Funding for Graduate Students
Graduate Assistantships (GAs)
The department is given, by the Dean of the College of Letters and Science, limited funds to support graduate assistantships. All graduate students are considered for assistantships; however, those on probation are not eligible. The department’s Graduate Committee ranks students by considering GPA, GRE scores (for incoming students) and progress toward degree (for returning students). Progress toward degree is judged by whether the student has found a thesis adviser, taken and passed the Advancement to Candidacy Exam, and made good progress with his/her thesis research. GAs are given to the top students.
GAs typically help prepare classroom laboratory materials. They may also be asked to work as assistants during classroom time. They are expected to work 13.5 hours per week. At this level, the graduate student will receive fringe benefits such as health insurance. Recipients receive a total of about $6900 for the nine month academic year.
Additional Sources of Funding
Research Grants to Individual Faculty: Some faculty have research funding from federal sources (e.g., National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, US Department of Agriculture), state sources (e.g., Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources), or private entities. They may have money to pay you to do research in their labs. Ask your mentor (or potential mentor) about this possibility.
Graduate Student-Faculty Collaborative Grants. These grants are issued by UW Oshkosh and include a $3,000 stipend for students and $550 for supplies. Ask your advisor for more information. The deadline is typically in early February and the call for proposals usually occurs in December.
American Association of University Women (Oshkosh): The AAUW offers a yearly scholarship for any full-time graduate student at UW Oshkosh. The application deadline is typically in January.
Leslie Allen: For biology or microbiology majors (graduate or undergraduate) with a demonstrated interest in ecology or field biology. The student must have completed 60 credits and have at least one semester of coursework remaining. Amount is $500. See the section on Scholarships for more details.