Career and Fellowship Information

 

Fellowships

MSU Graduate School Fellowship Web Site:

http://grad.msu.edu/funding/

Students interested in teaching or entrepeneurship and public policy can apply for small awards the provide supplemental support ($1,000-$1,500/semester) and requjire participation in meetings and discussions on the topics:

FAST - Future Academic Scholars in Teaching

CASTL - The Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Leadership Program

 

Emergency Fellowship Funding for PhD students consists of very short term aid:
http://grad.msu.edu/forms/emergency.pdf

 

Dr. Marvin Hensley Endowed Fellowship
Recipients must be pursuing a graduate degree in the College of Natural Science. Special emphasis and consideration will be given to students in environmental research thrust areas.

This fellowship will be in the amount of $6000. Flexibility will be allowed in the distribution of the funds. Recipients may elect to receive the award in Fall or Spring Semester or request that the funds be split between the two semesters. The recipients will not be prohibited from receiving other support during the award period.

Nomination packages should include a letter of recommendation from the unit, either from the student's major professor, the graduate program director or chairperson; a copy of the student's curriculum vitae; and a statement of the student's current research project. For 2008, the nomination materials should be forwarded electronically to roache@msu.edu or hard copies to Teri Roache, room 103 Natural Science Building, no later than 5:00pm on Friday, April 17, 2009.

 

Barnett Rosenberg Fellowship in Biological Sciences
Nominees may be on campus now, or may be planning to come in the near future. The stipend will be $24,000 plus approximately $1,800 to cover the cost of health insurance. In addition, tuition and fees will be waived for ten credits Fall and Spring Semesters and four credits Summer Semester. The quality of current and past recipients has been excellent, consistent with the aim of making this a particularly distinctive and prestigious award.

There is no special application form. In order for the review committee to most readily compare the nominees, please provide the following for each candidate: curriculum vitae (which includes a local mailing address and PID), statement of past achievements, current progress and future interests, and two or more letters of recommendation, at least one of which attests to the nominee's teaching and service. One hard copy or a digital copy should be provided to Teri Roche (roache@msu.edu), room 103 Nat Sci Bldg,  by April 30, 2009.

 

The Alfred J. and Ruth Zeits Research Endowment Fellowship will be awarded to a student   pursuing a graduate degree in the College of Natural Science in the area of nuclear and laser science research. This may include nuclear and laser science research related to cancer.

This fellowship will be in the amount of $6,000. The award will be made for Summer, Fall, or Spring semester, or request that the funds be split between two semesters. The recipient will not be prohibited from receiving other support during the award period. The award may be used toward, but not limited to, student stipends, instrumentation, or travel.  Nomination packages should include a letter of recommendation from the unit, either from the student’s major professor, the graduate program director or chairperson; a copy of the student’s curriculum vitae; and a statement of the students current research project. All nomination materials should be forwarded electronically to roache@msu.edu or one hard copy to Teri Roache, room 103 Natural Science Building, no later than 5:00pm on Friday, April 17, 2009.

 

Tracy Hammer Graduate Student Award For Professional Development
This award recognizes and supports an outstanding graduate student with a one-time stipend that can be used for professional travel, reference texts, or computer software. Nominations are submitted by CNS faculty, staff and alumni. The Board of Directors of the CNS Alumni Association selects the recipient and presents the award at the annual CNS Awards Convocation.

The award was renamed in 1996 to memorialize 1995 co-recipient Tracy Anne
Hammer. A native of New York, Hammer was the first dual degree candidate to pursue a doctoral degree in animal genetics through the department of Microbiology and Veterinary Medicine. Her research centered on canine dilated cardiomyopathy. While traveling to a conference, Hammer died in a plane crash shortly before graduation. Her degree was awarded posthumously.

This award includes a $500 stipend funded by the CNS Alumni Association and the CNSAA Endowed Scholarship Fund.

 

Future Academic Scholars (FAST) Fellowship Program The Graduate School at Michigan State University (MSU) and the MSU Center for the Integration of Research Teaching and Learning (CIRTL) Steering Committee are sponsoring an opportunity for graduate students--the FAST Fellowship Program (Future Academic Scholars in Teaching).  The primary goals of the FAST Fellowship Program are to provide opportunities for a diverse group of graduate students to have mentored teaching experiences and to gain familiarity with materials on teaching and assessment techniques.

The FAST program is for doctoral students with interests in teaching, learning, and assessment in higher education who are enrolled in programs associated with the Colleges of Natural Science, Agriculture and Natural Resources, Engineering, and Veterinary Medicine and whose college or department has an approved Certification in College Teaching Program.**

Students selected for this one-year program participate in group meetings usually at 4:00-5:30 p.m. on Thursdays (or another day designated by the group) or workshops with fellowship recipients, outside speakers, and/or faculty members to discuss topics related to teaching and learning. Fellowship recipients also propose and conduct a defined, small scholarly project on a topic they select regarding the scholarship of teaching. Assistance with projects is provided by a mentor, selected by each fellow, and MSU CIRTL Steering Committee Members. Fellows are encouraged and supported to disseminate project results on websites, at conferences, and/or in peer-reviewed journals. Each fellow receives $1,000 to help support project expenses and/or travel to a conference to disseminate findings.

Applications must be submitted on or before Monday March 16, 2009 . Announcements of fellowship recipients for the 2009-2010 academic year will be made by April 1, 2009. For further information or questions regarding the program, please see the website at http://grad.msu.edu/fast/ or contact Dr. Rique Campa, 432-7340 or campa@msu.edu.

 

The Graduate School Dissertation Completion Fellowships
Twenty fellowships are available annually to allow students to devote full time to writing the dissertation with the goal that the dissertation will be completed during the tenure of the fellowship. Other MSU financial support, held simultaneously with the fellowship, cannot exceed a one-half time assistantship or the equivalent. Usually, the College of Natural Science announces competition for these fellowships at the end of the spring semester. Selection of fellowship winners requires both excellence of the candidate and need for fellowship support. Students are expected to submit an outline of their thesis and a time table for completion.

 

AGEP Fellowship
The Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP) at Michigan State University (MSU) is a National Science Foundation program that supports recruitment, retention, and graduation of from U. S. population groups historically underrepresented in fields of the sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and the social, behavioral, and economic (SBE) sciences. A feature of the MSU AGEP Learning Community is once monthly meetings to develop dialog across disciplines and to promote fellowship among peers in addition to sharing information that is key to success in graduate training and beyond.

The award is limited to $2,000/year with any possible combination of travel and professional development (including books, society memberships, software, laptops).

Application information can be acessed at http://grad.msu.edu/agep.htm. The deadline for 2009 was Feb. 27, 2009.

 

Financial aid options for international students in very specific areas are described at: http://www.oiss.msu.edu/students_financial.php

Travel Funding opportunities are detailed by the MSU Graduate School at:  http://grad.msu.edu/funding.htm  From that page, click on the link labelled:Travel Funding. In addition to these sources, the Genetics Program will generally provide $200/year for each graduate student who is attending a meeting to present his or her research results. Council of Graduate Students (COGS) offers Conference grants (you can be awarded up to $300 for a Conference grant). Apply before the first Friday of classes of the semester in which the conference will take place. Awards are drawn by lottery.

International Essay Contest
2009 ESSAY TOPIC: IN MY SHOES…… EVERYONE HAS A STORY – TELL US YOURS
Eligibility: MSU undergraduate or graduate international students maintaining F or J status
Length: No more than four pages typed double-spaced.
Include your name and email address on the top of the front or cover page.
Permission Notice: All or parts of winning and non-winning essays might be published on the OISS website. By submitting your entry, you agree that your entry can be used in this way.
For more information: http://www.oiss.msu.edu/feature_essay_app.php
Due Date: Essays must be received as email attachments by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 23, 2009. Email your essay to: oiss@msu.edu.
First Prize: $1,000
Second Prize: $500
Third Prize: $250

The Environmental Science and Policy Program has a funding page, that lists potential funding sources for environmental research: http://www.environment.msu.edu/news/funding.html;

 

External Fellowships

The Genetics Society of America offers travel awards to enable graduate
students to attend a scientific meeting, conference or course. The
application is simple. Information about the DeLill Nasser Award and the
application are available on-line at the GSA Web Site:

http://www.genetics-gsa.org/pages/delill.shtml.

Awards have been in the $1000 to $1500 range. Applications may be submitted
once a year. The deadline for 2010 is November 20, 2009.

 

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Scholarship and Fellowship Program
The DHS plans to award 100 new scholarships and fellowships to high-performing undergraduate and graduate students in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics that are critical to the DHS mission. The DHS Scholars and Fellows program is designed to nurture the next generation of public-service oriented scientists and engineers, while encouraging their long-term commitment to homeland security issues. Application deadlines have been in January.

Complete information is available online at http://www.orau.gov/dhsed/.

 

National Science Foundation East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students

The National Science Foundation (NSF) East Asia and Pacific Summer Institutes for U.S. Graduate Students (EAPSI) is a fellowship program for developing the next generation of globally-engaged U.S. scientists and engineers knowledgeable about the Asian and Pacific regions. The Summer Institutes are hosted by foreign counterparts committed to increasing opportunities for young U.S. researchers to work in research facilities and with host mentors abroad. The program is intended for U.S. graduate students pursuing studies in fields supported by the National Science Foundation. Women, minorities, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply for the EAPSI. Applicants must be enrolled in a research-oriented master's or PhD program and be U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents by the application deadline date.  For the 2009 competition, NSF received 317 applications and issued 187 awards.
 
Fellows are supported to participate in eight-week research experiences at host laboratories in Australia, China, Japan (10 weeks), Korea, New Zealand, Singapore and Taiwan from June to August. The program provides a $5,000 summer stipend, round-trip airfare to the host location, living expenses abroad, and an introduction to the society, culture, language, and research environment of the host location.

 

The 2010 application will close December 8, 2009. Application instructions are avalible online at http://www.nsfsi.org. For further information concerning benefits, eligibility, and tips on applying, applicants are encouraged to visit http://www.nsf.gov/eapsi or http://www.nsfsi.org.

 

United Negro College Fund-Merck Science Initiative Research Scholarships and Fellowships
There is a December deadline for the United Negro College Fund-Merck Science Initiative Research Scholarships and Fellowships in the life and physical science. In 2007, this initiative provided scholarships, internships and fellowships to at least 37 outstanding African American students per year: 15 at the undergraduate level, 12 at the graduate level, and 10 at the postdoctoral level.

The undergraduate awards are up to $35,000, which includes up to $25,000 towards tuition, room and board, and billable fees. Undergraduate recipients receive two Summer Research Internships with stipends totaling at least $10,000. The recipient's department may apply for a Departmental Grant of up to $10,000. This award is intended for juniors, who will be a B.S. or B.A. degree candidate in the 2007-2008 academic year.

Graduate awards are up to $52,000, which includes a Stipend of up to $42,000 for the fellow and a Research Grant of up to $10,000. The Stipend is intended to cover a 12-24 month period with no more than $25,000 in any 12 month period. This award is intended for students within 1 to 3 years of degree completion.

Postdoctoral awards are up to $85,000, which includes a Stipend of up to $70,000 and a Research Grant of up to $15,000. The Stipend is intended to cover a 12-24 month period with no more than $45,000 in any 12 month period. This award is intended for students who will obtain their Ph.D. or equivalent degree by the end of the 2006-2007 academic year, and will be appointed as a new or continuing postdoctoral fellow by the end of the 2007 calendar year at either academic or non-academic research institutions in the USA (private industrial labs are excluded).

Information and applications are available online at http://www.uncf.org/merck/

 

ASM Robert D. Watkins Graduate Research Fellowship in Microbiology

The goal of the fellowship is to increase the number of underrepresented groups completing doctoral degrees in the microbiological sciences. These groups include African-Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, Alaskan Natives, and Pacific Islanders.  The ASM Robert D. Watkins Graduate Research Fellowship is aimed at highly competitive graduate students who are enrolled in a Ph.D. program and who have completed their graduate course work in the microbiological sciences. The fellowship is intended to encourage students to continue and complete their research project in the microbiological sciences.  

Students will be:

1) Required to submit an abstract each year to ASM for presentation at the annual ASM General Meeting

2)Required to attend the ASM Kadner Institute one time during the three-year tenure of the fellowship

Click here for more information: http://www.asm.org

The deadline for application is May 1.

 

Fellowship Resources

MSU Scholarship Search

 

Short Term Loans

$250 Short Term Loans
ASMSU administers a $250 loan program for COGS. To obtain a loan, bring a valid MSU ID and a picture ID to 307 Student Services. The loan is interest-free for 6 weeks. Since the loan fund is a limited resource, money may not always be available. Loans are not available during the last 3 weeks of any term.

$500 Short Term Loans
The Office of Financial Aid administers a COGS-funded $500 loan program. Applications for the $500 loan are available in 252 Student Services, and take 2-3 business days to process. Make sure you write "COGS LOAN" clearly at the top of the application form! This loan is interest-free for up to 60 days

Career Information

1. Go to www.biocareercenter.com/jobsboard
2. Click on the orange candidate registration bar
3. Fill out the ?New Job Seeker Account? and create a User Name and Password
4. Search and apply for a variety of scientific careers on the exclusive consortium network

Bio Career Center also provides an in-depth look at various career paths in the sciences. You can find this and a great deal more information on career searches on Michigan State University?s Bio Career Center Webpage at: http://www.msu.biocareerservices.org/index.html .
For help with any aspect of the job search or questions related to Bio Career Center please contact:
Dr. Matt Helm, Director of Ph.D. Career Services.
113 Student Services Building
Email: helmmatt@msu.edu   Phone: 517-884-1351.

 

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