Graduate Supplements
Doctoral students, faculty, and graduate programs are strongly encouraged to seek funding from sources external to Texas A&M University. Annual graduate “top-off” supplements will be provided to incentivize this activity and amplify its impact. The goal of the supplements is to ensure that doctoral students receive a full funding package when they are awarded an eligible nationally competitive dissertation and multi-year external fellowships or selected to be funded by eligible federal training grants, and federal research grant supplements. A full funding package annually includes:
- A $3,000 per month stipend (fellowship/grant + GREAT)
- Full resident tuition and fees (when not covered by fellowship/grant)
- Health Insurance (when not covered by fellowship/grant)
- A $1,500 scholarship that recipients are encouraged to use for professional development opportunities (conference travel, research travel, books, etc.)
The Graduate Recruitment, Enhancement and Travel (GREAT) Program supplemental funding request forms must be submitted by college/department/IDP/PI’s staff or administrators on behalf of doctoral students awarded an eligible external fellowship, training grant or research grant.
Request forms submitted by doctoral students will not be considered.
Doctoral Student Expectations
Doctoral students receiving the supplements are highly encouraged to participate in at least one of the professional development opportunities listed below. Fellows are encouraged to consult with their faculty advisor when selecting which program to pursue.
- Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies (GRAD Aggies): Minimum Requirement: Foundations Certificate.
- Academy for Future Faculty (AFF) Certificate: Minimum Requirement: AFF Certificate.
- CIRTL Associate and/or Practitioner Level Certificates: Minimum Requirement: Associate Certificate.
- Graduate Mentoring Academy (GMA): Minimum Requirement: GMA Fellow Certificate.
- Aggie Collaborate: Minimum Requirement: Lead a Research Team, one semester.
Faculty/ Research Advisor Expectations
- Faculty / Research advisors will be strongly encouraged to participate in the TAMU Graduate Mentoring Academy or the TAMU Faculty Mentoring Academy program.
Category I: Supplements for external fellowships awarded directly to individual students
When Texas A&M doctoral students compete successfully for highly competitive external fellowships like the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (GRFP), National Institutes of Health F31 Predoctoral Fellowship, and Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship, the graduate supplements will provide full funding packages for up to five years from the fellowship start date.
Supplements will fund external fellowships as described below:
- Nationally competitive, prestigious fellowships open to students in multiple fields or a single field of study, and
- Dissertation fellowships – one to two years, significant funding (at least $2,000/month), or
- Multi-year fellowships – significant funding (at least $2,000/month)
Funding conditions:
- For external fellowships with five years of stipend funding, the supplements will top off fellowship funding to ensure the fellowship recipient receives a full funding package for up to five years from the fellowship start date.
- For multi-year external fellowships with less than five years of stipend funding, the supplements will top off fellowship funding in years of active fellowship funding, and top off faculty, department, or college assistantship or fellowship funding in other years to ensure the fellowship recipient receives a full funding package for up to five years from the fellowship start date.
- For one- to two-year dissertation fellowships, the supplements will top off fellowship funding to ensure the fellowship recipient receives a full funding package for the duration of the fellowship tenure.
Category II: Supplements for federal training grants awarded to faculty or graduate programs
When faculty or graduate programs compete successfully for federal training grants like National Institutes of Health (NIH) T32 predoctoral training grant, USDA National Needs Graduate Fellowship (NNF), or National Science Foundation Research Traineeship (NRT), the graduate supplements will ensure the doctoral trainees receive full funding packages for up to five years from the grant start date.
Funding conditions:
- Supplements will top off training grant funding in year(s) of active training grant stipend funding
- and top off faculty, department, or college assistantship or fellowship funding in other years to ensure the training grant recipient receives a full funding package for up to five years from the grant start date.
Category III: Supplements for federal research grants awarded to faculty.
When faculty secure research supplements for federal research grants, such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Supplements (Admin Supp), National Science Foundation MPS Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professorial: Graduate Research Supplements (AGEP-GRS), or National Science Foundation MPS Graduate Research Supplement for Veterans (MPS-GRSV).
Funding conditions:
- Supplements will top off research grant funding in year(s) they are eligible to receive the federal research grant.
Recruitment Travel Awards
The GREAT program provides travel awards to faculty to bring high-achieving prospective doctoral students for TAMU campus visits. Awards are up to $1,000 per prospective student. Prospective doctoral students should be:
- A recipient of a GREAT Program eligible external fellowship; or
- A competitive candidate for a GREAT Program eligible external fellowship or GREAT Program eligible federal training grant; and
- In their final year as a undergraduate or master’s student.