Department of Plant, Soil and Microbial Sciences Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems

Nominations are due on February 15, 2027. Awards will be offered in March 2027.

CS Mott Fellowship RFA '27-28

We invite MSU faculty to nominate incoming PhD students for the C.S. Mott Predoctoral Fellowships in Sustainable Agriculture for the 2027-2028 academic year. These fellowships are intended for students beginning a Ph.D. program in the 2027-2028 academic year and engaging in research relevant to sustainable agriculture and food systems, broadly defined.

There will be 3 fellowships of $43,500 each awarded this year. The amount is parallel to the cost of a 9-month assistantship, but the fellowship can be utilized anytime during their graduate study, pending completion of a satisfactory annual report by July 1 of each year. For example, the student can receive $43,500 in one year to cover the equivalent amount of Fall and Spring tuition, fees, and stipend or $14,500 each year for 3 years to cover Summers.

A fellowship provides financial support to graduate students to pursue their graduate studies without associated teaching or research responsibilities. Mott Fellows are required to participate in the MSU Graduate Specialization in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems (SAFS).

To nominate a student, the faculty member should request the following materials from the applicant (#1-5) and send the documents in order along with their letter (#6) as one PDF file:

1. Applicant’s CV or resume
2. Applicant’s transcripts
3. Applicant’s MSU graduate school application essay
4. A short essay from the applicant outlining their interest in studying sustainable agriculture and food systems and joining the Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems program (SAFS)
5. At least one recommendation letter from the applicant’s MSU application
6. A recommendation letter from the faculty advisor concerning: 1) the applicant’s probable dissertation area and relevance to sustainable agriculture, 2) summary of the applicant’s academic and professional achievements including honors and awards, and 3) how the Mott Fellowship will assist with the funding plan for the applicant’s program.

Nominations are due on February 15, 2027. Awards will be offered in March 2027.

Sincerely,