Graduate School Bulletin
A publication of the Graduate School for Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators
Postings are distributed to the Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators listservs on the 1st and 16th of each month and are also available on our public blog: https://monthlymemo.graduateschool.vt.edu/
April 1, 2026
In this bulletin:
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Fostering Well-being in Mentoring Environments
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
2. Deadline Today: 2026-27 Graduate School Fellowships
Policy Updates
None at this time.
Administrative Announcements
3. 2026-27 Graduate Catalog Update Process
4. Nominations invited for the 2026 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards
Announcements for Distribution to Students
5. Writing Successful Student-Initiated Proposals
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
1. Fostering Well-being in Mentoring Environments
Thursday, April 16, 1:00-3:00 p.m., Zoom
Allison Jones, Catherine Cotrupi, and Kamillah Kassam invite graduate students, postdoctoral scholars, staff, and faculty to participate in a mentoring workshop organized by the Equity in Graduate Education Consortium. This workshop is part of a national initiative to strengthen mentoring competencies across the academic community, with an emphasis on equity-focused and evidence-informed mentoring practices. Access the registration form here
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
2. 2026-27 Graduate School Fellowships
Deadline Today: April 1, 2026
Nominations for Graduate School fellowships are now being accepted for the 2026-27 academic year. For eligibility, nomination information, and deadlines, please visit each opportunity listed on the Funding Sponsored by the Graduate School page.
Administrative Announcements
3. 2026-27 Graduate Catalog Update Process
The update process for the 2026-27 edition of the Graduate Catalog is now underway. GPDs and faculty members responsible for certificate programs (or their designees) are asked to review their current catalog listings at https://catalog.vt.edu/graduate/ and complete this survey to either 1) confirm the accuracy of the current content or 2) provide details about necessary updates: https://gs.vt.edu/2026catalog.
All programs are asked to enter new information about:
- Name and email of the graduate coordinator for your program(s)
- Link to the program’s student handbook or explanation of when/where/how students may find it
Submissions are due by May 25; the 2026-27 catalog will be published on June 1. If you have any difficulty completing the survey or have any questions about the process, please contact Bill Huckle at wrhuckle@vt.edu or Monika Gibson at gibsonm@vt.edu.
4. Nominations invited for the 2026 CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards
The Graduate School invites nominations for the CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Awards in the fields of (1) mathematics, physical sciences and engineering and (2) social sciences. Details are available on the CGS website. The effective date of the degree awarded, or the completion of doctoral degree requirements and dissertation, must be between July 1, 2024, and June 30, 2026. Nominations must be received by the Graduate School by June 15, 2026. If you are interested in nominating a dissertation, please contact Monika Gibson at gibsonm@vt.edu. Because Virginia Tech is limited to one nomination per category, the Graduate School will select finalists and assist with compiling the nominations.
Announcements for Distribution to Students
The notice(s) in this section have been shared with graduate students through the Graduate School channels, but we ask that you consider sharing it with individual students or student groups as you see fit.
5. Writing Successful Student-Initiated Proposals
Thursday, April 23, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m., Zoom
Please share the following announcement with your current graduate students, as well as incoming graduate students accepted for fall. This workshop is intended to help them develop strong, competitive student-initiated research proposals and increase their success in securing research funding.
Graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are invited to a workshop on preparing effective student-initiated research proposals. Presenters will share tips, resources, and strategies to strengthen proposals and enhance funding success. The session will cover strategies for developing effective proposals and using university resources that support proposal writing and submission. The goal is to help participants strengthen their proposals and contribute to the success of Virginia Tech’s student-initiated research funding efforts. Breakout sessions will address proposal development for NIH, NSF, and Humanities/Social Sciences/Education projects. The workshop will be held virtually and is open to all interested participants; register here: RSVP Form