GPSS SUMMER ACADEMIC FUND

PURPOSE OF THE SUMMER ACADEMIC FUNDING AWARDS

The Graduate and Professional Student Senate’s Summer Academic Funding Awards (SAFA) aims to support the professional development of graduate and professional students by providing financial support for research and academically enriching endeavors during the summer. The GPSS has reserved $10,000 in funds to offer these awards to both graduate and professional school students. The committee is co-chaired by two members of the Executive Board of the Senate: Joel Zeiner (DIV ’05) and Lillian Wasvary (SOM ’05). Additionally, at least six other GPSS Senators will be on the selection committee , including: Isabel Beerman, Edward (Ted) De Barbieri, Aaron Klink, Nico Lang, Alice Ly, and Zheng Martin Ma.

WHY A SUMMER FELLOWSHIP FUND?

Currently, Yale guarantees that graduate students in the humanities and the social sciences receive summer funding for only two (2) years of what is an average six-year degree; and, any tuition assistance received by Ph.D. students in the summer is limited to foreign language courses. In addition, students in professional schools and Master's (only) candidates in the Graduate School receive no financial support with which to finance additional summer classes that they may need to complete their degree.

Being able to finance summer courses, internship opportunities, and original research are in the best interest of Yale’s graduate and professional students as it will both enhance their academic experience and lead them to professional success. Thus, the goal of the GPSS Summer Academic Funding Awards will be to provide graduate and professional students a source of summer funding to pursue these academic endeavors.
 

ELIGIBILITY AND REQUIREMENTS

Any student who:

• is in their graduate studies at Yale’s Graduate School or a Professional School ;
• is currently enrolled and will be enrolled in the Fall 2005 semester;
• is in good academic standing;

is eligible to apply for the GPSS Summer Academic Fund Award (SAFA).

Students must complete the GPSS Summer Academic Funding Application, along with a personal statement and a detailed budget. Only complete applications will be considered.

Applicants will be required to write a short one to two page report on their summer work and present their work at a fall symposium, date TBD.
 

AMOUNT OF FUNDING

The Summer Academic Funds can be used to cover or subsidize a student’s total costs related to a specific academic endeavor. The awards will be no less than $100, and cannot exceed $1,000. The Academic Funding Committee reserves the right in special circumstances to offer an amount less than requested on the application.

A detailed budget must be supplied by the student for justification of the amount requested.

DISPERSAL OF FUNDS

In order to ensure disbursement of funds in an equitable manner, the selection committee will allocate roughly half of the allotted $10,000 to professional students and half to graduate students. In addition the selection committee will try to award funds for a diverse selection of projects and needs from throughout the university’s schools.

SELECTION

The GPSS Summer Academic Fund will be administered by a committee of at least eight GPSS Senators. Yale faculty may be asked to read some applications or answer some questions about some of the applications, though the selection committee retains the right to make the decisions themselves. Senators who are serving on the selection committee are not eligible for funds.
 

NOTIFICATION AND PUBLICITY

Students will be notified of their awards via email no later than Monday, April 25 th.

Following the completion of the Awards, the GPSS will post the following information on their Yale website:

(1) Name of SAFA Award Recipient

(2) Purpose of funding (e.g., original research, language course)

Applicants will be required to write a short 1 to 2 page report on their summer work and present their work at a fall symposium.

--This program has been DISCONTINUED--