Category: Announcements

Items that are time sensitive and require action

December 9: Seminar on upcoming thesis and dissertation changes

Students who are scheduling a defense of a thesis or dissertation on or after January 10, 2011 will need to format and submit their document according to the new procedures.

The new procedures do not apply to students submitting a report, or to students who defend before January 10, 2011.

The Graduate School will give a presentation outlining the major changes in formatting and submission procedures on December 9th beginning at 4:05pm.  This seminar at least once more in January, based on demand.

Please register online so we can plan for your attendance.  After registration, you will receive e-mail reminders closer to the date, and the location of the seminar.

Please contact Debra Charlesworth with any questions.

Nominations for Spring 2011 Finishing Fellowships Now Open

Nominations for spring Finishing Fellowships are now open.  Applications must be submitted to the Graduate School no later than 4pm on October 20th.

Students are eligible if all of the following criteria are met:

  1. Must be a PhD student.
  2. Must expect to finish in spring 2011.
  3. Must have submitted a Petition to Enter Full-Time Research Only Mode. No Finishing Fellowships will be awarded to students who fail to receive approval of their petition.

Previous recipients of a Finishing Fellowship are not eligible.

Please see our application page for details on the application procedure.  Please direct any questions to Dr. Debra Charlesworth.

Fellow Tips for Writing Fellowship Essays

Jared’s  top 3 tips for writing your fellowship essays:

1. Keep your research essay focused. It shows a certain amount of scientific maturity to be able to understand that your proposal consists of about 4 years of work (rather than 10-20).

2. Read the program announcement and know every detail. Pay close attention to formatting instructions (1 inch margins) and broader impacts criterion.

3. Have multiple professors read your essays, each faculty member will have a few really helpful tips. Professors will be brutally honest with you because they want to see you succeed–don’t take negative feedback personally. The trick is reconciling very positive reviews with very negative ones.

Find out what other fellows tips this Thursday, September 30th  at 7:00 in Fisher  133.

Nominations sought for MAGS Thesis Award

The Executive Committee of the Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) is soliciting nominations for the 2011 MAGS Distinguished Master’s Thesis Awards to recognize and reward distinguished scholarship and research at the master’s level.  Michigan Tech may nominate one candidate.

Eligible students will have earned a master of science degree between October 1, 2009 to September 30, 2010.

Please see our web page for complete details on eligibility and application procedures.  Nominations are due no later than 4pm, October 11th to Debra Charlesworth in the Graduate School.

BRC Looking for Applications for Travel Grants

The Biotechnology Research Center (BRC) announces its fall 2010 travel grants, which provide financial assistance to Michigan Tech’s undergraduate students, graduate students and postdoctoral scientists to present their research at scientific meetings.

The grants promote research and achievement in biotechnology. The awards are merit-based and are offered in the spring and fall each year.

To apply, complete the application form available at Biotechnology .

Send the application materials to Mary Tassava, staff assistant in BRC, at mltassav@mtu.edu .

  • The fall application deadline is Friday, Oct. 15,
  • Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Published in Tech Today.

Thesis and Dissertation Submission Seminar

Students planning on finishing a thesis or dissertation this semester or next semester are invited a seminar designed to help students understand current procedures, the new procedures, and answer student questions.

Join Debra Charlesworth on September 9th at 4:05pm to learn about the submission process from start to finish.

Faculty and staff who work with students completing a thesis or dissertation are also invited to attend.

Please register online for the event.

Once you register, you will receive a confirmation with the location and a reminder of the date and time. Space is limited, so register early!

If you are unable to join us, a taped version of this seminar is available online from our May 18th presentation.

AAUW 2011-2012 American Fellowship and Grant Applications

2011-2012 Academic Year
Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship: $30,000
Dissertation Fellowship: $20,000
Summer/Short-Term Research Publication Grant: $6,000
Applications available: Aug. 1–Nov. 15, 2010
Application deadline*: Nov. 15, 2010
Fellowship year: July 1, 2011–June 30, 2012

* All supporting documents must also be received by this date. If an application deadline falls on a weekend or holiday, supporting documents must be received the next business day.

American Fellowships support women doctoral candidates completing dissertations or scholars seeking funds for postdoctoral research leave from accredited institutions. Candidates must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Candidates are evaluated on the basis of scholarly excellence, the quality and originality of project design, and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research.

Candidates may apply for only one of the awards described below. Former recipients of these awards are not eligible to apply for additional American Fellowships or publication grants.

Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowships offer one-year of support for women in tenure-track faculty positions in support of their earning tenure and further promotions. Candidates must have earned a doctoral degree by Nov. 15, 2010. Postdoctoral fellowships are available in the arts and humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences. Limited additional funds may be available when matched by the fellow’s institution.
Apply now for a Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship »

Dissertation Fellowships are available to women who will complete their dissertation writing between July 1, 2011 and June 30, 2012. Degree conferral must be between April 1 and September 15, 2012. To qualify, applicants must have completed all course work, passed all required preliminary examinations, and received approval for their research proposal or plan by Nov. 15,2010. Students holding any fellowship for writing a dissertation in the year prior to the AAUW fellowship year are not eligible. Open to applicants in all fields of study. Scholars engaged in science, technology, engineering and math and also researching gender issues are especially encouraged to apply.
Apply now for a Dissertation Fellowship »

Summer/Short-Term Research Publication Grants fund women college and university faculty and independent researchers to prepare research for publication. The grants are intended for tenure-track, part-time, or temporary faculty or new or established scholars and researchers at universities. Time must be available for eight consecutive weeks of final writing, editing, and responding to issues raised in critical reviews. Funds cannot be used for undertaking research. Applicants must have received their doctorates by the application deadline. Scholars with strong publishing records should seek other funding.
Apply now for a Summer/Short-Term Research Publication Grant »

Questions about applications must be directed to the Iowa City office. Please do not contact the AAUW office in Washington, D.C., or local branches for application information. Please call 319/337-1716 ext. 60, e-mail aauw@act.org, or write to the customer service center at

Webinar on Federal Funding Open to Graduate Students

A webinar to help faculty seek support from federal agencies for research and commercialization will be held from 3 to 4 p.m., Wednesday, Sept. 1, at the Advanced Technology Development Complex.

The session is hosted by the MTEC SmartZone and sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Twelve federal agencies have $2 billion to allocate to fund research and development for the express purpose of commercialization.

The information is of interest to graduate students, postdocs, principle investigators/university research officers, corporate technology directors/researchers, and academic liaisons/professors.

The last webinar is scheduled for October 6.

For more information, contact Jonathan Leinonen at 487-7004 or at jleinonen@mtecsz.com .

2011 Science, Mathematics & Research for Transformation (SMART) Fellowship Application Now Open

The 2011 SMART Scholarship application is now open.  The Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART) Scholarship for Service Program has been established by the Department of Defense (DoD) to support undergraduate and graduate students pursuing degrees in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) disciplines. The program aims to increase the number of civilian scientists and engineers working at DoD laboratories. Learn More >

Participants in the SMART Scholarship for Service Program receive;

  • Full tuition and education related fees (does not include items such as meal plans, housing, or parking)
  • Cash award paid at a rate of $25,000 – $41,000 depending on prior educational experience (may be prorated depending on award length)
  • Paid summer internships
  • Health Insurance reimbursement allowance up to $1,200 per calendar year
  • Book allowance of $1,000 per academic year
  • Mentoring
  • Employment placement after graduation

All awardees must be;

  • a U.S. citizen,
  • 18 years of age or older as of August 1, 2011,
  • able to participate in summer internships at DoD laboratories,
  • willing to accept post-graduate employment with the DoD,
  • a student in good standing with a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale (as calculated by the SMART application) and,
  • pursuing an undergraduate or graduate degree in one of the disciplines listed on the About SMART page.

Contact Jodi Lehman in (jglehman@mtu.edu or 487-2875) if you are interested in submitting a SMART application.

2011 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program Solicitation

The 2011 NSF GRFP application is now available.  You are eligible to apply if you are:

1. a US citizen, US national or permanent resident alien, and

2. a  graduating senior; have completed a B.S./B.A. degree in a STEM field; or are in their 1st year or the first semester of their 2nd year in graduate school, and

3. pursuing a research-based master’s or doctoral degree in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields supported by NSF.

GRFP fellows receive the following:

– Three years of support
– $30,000 annual stipend
– $10,500 cost-of-education allowance
– $1,000 one time international travel allowance
TeraGrid Supercomputer access


Application Deadline(s) (due by 5 p.m. submitter’s local time):

November 15, 2010

Interdisciplinary Fields of Study

November 16, 2010

Engineering

November 18, 2010

Mathematical Sciences; Computer and Information Sciences and Engineering; Chemistry; Physics and Astronomy

November 19, 2010

Social Sciences; Psychology; Geosciences; STEM Education and Learning

November 22, 2010

Life Sciences

Please note in the solicitation that:

  1. Fields of Study have been revised.
  2. The description of eligibility requirements is clarified with respect to non-eligible fields of study.
  3. The international options for Fellows have been revised.
  4. The Fellowship conditions have changed.  The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship cannot be accepted concurrently with another Federal fellowship.

Contact Jodi Lehman in (jglehman@mtu.edu or 487-2875) for

Michigan Tech applauds six of its student applicants who received Fellow Awards this past year:

  • Kaitlyn (Reed) Bunker (Electrical Engineering)
  • Nicole Colasacco-Thumm (Geosciences/Climate Dynamics)
  • Jared Cregg (Biomedical Engineering)
  • Ashley Thode (Civil Engineering)
  • Eli Vlaisavljevich (Bioengineering)
  • Samantha Wojda (Biomedical Engineering)