Category: Research

Michigan Tech MSGC Graduate Fellowship Workshop and Writing Support

The Graduate School is offering support services to assist graduate students in applying for the Michigan Space Grant Consortium’s (MSGC’s) Graduate Fellowship, including a workshop and one-on-one writing support.

MSGC’s Graduate Fellowship opportunity supports graduate students from affiliate institutions who are conducting research and public service projects relevant to NASA’s strategic interests as expressed in NASA’s 2014  and 2018 Strategic Plans — specifically, research focused on aerospace, space science and earth system science. Graduate students working in related science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields are also eligible to apply.

Additionally, MSGC is piloting an expanded definition of STEM to include support for interdisciplinary projects that include art, so graduate students conducting research and projects relevant to NASA’s strategic interests in disciplines not traditionally considered STEM, such as the humanities or social sciences, are likewise encouraged to apply.

Fellowship recipients are awarded $5,000. To be eligible, applicants must identify a mentor, be U.S. nationals, have a good academic record, and be in good academic standing. Women, underrepresented minorities and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply. Students currently receiving MSGC Fellowships are eligible to reapply.

Workshop Details:

  • MSGC Graduate Fellowship Workshop: Overview and tips from a reviewer
    • Date and Time: Tuesday, Sept. 19, from 10-10:50 a.m.
    • Location: Zoom
    • Presenter: Will Cantrell, associate provost and dean of the Graduate School
    • Host: Sarah Isaacson (sisaacso@mtu.edu), GLAS program director
    • Register for the Workshop — The workshop will be recorded and shared with those who registered.

For more information and specific application instructions, visit the MSGC website and the MTU Graduate School MSGC webpage.

By the Graduate School.

Submission and Formatting 101: Master the Dissertation, Thesis and Report Process at Michigan Tech

Students who are completing a dissertation, thesis or report are invited to join the Graduate School to learn about the resources available to them to assist in scheduling their defense, formatting their documents and submitting their documents. In one afternoon, you can learn everything you need to be successful and complete your degree in a timely fashion! Faculty and staff who assist students with submissions are also welcome to attend. Attend the entire event, or stop in for the seminar that interests you.

  • When: Wednesday, May 24, from 2-4 p.m. (see a detailed schedule on our blog)
  • Who: Students completing a dissertation, thesis or report; faculty and staff who assist students with submission.
  • Where: Virtually via Zoom (please register to attend online and receive participation instructions) and in person in Admin 404 (room capacity is 35).
  • Registration: Please register to receive handouts via email or attend online. The seminar will be available online as well as on campus.

If you are unable to join us, the event will be taped and available online after the event. The previous semester’s seminars are always available online.

Information on submitting, formatting and more can be found online for dissertations and theses or reports.

By Debra Charlesworth, Graduate School.

Upcoming Library and Design Expo Workshops at Michigan Tech

Prepare for Design Expo and other term-end presentations the right way — with peer support, pizza and help from dedicated library and writing center staff! You’re invited to four instructional work sessions to help you create compelling videos, visuals and pitches for the projects you have dedicated so much time to. Pizza will be provided at each session so you can grab a quick meal while you fine-tune your work!

Faculty and instructors are highly encouraged to send students working on large final projects to these workshops.

All sessions will be held:

  • Where: Library’s East Reading Room
  • When: 2-3 p.m.

Please register for the sessions that interest you so we don’t order too much, or worse, too little pizza!

  • Explain Your Project to Anybody — Wednesday, March 15
    Practice talking about your design in a concise, easy-to-understand way. This will help you solidify content for your video and develop a short elevator pitch that you can share at your booth the day of the Expo. Come prepared to talk about your design and answer a few questions about it! Register for this work session.
  • Video Creating & Editing — Thursday, March 23
    We’ll provide basic info on recording, available tools and tricks to make your production more professional and accessible. The last 40 minutes of the hour will be devoted to questions and open work time. Handouts and a compilation of resources will be available to take with you! Register for this work session.
  • Communicate with Images & Visualizations — Wednesday, March 29
    Co-hosted with the Michigan Tech Writing Center! We’ll cover principles you can use to ensure your images and data are readable and appealing, and run through tools you can use to design supporting images. The second half of the session will be devoted to questions and open work time. Pick the brains of staff from the writing center and library as you think through how to best share your research. Register for this work session.
  • Explain Your Project to Anybody — Thursday, April 6
    A skill so important we are holding the session twice! Join if you cannot make the first one or still want to workshop your elevator pitch. Register for this work session.
  • Final Countdown — Wednesday, April 12
    Work on the last details of your project and video with company! Snacks and refreshments provided. Register for this work session.
    • by Van Pelt and Opie Library

Michigan Tech Design Expo Innovation Award Opportunity

Husky Innovate and the Office of Innovation and Commercialization are co-sponsoring Innovation Awards as part of Design Expo 2023. The top three contestants will receive a cash award and certificate of recognition.

Apply using our application form. Applications will be evaluated on the applicant’s ability to demonstrate the following:

  1. A clear value proposition,
  2. The distinction of their innovation over alternative solutions,
  3. A defined and actionable plan for realizing the economic or societal impact of their innovation, and
  4. The scale of that impact.

All applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on April 7.

Winners will be announced at the Design Expo Awards Ceremony on April 18 at 3:30 p.m. in the Rozsa Center.

By Husky Innovate, Pavlis Honors College.

Michigan Tech URIP Applications Now Open

Pavlis Honors College (PHC) is currently accepting applications to the Undergraduate Research Internship Program (URIP) for the 2023-24 academic year. The internship program will run from September 2023 through mid-March 2024 and is open to any undergraduate student on campus with an identified faculty research mentor. Faculty and students who are already working together are welcome to apply.

PHC will provide $960 in funding for the student intern, with the expectation that faculty will provide equivalent matching funds to be dispensed concurrently, resulting in a total of $1,920 paid hourly over the course of the internship. Faculty may make use of research funds, IRAD and startup packages, or consult their chairs, deans or center/institute management to identify the source of their match.

Details regarding the application process can be found on the Pavlis Honors College website.

The deadline to submit applications is 5 p.m. March 24. Faculty need to supply a letter of support as part of the application package. If you have questions about the submission process, please email Rob Handler at rhandler@mtu.edu.

URIP is made possible with support from PHC and generous donations from the Portage Health Foundation and the DeVlieg Foundation.

By Pavlis Honors College.

Summer 2023 PHF Graduate Assistantship Nominations Open

Applications for Summer 2023 Portage Health Foundation (PHF) Graduate Assistantships are being accepted and are due no later than 4 p.m. next Tuesday (Feb. 28) to the Graduate School. Instructions on the application and evaluation process are found online. Students are eligible if all of the following criteria are met:

  1. Must be a Ph.D. student conducting a research or outreach project that will promote and/or improve the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon communities.
  2. Must be a Ph.D. candidate at the time of application.
  3. Must be two years after starting the graduate program at the time of application.
  4. Must not be a prior recipient of a PHF Graduate Assistantship.
  5. Preference will be given to applicants with longstanding local connections to Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga or Ontonagon county.

Priority will be given to students originally from Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga or Ontonagon counties. Nonresident students and international students are encouraged to apply if their health research is applicable to health needs and job shortages of our local community (obesity research, rural health, medical informatics, drug delivery and lab testing, physical therapy, etc.).

These assistantships are available through the generosity of the Portage Health Foundation. They are intended to recognize outstanding Ph.D. talent in health-oriented research areas. Applicants should be a catalyst for promoting and improving the overall health of Houghton, Keweenaw, Baraga and Ontonagon communities through one of the following:

  • health research and technology development
  • health education or preventive and wellness initiatives
  • rural health care access, informatics and assessment of care

Students who receive full support through a PHF Graduate Assistantship may not accept any other employment. For example, students cannot be fully supported by a PHF Graduate Assistantship and accept support as a GTA or GRA.

Michigan Tech Graduate Research Colloquium: Sign Up Today!

GSG is thrilled to announce this year’s Graduate Research Colloquium (GRC) will be held March 29 and March 30. GRC offers a very special opportunity for graduate students to showcase their research across the campuswide community and also to work on their presentation skills for upcoming conferences. Students can give oral presentations, present posters or do both.

Poster presentations will be given March 29 at the Rosza Center Lobby from 5-8 p.m. GSG will be taking care of printing posters this year. The oral presentations will take place March 29 and 30 in the MUB ballroom — each will be 12 minutes long followed by a Q&A session. All the presentations will be scored by judges from a similar field as the presenter. They will provide valuable insight and feedback on how the students can improve their presentations.

Cash prizes are available for the top three oral and poster presentations (first $300, second $200 and third $100).

Registration is open now and closes March 3 at 11:59 p.m.

The GRC event will be capped off with the annual GRC Awards Banquet. All participants and judges are invited to attend. It will be held March 30 following the closing of the GRC.

Register using the GRC Registration Form. For more info visit our website.

By Graduate Student Government.

NSF IRES: IRiKA Paid Internship in Korea for Michigan Tech Students

Eligible undergraduate and graduate students at Michigan Tech can apply for an eight-week paid research internship in Korea during the summer of 2023. The grant is through the National Science Foundation International Research Experiences for Students (NSF IRES): Interdisciplinary Research in Korea on Applied smart systems (IRiKA) program.

The goal of the NSF IRES program is to provide high-quality educational experiences for small groups of U.S. students through active research participation in collaboration with foreign researchers at an international site and provide students with international collaborative research training and a personal network on which to build future collaborations.

IRiKA is a competitive program. The students selected for the Summer 2023 cohort will each receive:

  • U.S.-Korea roundtrip airfare and transportation in Korea,
  • an eight-week paid research internship in Korea ($500 per week),
  • accommodations in Korea, and
  • additional research support.

The dates of the internship are June 16 to Aug. 16. Eligible students can find more information and apply through IRiKA’s website. The deadline for Michigan Tech students to apply is tomorrow (Feb. 10).

View the detailed flyer.

Michigan Tech Graduate Research Colloquium 2023

Graduate Student Government (GSG) is pleased to announce this year’s Graduate Research Colloquium (GRC) will be held March 29 and 30.

Each spring, GSG sponsors the GRC Poster Presentation Competition. GRC offers a unique opportunity for graduate students to showcase their research with the University community and work on their presentation skills for other professional events. Students can give oral presentations, present posters, or do both. This year, both the formats will be held in person. Judges from a similar field as the presenter will score all the presentations. They will provide valuable insight and feedback on how the students can improve their presentations. The presenters will be grouped into different technical sessions, according to their discipline of study.

Cash prizes are available for the top three places in both oral and poster presentations (first $300, second $200 and third $100). Registration is open now, and it closes March 3 at 11:59 p.m. Register today!

Poster presentations will occur March 29 from 5-8 p.m. at the Rosza Lobby. Oral presentations will happen on both March 29 from 12-5 p.m. at the MUB and March 30 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the MUB. GSG will be covering the cost of printing posters this year. The oral sessions will be 12-minute live talks followed by Q&A sessions.

The GRC event will be capped off with the annual GRC Awards Banquet. All participants and judges are invited to attend. The banquet will be held March 30, following the closing of GRC. Full information can be found on our website. If you have any questions please contact gsg-research@mtu.edu.

Important Dates:

  • Feb. 1 — Registration Opens
  • March 3 — Registration Closes
  • March 17 — Posters and Abstracts Due at 5 p.m.
  • March 29 — Oral Presentations at the MUB, 12-5 p.m.
  • March 29 — Poster Presentations in the Rosza Lobby, 5-8 p.m.
  • March 30 — Oral Presentations at the MUB, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
  • March 30 — Banquet in the Rosza Lobby, 5-7 p.m.

By Graduate Student Government.

MTU Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium Submissions Deadline Approaching

Michigan Tech’s Pavlis Honors College invites undergraduate researchers and scholars from all colleges to participate in the 2023 Michigan Tech Undergraduate Research & Scholarship Symposium (URSS). We are pleased to feature the work of the Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows, the DeVlieg Foundation Fellows and the Portage Health Foundation Fellows at this year’s event, and we would also love to feature your students!

The URSS is a great opportunity to highlight the work of our undergraduate students, present posters describing completed or ongoing research and receive feedback from faculty judges. This year’s event will take place March 24, and research submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday (Feb. 7).

This year, in addition to the poster sessions, the URSS will also feature a panelist discussion and a networking social event leading up to the announcement of the event’s award winners. Our menu for the panelist discussion and the networking social will consist of French-roast coffee, petit fours and Lac La Belle apple cider.

Additionally, we have teamed up with the J. Robert Van Pelt and John and Ruanne Opie Library to offer a poster creation session on March 14 from 10-11 a.m. to assist your students in preparing for the URSS. If they’d like to get started before then, the Library has templates to assist them.

Please pass this information to students who you think would benefit from this opportunity and encourage them to apply! Questions can be directed to Chris Hohnholt at cahohnho@mtu.edu.

By Pavlis Honors College.