Summer Graduate Research Assistantship Fund

Each application for a Summer Graduate Research Assistantship must be submitted by a member of the faculty through the academic department or school and must be in support of a named graduate student for the 3-month summer period. While the research project may be in partial fulfillment of the graduate student's degree requirements, the application must show how the research project will advance the faculty member's research agenda. The proposals will be judged by a subcommittee of the Research Council and funding will be available at the beginning of the summer term.

Deadline

The application submission deadline is noon on February 15, 2013.

Guidelines

Guidelines are as follows:

• Award stipends are set at $3,600 for a 3-month period (May, June & July) of research activity in the summer term. The university automatically withholds 25% for employee taxes for amounts associated with additional pay.
   
• Award stipends are to support the student at 50% level of effort during the summer to conduct the research identified in the proposal. These funds can only be used for stipends. The department is responsible for all additional costs associated with the research or funding of the student such as supplies, travel, benefits, tuition waivers, and maintenance fees.
   
• Students are ineligible for this funding if during the summer they have any combination of another appointment, other additional pay, or enrollment in classes that would equate to more than 50% level of effort.
   
• Payment to the student is to be processed by the faculty member's department. This can be done by adding an appointment for the student or through additional pay. The full amount of the stipend will be transferred by the Office of Research & Engagement to the faculty member's department this fiscal year. Any funding not provided to the student is to be returned to the Office of Research & Engagement.
   
• One application may be submitted from each department or school for each 20 full-time faculty members (or part thereof) in the department or school. Thus, a department or school with 20 or less faculty may seek one assistantship; a department or school with 21-40 may seek two, and so forth. A faculty member can only submit one application.

How to Apply

Download the Summer GRA Application in MS Word format.

Applications are limited to a total of up to three pages (including the application form). Appendices are not permitted. The application should clearly describe the proposed scholarly activity of the graduate student and how the student’s research activity will advance the overall scholarly program of the requesting faculty member. Applications leading toward submission of a proposal for external funding are especially encouraged. An endorsement by the Department Head must be indicated and the Department Head must email the endorsement to Jane Taylor (tayloje@utk.edu).

The application and all supporting documentation must be submitted electronically to Jane Taylor (tayloje@utk.edu) at the UT Office of Research & Engagement by noon, February 15, 2013. There can be no exceptions. A subcommittee of the Research Council will judge proposals and the faculty and department will be informed of the results.

Selection

The awards committee will make decisions based on the quality of the proposed project and the active involvement of the graduate student in the research of the faculty member. The committee will give preference to faculty who have not received significant research incentive funds from the University in recent years and will seek to distribute the awards over as wide a range of disciplines as possible. For a list of recipients for 2012, click here.

Contact Information

Jane Taylor
Administrative Specialist
Office of Research & Engagement
1534 White Ave.
Knoxville, TN 37996-1529
Phone: (865) 974-0437
Fax: (865) 974-7400
Email: tayloje@utk.edu