Charles E. Coates’ legacy of dedication to graduate study has been preserved over the years by the commitment, achievement, and high caliber of each class of graduate students. Their achievements could not be realized without the assistance of the Charles E. Coates Memorial Fund, established in 1964 in memory of one of LSU’s early professors of chemistry.

The Coates Fund assists full-time chemical engineering, chemistry, and physics doctoral students in their research endeavors through four awards: outstanding dissertation, conference travel, research travel, and scholar research.

Four awards are given through the Charles E. Coates Fund:

OUTSTANDING DISSERTATION AWARDS of $1,000 are made to students for outstanding dissertations accepted by LSU in the departments of Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or Physics & Astronomy. Criteria used for evaluation include gpa, strength of letters from the student's committee members, anticipated impact of work, and originality of research.

CONFERENCE TRAVEL AWARDS of up to $1,000 are available to assist students in publicizing the results of their research at conferences and symposia. The conference must be national or international in scope, and the student must make a poster or oral presentation. Criteria used for evaluation include gpa, letter from the student's advisor, and the strength of research described in the conference abstract.

RESEARCH TRAVEL GRANTS of up to $2,000 are made to students who need extended research time at other institutions or venues. Travel must be directly related to the student's proposed and approved research, and all expenditures must follow University regulations. Selection criteria include proposal content, major professor's recommendation letter, and overall scope of the proposal.

SCHOLAR RESEARCH GRANTS consist of 2-year awards made annually for $5,000 per year, with second-year funding contingent upon successful progress documented in an annual report. A maximum of four awards will be active at one time. Selection criteria include a proposal describing anticipated research, major professor's recommendation letter and support, and gpa from the graduate transcript.