Assistantships and Financial Aid for Graduate Students 

The department offers a stipend to all full-time Ph.D. students who demonstrate satisfactory progress toward that degree and satisfactory work in teaching or research duties associated with the financial support. This stipend includes fringe benefits and waiver of tuition and is detailed in the acceptance letters sent out by the Department. Financial support from the Department is awarded on a yearly basis but it is not guaranteed. For 2007-2008 academic year, graduate assistant stipends are listed below. In addition, most graduate students will receive Summer support.

Students may receive financial aid from one or more of the following sources:

1. Teaching Assistantships. Teaching assistantship appointments are made on a yearly basis and run from August 23 through May 21. These appointments are made at the discretion of the Department Head. A student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or better in order to remain eligible for financial support. Teaching assistant duties are assigned by the Teaching Assistant Coordinator. International graduate students who are employed as teaching assistants will be required to demonstrate oral English proficiency by passing the PhonePass test upon arrival on campus. Those who do not score high enough on the test must then do the following in their first year:

1. Participate in either one or more of the UConn English as a Second language oral proficiency programs or a suitable alternative English instructional program approved by the Dean of the Graduate School and
2. Achieve a passing PhonePass SET-10 with an overall score of 65+ within two academic semesters after initiating graduate study to be eligible to continue teaching. Students receiving an Overall score of 55-64 must receive a Pass on the TEACH test to be certified to teach.

2. Research Assistantships. The research assistantship stipend is the same as that for teaching assistantships. Funds for research assistantships are generated by extramural grants and the responsibility for the administration of these funds rests with the faculty member to whom the grant was made.
3. Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships. Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships of $2,500 per semester (or summer) are awarded by the UConn Research Foundation. A student may receive the fellowship only once. Students who have completed the General Examination apply for this Fellowship by submission of a proposal describing their thesis research (often a copy of one's dissertation prospectus) to the Department Head. Details of application procedure, content of proposals, deadlines, etc. are available from the UConn Research Foundation located in the Graduate School offices. Students should discuss Fellowship application with their advisor.
4. Federal Work-Study. Financial support from the Federal Work Study Program is administered by the University and available for support of full-time domestic graduate students, especially during the summer months. As one might expect from a federally sponsored program, the application procedure is complex. Most graduate students who are United States citizens or permanent residents are eligible. These funds are awarded based on need, and we insist that all eligible students apply. Applications are made in early spring.
5. Charles E. Waring Memorial Scholarship. The Waring Scholarship will be awarded to outstanding graduate students in chemistry at the University of Connecticut. Winners will be selected annually from among those students who have completed two or three semesters of graduate study and who have qualified for Ph.D. candidacy. The Scholarship will be awarded by the Graduate Affairs Committee based on courses taken and grades earned at the graduate level as well as academic and research progress. The Scholarship will be $250.
6. Travel Awards. Graduate students who have successfully completed their general examination (i.e. are a dissertator) will have $1,000 will be placed in an account for their travel to national and international meetings. Graduate student dissertators will be subject to the same campus-wide travel rules as faculty and staff. However, their department head and major professor must approve the travel by the graduate student. Graduate students will not need to file any forms before or after their travel with the Graduate School. It is recommended that these funds be used only for travel to meetings at which the graduate student is presenting his/her research.
7. Teaching Assistantship Awards. Each year, Masterton Awards are given to the five most outstanding graduate teaching assistants. These awards consist of $400 each. Four of these awards are awarded to people teaching general chemistry and one award for other courses. Awards are made in the Fall and recipients can only receive the award once. Another award, sponsored by the Division of International Students and Scholars, is also given yearly to the international teaching assistant from the University community who has demonstrated outstanding teaching.
8. Extraordinary Expense Awards: Extraordinary Expense Awards in amounts up to $500 are awarded by the UConn Research Foundation. A student may receive the fellowship only once. Students who have completed the General Examination and have had their dissertation prospectus accepted by the Area Review Committee and the Executive Committee of the Graduate School apply for this Award by submission of an application, including a budget, to the Research Foundation. Details of application procedure, allowed expenses, deadlines, etc. are available from the UConn Research Foundation located in the Graduate School offices.
9. Federal and Industrial Fellowships: Doctoral students are eligible for many graduate research fellowships from different government and industrial sources. Deadlines are usually in November or January. Information and applications are generally available from the Research Foundation or by contacting the programs directly.

10. Other forms of financial aid are available. Refer to the Graduate Catalog
    (Assistantships, Fellowships and Other Aid section).
11. For additional information on fellowships, you may contact the Office for Sponsored Programs (Phone 486-3622).