Postdoc Funding Awards
Funding awards and competitive opportunities available to Purdue postdoctoral scholars to support research, professional development, travel, communication skills, and career advancement.
Supplemental Travel Award
Purdue Postdoctoral Affairs is proud to offer Postdoctoral Scholars a competitive travel award that supports professional development through research presentations, conference attendance, and job interviews. The award is offered three times per year, with each cycle covering travel within a designated four-month period.
Awards average $500. Awards are merit-based and postdocs can apply each cycle. Applicants with the greatest professional investment in event attendance are prioritized. Funds are distributed to the postdoc’s Concur account. To access the application during an open-portal period, click here. For more information, please download our Postdoc Travel Award Application Guide.
| Award | Travel Months | Portal Opens | Portal Closes | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | August to November | July 1 | July 15 | August 1 |
| Winter | December to March | November 1 | November 15 | December 1 |
| Spring | April to July | March 1 | March 15 | April 1 |
Competitions
Three Minute Thesis (3MT)
The Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition, developed by The University of Queensland, challenges graduate students and postdoctoral scholars to clearly and compellingly explain their research to a non-specialist audience—in just three minutes with one slide.
This fast-paced event builds presentation and research communication skills while encouraging participants to distill years of work into a concise, engaging format. It’s not about “dumbing down” research—it’s about making complex ideas accessible and impactful.
Top finalists compete for cash prizes, including Winner, Runner-Up, and People’s Choice Award.
Say It In 6®
What is Say It In 6®? Based on SMITH magazine’s “Six-Word Memoirs” concept, Say It In 6® is a competition that challenges you to tell a story about your graduate or postdoctoral research experience — in a clear, concise, and, most importantly, creative way — by using only six words and one visual aid.
The competition is open to all graduate and professional students, non-degree students, and postdoctoral fellows at Purdue. Entries will be published on the Office of the Vice Provost for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars website and social media pages.
CTSI Postdoc Challenge
The Postdoc Challenge offers postdoctoral researchers at Indiana University, IU School of Medicine, IUI, Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame valuable proposal writing and reviewing experience in areas related to translational research.
There is also opportunity to compete for a $5,000 award in the form of an expense account for use of core facility services. Funding is to be used ONLY for services provided by the Indiana CTSI designated core facilities. Indiana CTSI-designated core facilities are listed on the Indiana CTSI website.
Annual RFAs come out in December and applications are due in March. Use the flyer QR codes to link to current information. If you still have unanswered questions, reach out to the competition coordinators:
Matt Allen matallen@iu.edu Aaron Zych ajzych@iu.edu
Contact Information
Postdoctoral Affairs
Young Hall, Room 160. 155 Grant Street
West Lafayette, IN 47907-21147
Email address: postdoc-affairs@purdue.edu
Phone number: (765) 494-2600