Newsletter for 11/10/2024

Announcements

Fall 2024 University Deadlines

*Please note the following upcoming university deadlines, and ALWAYS check the Academic and Administrative Calendar for important dates and deadlines. Bookmark this year's Academic and Administrative Calendar and refer to it regularly.

Sunday, December 1st Deadline for Late Add Permission

Deadline to add a class by permission or petition.

Sunday, December 1st Deadline for Grade Change Option

This is your last day to change your grading option for any courses you are enrolled in.

IMPORTANT: The system defaults to Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory grading.  Instructions for how to change your grading option to letter grades (ABC) can be found here.

Friday, December 13th Deadline for Removal of Incomplete

Deadline to file petition and submit class work. Graduate Incomplete grade within the last three quarters. 

**Friday, December 13th Deadline for Completing Degree Requirements/Submission

Deadline to complete all degree requirements. *Students participating in commencement need to complete all requirements by May 31 to be listed in the program. 

---

The Army HBCU-MI SPARK Summer Internship Application is Open!

The Army HBCU-MI SPARK Summer Internship application window for 2025 is October 14, 2024 - January 12, 2025 11:59PM PST.

The Army Historically Black Colleges and Universities/Minority Serving Institutions (HBCU-MI) Student Program for Army Research and Knowledge (SPARK) program allows U.S. graduate and undergraduate students in STEM fields to conduct research at an Army facility. Under the guidance of government scientists and engineers, students will engage in Army mission-related research projects, including data analysis and systems modeling, during the summer of 2025.

Applications are now open for the 2025 program: For more information, visit us online at https://armyspark.com/.

Benefits Include:
Interns receive a stipend of $1,000.00  per week, paid bi-weekly
Housing paid for by the program
Travel to and from the internship paid  for by the program
Gain valuable confidence and work experience
Learn in state-of-the-art research facilities
Explore your career path  
Work side by side with Army scientists and engineers

Apply Now!

---

Graduate Dean's Research Travel Grant: Accepting Applications Now!

Graduate Dean's Research Travel Grant: We are currently accepting applications for Dean's Travel Grant awards for Fall 2024.

The Graduate Dean's Research Travel Grant is designed to assist members of the graduate student community with travel to:

• perform thesis-related research
• present original work at conferences
• attend workshops, professional development or programs pertinent to their graduate projects

The total amount of funds available and the number of applications varies each quarter and each application period is treated as an independent award process. The process is tailored to approve the maximum number of applications each quarter, while maintaining a useful award size.

For students who are planning to apply for this grant, we highly recommend treating it as a reimbursement as opposed to using it to pay for your travel costs upfront. This is because the adjudication and subsequent processing time for the awards may take up to 2-3 months in total. We also cannot guarantee that every application will be funded.

Please complete the online Graduate Dean's Research Travel Grant application to apply. 

Priority is given to applicants seeking funds in the following order: 1) research related travel, 2) presenting at a conference, 3) funds for professional development, or 4) attending a conference. You may also write in the reason for your request for a travel grant.

The amount of the award given, if granted, will depend on the total number of qualifying applications received and the overall number of grants to be awarded. Typically, the maximum amount awarded per person is $500. The Graduate Division continually seeks additional funding to increase the overall amount of travel and research award funds. Additional funding for this round of applications has been provided by the Graduate Student Commons.

If your application is successful, students will have the option of receiving funds via 1) an amazon eGift Card 2) a physical Visa gift card, or 3) fellowship payment (considered taxable income).

Please note that applications must be COMPLETE and CORRECT in order to be considered.

All applications for the Fall 2024 funding call must be received by Friday, November 29, 2024.

---

DOE NNSA Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship: Applications Open!

The Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE NNSA SSGF)---a program that has supported the studies of more than 100 awardees awardees since 2006---is currently accepting applications through January 14, 2025. 

The DOE NNSA SSGF seeks and supports students pursuing a Ph.D. in areas of interest to stewardship science, such as materials under extreme conditions, nuclear science, or high energy density physics. Renewable for up to four years, the fellowship is open to U.S. citizens who plan full-time, uninterrupted study toward a doctoral degree at an accredited U.S. university.

Academic Eligibility:

• Senior undergraduates
• First-year doctoral students
• Second-year doctoral students
• Those matriculating into a Ph.D. program (e.g. employed or otherwise)

Benefits:

• A $45,000 yearly stipend
• Payment of full tuition and required fees
• Yearly program review participation
• An annual professional development allowance
• A 12-week DOE laboratory research practicum experience

Please consider joining fellowship staff as we host an informational webinar at 1:00 p.m. CT on Thursday, November 14. This Zoom session (register here) will provide an overview of the DOE NNSA SSGF and DOE NNSA Laboratory Residence Graduate Fellowship (LRGF) programs and guidance for applying. It will serve as a forum to ask related questions in a live Q&A format. A recording will also be made available via the fellowship website.

Meanwhile, you'll find application details and a downloadable poster here, and we encourage you to read more about the pursuits of fellows and alumni via our annual Stewardship Science publication here. A comprehensive FAQ and specifics regarding submission components and required supporting materials can be accessed via the application portal.

As always, we thank you for your support of the DOE NNSA SSGF, and we welcome the opportunity to answer questions ahead of the January 14 application deadline.

More questions? Contact DOE NNSA SSGF/LRGF Program Staff here: ssgf@krellinst.org

---

Call for Funding Proposals: Diversity Innovation Fellowship Program

The Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Graduate Studies and the DEIA Graduate Intern are pleased to announce a new call for funding proposals.

 

Background:

The Diversity Innovation Fellowship Program will support graduate students who want to, or are already performing work to improve the climate across the UCSC campus. We recognize that many graduate students are already doing this work without financial support. This sort of work can include, but is not limited to, creating reports on the needs of graduate student communities, creating programs and events for graduate students, and other proposals – almost anything that contributes to diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or belonging for graduate students.

 

Requirements:

• All projects must be graduate student-led.

• All projects require a faculty recommender. The faculty recommender will vouch that they approve of your program’s activities. They will not need to write a letter – the Director of DEI will reach out to them to confirm their approval over email. If you need assistance finding a faculty recommender, please contact the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Graduate Studies (lorato@ucsc.edu)

• All projects must advance diversity, equity, inclusion, and/or belonging among the UCSC graduate community. This definition is broad on purpose – if you feel your work has contributed to the well-being of the graduate community, especially for historically marginalized communities, please consider applying.

• You cannot have already received financial support or employment for your project.

 

Application Process:

Project proposals should include:

• A thorough description of proposed/in-progress work that advances diversity, equity, inclusion and/or belonging in UCSC Graduate Studies

• Graduate student population(s) being served

• Impacts and benefits of your proposed or completed project

• Outreach ideas

• Detailed budget

 

You can prepare your proposals before filling out the Google Form by making a copy of this proposal template. You can submit your proposal using this Google Form by November 14th. You must be signed into your UCSC email account to access the form.

 

Evaluation Criteria:

• Thoroughness of description of proposed or completed work, events, and/or activities

• Student impacts and benefits

• Commitment of departmental faculty recommender

• Outreach efforts

 

The Division of Graduate Studies has designated $10,000 for the academic year 2024-25 to fund applications. Applications will be reviewed on a quarterly basis.

 

To apply, please fill out the application form by Thursday, November 14th, 2024.

Please contact the Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Graduate Studies (lorato@ucsc.edu) if you have any questions. We look forward to receiving your application!

---

UCSA & UCGPC Optional Fees

Did you know that you can opt out of the UCSA or UCGPC Association charges by submitting an online form before the third-week deadline of the affected quarter? If you opted out and wish to opt-in, you will need to complete the same form. Follow the navigation below to access the form in your MyUCSC portal.

Instructions:
MyUCSC >> Graduate Student eForms tile >> UCGPC Registration Fee Opt-out link in the left navigation

Reminder: After the third week of instruction (the Add/Drop/Swap Deadline on the Academic and Administrative Calendar) you are no longer able to opt out of the fees for the current quarter, but you may opt out for future quarters. A refund of current fees may be directed to the UCSA or UCGPC.

---