GRADUATE SCHOOL BULLETIN
A publication of the Graduate School for Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators
Postings are distributed on the Graduate Program Directors and Coordinators listservs on the 1st and the 16th of the month and are also available in a blog for public viewing here: https://monthlymemo.graduateschool.vt.edu/
February 17th, 2025
IN THIS BULLETIN:
Meetings, Workshops, & Events
None at this time.
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
1. Preston Recruitment Fellowship
2. Upcoming Fellowship and Assistantship Nominations Managed by the Graduate School
3. Graduate Education Week: March 24th-March 28th, 2025
Policy Updates
None at this time.
Administrative Announcements
4. Graduate Honor System Presentations Available by Request
5. New Procedures for Conflict-of-Interest Review and Mitigation
Announcements for Distribution to Students
6. Workshop: Writing Successful Student-Initiated Proposals
Deadlines & Dates to Remember
_______________________________________________
- Preston Recruitment Fellowship
Preston Recruitment Fellowships (4 @ $2,000 each): These awards are meant to provide fellowship support to help attract the best possible graduate students, regardless of their area of study at Virginia Tech. Candidates for the prestigious Preston Fellowship should be students who are being recruited by the nation’s elite educational institutions for the purpose of conducting significant research and scholarship study.
Please submit a nomination by February 24 of no more than 500 words outlining reasons why you think the candidate is an exceptional recruit for your program, such as UG institution, UG GPA, UG research experience, and potential offers from other universities (if known). We will also consult the student’s application materials as part of the decision-making process. Decisions will be made quickly so the offers can be made as early as possible. Nominations should be summited via this form: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSc8rhQL9qivK7mOjUZ2sUL-Uy8kQD024mgJl2M3-ZlQCSJqUg/viewform
- Nominations are accepted for a number of fellowships and assistantships managed by the Graduate School:
– Powell Fellowship: deadline is April 1, 2025.
– McNair Assistantship: deadline is March 1, 2025
– Dean’s Diversity Assistantship: deadline is March 1, 2025.
For eligibility and nomination information visit https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/funding-sponsored-by-the-graduate-school.html. Please contact Dr. Catherine Cotrupi, Assistant Dean for Student Services, Inclusion, and Strategic Partnerships, at cotrupi@vt.edu if you have any questions.
- Mark your calendars for Graduate Education Week, March 24th-March 28th
Administrative Announcements
____________________________________________
- Graduate Honor System Presentations Available by Request
Departments and graduate programs may request a presentation by the Graduate Honor System as part of your new student orientation, faculty meeting, class presentation or for other occasions. Presentations may range from short 15-minute introduction to the GHS to hour-long interactive discussions about academic integrity and/or GHS panelist training. If you would like to request a presentation or training session for your students or program faculty, please complete this online request form: https://gs.vt.edu/ghspresentation and a training session will be schedule at your convenience. If you have any questions, email ghs@vt.edu or call Monika Gibson at 231-9564.
- New Procedures for Conflict-of-Interest Review and Mitigation
We have recently updated our procedures and form to manage potential conflicts of interest that may arise in graduate education. You can find details about the process and a link to the new form at https://graduateschool.vt.edu/academics/expectations/COI.html. We have reached out to over 300 VT employees who are pursuing graduate coursework or graduate degrees, requesting that they complete the COI form to document either that there is no conflict between their dual roles of employee and student, or if a conflict is identified, share a mitigation plan. We ask for your assistance in reviewing and signing these forms before submission to the Graduate School. Questions about the form can be sent to gsdean@vt.edu.
Announcements for Distribution to Students
The notice(s) in this section have been shared with graduate students through the Graduate School’s channels, but we ask that you consider sharing it with individual students or student groups as you see fit.
____________________________________________
6. Workshop: Writing Successful Student-Initiated Proposals
Virginia Tech graduate students and postdoctoral fellows are invited to participate in this workshop that is designed to strengthen research proposal writing skills and prepare you for writing student-initiated proposals. The goal is to equip all VT doctoral students with the tools to develop and submit competitive proposals that support their graduate work, enhance the agency of the student, and increasing the success rate of student-initiated research funding. On Tuesday, February 25th, this workshop will be hosted in the Graduate Life Center Multipurpose Room from 10:00am-12:30pm. Lunch will be provided. Please bring your own water bottle for filling up or bring your own beverage. Note that the workshop will include three breakout sessions, that will focus on a) NSF GRFP proposals, b) NIH student-initiated proposals, and c) humanities, social sciences, and education related proposals. You can of course choose the breakout session of your choice; please indicate that choice in the registration form so we can plan for an appropriate breakout room size. Register here: https://forms.office.com/r/t0EJAEtE7W