Graduate Student Association voted to rename the research grant fund in 1986 in his honor. The grant is funded through the mandatory graduate student activity fee and the Graduate School.