The Graduate College at the University of Vermont is establishing the Presidential Doctoral Fellowship program. Supported by President Suresh Garimella’s commitment of $2.5M of seed funding through the Office of the President, the Graduate College will competitively award five two-year Fellowships to outstanding incoming Ph.D. students annually.

This major new initiative recognizes and supports the growing research prowess of the University of Vermont. As we expand the scope and inclusive excellence of our graduate research endeavor, these prestigious fellowships will help our Ph.D. programs across the disciplines compete successfully for superlative students nationally and globally.

Presidential Doctoral Fellowships will carry an annual stipend of $35,000 for each of the first two years of a Ph.D. student’s time in their program. Also covered with the Fellowships are the cost of the Fellow enrolling with the UVM Student Health Insurance Plan as well as tuition. In addition, each Fellow will have access to a fund of up to $5,000 to support their access to high-impact opportunities to enhance their professional development, such as attending professional conferences to present papers or extra-mural institutes to learn new software or methodologies. A Fellow’s academic college will match the Fellowship supported with three additional years of guaranteed financial support, typically in the form of graduate research and/or teaching assistantships.

The Graduate College will support Presidential Doctoral Fellows with cohort-based mentoring and professional development programming to further enhance the value of their graduate studies and support their transition to impactful post-doctoral careers across sectors. This will entail mentoring Presidential Doctoral Fellows in applying for nationally competitive, prestigious fellowships (such as NSF GRF, National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowships).

Signature Features

  • $35,000 annual stipend for years 1 and 2, health insurance, tuition scholarship; funding for years 3-5 provided by home college/program/advisor;
  • professional development funds of up to $5,000 per Fellow;
  • cohort-based mentoring through the Graduate College, emphasizing rigorous and ethical research, growth mindset, self-efficacy, community, mental wellness;
  • Individual Development Plans (IDPs) and access to mentoring from alums and industry or public or non-profit sector partners;
  • support with pursuit of nationally competitive fellowships, grant writing, and publication submissions;
  • development of strategic competencies (e.g., communication, project management, ethics, leadership).

Process (further details available to programs eligible to nominate Fellows)

  • Ph.D. programs nominate prospective Fellows after they have been admitted to their graduate program to start in the fall 2024 semester;
  • Selection committee of senior faculty, chaired by the Dean of the Graduate College, reviews nominations based on: academic qualifications, research experience, clearly articulated research interests; aptitude for scientific or scholarly research; motivation to undertake research and pursue scientific or scholarly questions; dedication and perseverance; promise of outstanding performance in doctoral study; distinct qualities that make the nominee an outstanding addition to a diverse Presidential Doctoral Fellowship cohort; demonstrable commitment to UVM’s Our Common Ground values: respect, integrity, innovation, openness, justice, responsibility. Standardized test scores will not be considered.