Ph.D. Completion Project
Small Grants
Objectives
Although research has shown that the vast majority of students who enter doctoral programs have the academic ability to complete the degree, many do not. Research has also shown that small interventions in key areas affecting student participation in doctoral programs can lead to improved graduation rates. The PhD Completion Small Grants program provides resources to enable departmental recipients pilot or enhance projects designed to improve doctoral completion rates.
Several institutional and program characteristics are key factors influencing student outcomes that can ultimately affect the likelihood that a particular student will complete a Ph.D. program, among them recruiting and admissions processes, mentoring opportunities, financial support, early research exposure, and program environment.
Proposals for funding are invited that target one or more of these areas. For more information about the PhD Completion Project, see www.grad.uiuc.edu/phdcompletion/.
Grant Terms
Grants in the range of $500-$2,000 will be awarded for a one-year period with the option to reapply if funds are available in subsequent years. Requests may include a mixture of resources needed to introduce or advance a department-level project, such as materials and supplies, travel, speaker fees, refreshments, etc. Applications will be funded on a rolling basis, but only one per department per calendar year.
Recipients of funding are expected to provide a brief written final report that summarizes the activities and results as they relate to the proposed objectives, discusses strengths and weaknesses of the results, and suggests ways they might be replicated or improved.
Proposals
Interested departments should send a letter, signed by the department head, to PhD Completion Grants Committee, Graduate College, 204 Coble Hall, MC-322. Please specify the dollar amount requested, identify the project leader, and outline the project activities as they relate to degree completion. Creativity is encouraged.
