The Graduate School is excited to announce the Graduate Student Professional Development Mini-Grant Program. To complement the professional development opportunities offered by the Graduate School’s Graduate and Postdoctoral Success center, we are providing funding for student and faculty-led professional development projects. This program is designed to encourage teams of graduate students and faculty to develop innovative approaches to professional development activities for graduate students.
Goal: Many graduate students are interested in career pathways beyond traditional academic positions. Careers in the private sector, in government and non-profit organizations, and in primarily undergraduate institutions require transferable skills that are not emphasized in traditional academic training. The Graduate School provides multiple professional development opportunities university-wide for our students such as support for travel, training in giving presentations, writing assistance, and hosting speakers with experience in a variety of careers (see past and upcoming events here: https://graduateschool.utsa.edu/gps/). To encourage new approaches to professional development that may be discipline or career-specific, we are requesting proposals for small pilot projects aimed at supporting the professional development of graduate students.
Requirements: Proposals must be submitted jointly by teams including at least one UTSA faculty member and at least one currently enrolled UTSA graduate student. Examples of potential projects could include:
- Activities designed to encourage exploration of careers outside of academia for multiple students (e.g., field trips)
- Workshops for groups of students to provide training in specific, transferable skills
- Development of additional micro-credentials (see currently available badges).
- Assessment of program alumni in non-academic careers to determine most valuable skills
Funding: We anticipate making competitive awards to up to 10 proposals, depending on funding requested. We expect most projects to be funded for $2,500 to $5,000. The maximum funding available for any one project is $10,000. Funds for all project-related costs will be paid from the Graduate School’s cost center. Please note that funds cannot be used for faculty or student stipends.
