The Graduate Student Association is seeking graduate student representatives to serve on the Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee (GAAC) for the 2026–2027 academic year.

The GAAC is responsible for providing a platform specifically for GA’s to voice their concerns. We strive to work productively and coordinate with administrators to maintain a positive work environment and bring about positive changes for graduate assistant students. 

We are looking for:

1 representative from CAHSS

1 representative from CNMS

1 representative from COEIT

📅 Position Start Date: Aug 20, 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews will begin immediately. Positions will be filled on a first-qualified, first-served basis, so we encourage interested students to apply as soon as possible.

This is a great opportunity to:

• Gain leadership and service experience
• Contribute to graduate assistants' betterment 
• Work closely with the GSA to support your graduate student community
• Earn a stipend for your time.

If you're interested in serving on the Graduate Assistant Advisory Committee, submit your application today! (https://forms.gle/UXVtCcYR3UhieTDD7)

We look forward to welcoming our new GAAC members!

Welcome to graduate school at UMBC. You were admitted because you have the intellect, drive, and passion to make a meaningful mark on your field. But let’s be honest—nobody hands you a manual for how graduate school actually works.

Beyond your coursework and research lies the "hidden curriculum": the unspoken expectations, nuanced faculty feedback, advisor dynamics, and implicit rules that often feel like a secret code.

Decoding Graduate School is a professional development series designed by the Office of Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Development (GSPD) to make those unwritten rules explicit. We provide the frameworks, strategic tools, and practical scripts you need to navigate your program with confidence, clarity, and purpose.

Who Is This Series For?

This series is built specifically for all UMBC graduate students, regardless of where you are on your academic journey or which college you call home.

Whether you are pursuing a Master's, Master of Professional Studies, or Doctor of Philosophy, and whether your department belongs to COEIT, CNMS, or CAHSS, the skills covered here are universal to your success.

We recognize that a graduate degree is not a one-size-fits-all experience. Every session explicitly addresses the distinct goals and timelines of different degree tracks and academic contexts.

Ready to Decode Your Graduate Experience?

Grad school shouldn't feel like a guessing game. Join us for our upcoming sessions and take ownership of your graduate experience.

All sessions are on Thursdays from 3:30-5:00 PM in UC 115.

Session 1 - 9/10 - Decoding the Grad School roadmap: Your First Year Survival Guide

Session 2 - 9/24 - Decoding Your Network: Building Community and Finding Support

Session 3 - 10/08 - Decoding the Culture: The Unwritten Rules of Academia

Session 4 - 10/22 - Decoding the Discourse: When Faculty Say X, They Really Mean Y

Session 5 - 11/12 - Decoding Your Research Niche: From Broad Ideas to Focused Questions

Graduate Student Association (GSA) is excited to introduce a new Marketing Request Form designed to make it easier for graduate students, committees, departments, and campus partners to promote events, programs, and announcements across the UMBC community.

Whether you're hosting an event, sharing an opportunity, or looking to increase visibility for your initiative, GSA can help amplify your message through multiple communication channels.

What You Can Request

Through the Marketing Request Form, you can:

• Request a new myUMBC post
• Submit a myUMBC calendar event
• Request reposts of existing content
• Promote content through GSA social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, and X)
• Request flyer design assistance

Turnaround Times

To help ensure timely promotion, please keep the following timelines in mind:

• Reposts: Within 24 hours
• New myUMBC posts and calendar events: Within 48–72 hours
• Flyer design requests: May require an additional business day

Submitting complete information as early as possible helps us process your request efficiently and maximize visibility for your event or announcement.

Before You Submit

Please make sure key details—especially event locations, room reservations, and scheduling information—are finalized before submitting your request. Changes after promotional materials have been created may require rework and could delay publication.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to email GSA after submitting the form?
No. Once you submit the form, no follow-up email is required. A member of the GSA Communications team will reach out if additional information is needed.

Are turnaround times guaranteed?
We strive to meet the timelines listed above whenever possible. Please note that university holidays, campus closures, and official UMBC closures are not included in these estimates.

When should I submit a repost request?
For same-day event promotion, please submit repost requests at least one day before your event.

Can GSA attend and cover my event?
Yes. If you would like event coverage, photos, stories, or social media support, please include this request in the "Anything else you would like us to know? / Custom Requests" section of the form.

Submit Your Request

Use the GSA Marketing Request Form to get started and help us share your news with the UMBC graduate community.

Questions? Contact gsacommunications@umbc.edu.

Welcome to the Fall 2026 Future Faculty Series! 

The Graduate Student and Postdoctoral Development (GSPD) Unit of the Graduate School is offering a Future Faculty Series this summer. This four-part workshop series is designed to guide PhD students and postdocs through every stage of the academic job search.

Across four sessions, participants will explore what faculty life looks like at different types of institutions and how to identify the right fit; learn the essential steps and timeline of the academic hiring process; build polished application materials, including CVs, research and teaching statements, and cover letters; and develop the skills to navigate faculty interviews with confidence, from Zoom screenings to multi-day campus visits. Whether you're just beginning to consider a career in academia or actively preparing to go on the market, this series will equip you with the knowledge, tools, and materials to compete successfully for faculty positions.

Join us Fridays 1:30-2:30pm, in-person in the Administration Building Room 218 on July 24, July 31, August 7 and August 14th.

Sign up for each session below and add to your calendar!

Jul 24, 1:30 PM: Future Faculty Session 1: Faculty Jobs at Different Types of Institutions

Jul 31, 1:30 PM: Future Faculty Session 2: Getting a Faculty Job: Process and Materials Overview

Aug 7, 1:30 PM: Future Faculty Session 3: Application Materials Workshop

Aug 14, 1:30 PM: Future Faculty Session 4 : Interviewing for Faculty Positions

All interviews have been conducted; candidates who did not hear from us will be considered for other open positions.

The Graduate Student Association is seeking graduate student representatives to serve on the Grants Review Panel (GRP) for the 2026–2027 academic year.

The GRP is responsible for reviewing Professional Development grant and Research grant applications, helping ensure a fair, transparent, and timely allocation of GSA funding.

We are looking for:

• 2 representatives from CAHSS

• 2 representatives from CNMS

• 2 representatives from COEIT

📅 Position Start Date: July 27, 2026

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and interviews will begin immediately. Positions will be filled on a first-qualified, first-served basis, so we encourage interested students to apply as soon as possible.

This is a great opportunity to:

• Gain leadership and service experience

• Contribute to graduate student funding decisions

• Work closely with the GSA to support your graduate student community

• Earn a stipend for your time.

If you're interested in serving on the Grants Review Panel, submit your application today!

We look forward to welcoming our new GRP members!

The Graduate Student Association (GSA), in collaboration with SABSC, is currently working to revamp the Professional Development and Research Grant processes to make them more efficient, transparent, and user-friendly for graduate students.

We're excited to introduce several improvements, including:

• A simpler, more intuitive application form

• Clearer and easier-to-understand grant cycles and timelines

• The ability to apply up to 180 days before your travel, allowing approved funding to be used more effectively for planning and booking

To implement these updates, grant applications will be temporarily paused during the month of August while the new system is put into place.

What this means for you:

Students who submitted applications during the current cycle (through July 15th and, as a one-time exception, through July 24th) will receive their decisions during the first week of August, following the normal review timeline.

No new grant applications will be accepted during August, and there will be no September decision cycle, as we transition to the new process.

Applications will reopen on September 1 using the updated system.

We appreciate your patience as we make these improvements. Our goal is to create a grant process that is easier to navigate, more predictable, and better supports graduate students in planning their professional development and research activities.

Stay tuned for additional announcements with the new application form, updated guidelines, and grant cycle information. We can't wait to share these improvements with you!

Questions? Email gsagrants@umbc.edu

The UMBC Career Center is looking for CAHSS and CNMS graduate students to provide feedback on the Career Center website.

The goal is to ensure the website’s content and user experience are tailored to the unique needs of graduate students. The Career Center is hosting in-person focus groups on the Catonsville campus to gather your input on usability and resources.

Focus Group Details:

• When: To be announced, seats going fast, sign up!

• CNMS : 7/22 2:30 pm

• Time Commitment: 60–90 minutes

• Where: In-person.

• Perks: Food and beverages will be provided, and all participants will be entered into a raffle for a $75 UMBC Bookstore gift card!

If you are a graduate student in the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) or the College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences (CNMS), we want to hear from you.

Sign up here!

If you have any questions about this project, please reach out to kelseyj2@umbc.edu or Dr. Rowena Winkler at rbwinkler@umbc.edu.

Sincerely,

UMBC Career Center

GSA is sharing this announcement on behalf of the UMBC Career Center

The Graduate Student Association (GSA) has opened a second round of nominations to fill vacant Senator positions for the upcoming 2026–2027 academic year. This is an opportunity to advocate for your peers, participate in university-wide committees, and strengthen the graduate student voice at UMBC.

Open Positions

• Student Affairs Senator

• CAHSS Senator (College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences)

• CNMS Senator (College of Natural and Mathematical Sciences)

Role Responsibilities: GSA Senators represent graduate student concerns, communicate GSA updates, participate in Senate meetings, and contribute to university committees and graduate student initiatives.

How to Nominate: You may nominate yourself or another eligible graduate student. All nominees will be contacted to confirm their interest and eligibility before the election.

• Nomination Deadline: Friday, August 7, 2026

• Submit a Nomination: GSA Nomination Form

UMBC Postdocs:

Developing essential skills scientists need to thrive.

You need access to practical knowledge and essential skills to succeed as a scientist.

You’ve spent years honing your science skills. But nobody taught you how to navigate a difficult relationship with a supervisor or peer, mentor a struggling trainee, build a professional network from scratch, or survive a brutal job market while keeping your wellbeing and motivation intact.

These are the skills that make or break research careers. They are also treated as something scientists should simply figure out on their own. Most don't get the chance.

Compass was built to change that. The challenges of a research career don’t have to feel so isolating. With Compass, you’ll have the skills, coaching, and a nationwide network of peers in your corner.

Disclaimer: This is not a free program and it comes at a cost of $500.

Apply Now For Fall

The Compass Postdoc Track is a 7-week, fully remote professional development program open to all postdoctoral researchers in the U.S. and Canada across every research discipline. The program was developed by researchers, workplace psychologists, and career development experts at Washington University in St. Louis, and originally built with funding from the NIH.

Compass Scholars build practical knowledge and evidence-backed skills for effectively:

•  Building the career and life you want by understanding yourself.
•  Communicating with clarity and confidence while navigating interpersonal conflict.
•  Managing up to build productive relationships with supervisors and organizational leaders.
•  Training and supervising others to equip them with skills, feedback, and guidance they need to succeed.

 Networking to build relationships that expand knowledge, opportunities, and impact.

 Job search strategies to identify opportunities, prepare competitive applications, and interview with confidence.

What Makes Compass Different

Entirely remote. No travel. Flexible scheduling to meet your needs. Compass realistically fits into your life as a postdoc.

A national peer network. You'll work closely with a dedicated Peer Mentoring Team of postdocs from institutions across the country. These are people who genuinely understand the pressures you're facing because they’re living them too.

Real-time coaching. Live group coaching sessions led by Compass experts help you work through the actual challenges you're facing right now.

A personalized Career Development Plan. You'll leave with a concrete, customized roadmap for your career and professional goals, not just a certificate of completion – but you’ll get one of those too.

A lasting community. Compass Scholars remain connected through a LinkedIn group and peer teams that often continue meeting long after the program ends.

What Postdocs Have Said

“Compass came at the perfect time in my career as a senior postdoc about to start my independent research lab. I feel much better about my future as a leader. I now have tools to help me become an effective leader and mentor.”

“This experience will strengthen my position on the job market as I present myself as someone with strong potential to be a successful PI, mentor, and faculty member.”

“Compass made me solidify and codify my ideas…Since I took Compass, I’ve seen situations in other labs that caused serious problems that could have been averted with clear communication of expectations.”

About to transition to lead your own lab or have research mentees? Senior postdocs are also eligible for the Faculty Track where they learn deeper leadership and management skills. They also develop a lab manual to guide lab members about expectations. Note this track has different program dates and cost.

Fall 2026 Postdoc Track Cohort — Applications Now

Open Program Dates: September 14 – November 1, 2026

Application Deadline: August 2, 2026 | Seats fill on a rolling basis

Cost: $500 | Open to all U.S. and Canadian postdocs across disciplines

Apply Now

Graduate School at UMBC

Dissertation Fellowship Fall 2026 

Application Deadline: Friday, July 10, 2026

Overview: The UMBC Dissertation Fellowship provides promising doctoral candidates with the financial support necessary to focus on writing and completing their dissertations. This fellowship grants students the critical time and resources needed to expedite the final stages of their degree.

Eligibility & Conditions:

Except in extraordinary circumstances, these awards are limited to one term per student. To be considered, Ph.D. candidates must be in good academic standing. Additionally, they must have:

●        No other financial support: This fellowship is strictly for students who do not have UMBC-administered financial support (such as an assistantship) during the fall term. Note: Funding status will be verified prior to application review and applicants with a GA contract through fall 2026 will not be reviewed.

●        Time to commit and focus on writing: Recipients must commit at least 20 hours per week exclusively to dissertation writing for the entire fall term. No other work assignments, besides dissertation writing, may be associated with this fellowship.

Award Details (Fall 2026):

The fellowship is awarded for the FALL term only and includes:

●      A maximum stipend of $12,500.

●      Tuition remission for 9 credits of course 899 (billed at 2 credits). Please note: The university provides tuition remission for the cost of 899 tuition only. Fellowship recipients are required to pay all mandatory fees associated with 899 registration.

Selection Criteria:

A committee selected by the Graduate School Leadership Team will review applications. Priority will be given to students who demonstrate that this award will provide the critical support needed to complete their writing, finalize revisions, and successfully defend their dissertation within the fellowship period (by the end of the fall term). Selection is based heavily on the applicant's readiness to finish, and the quality and feasibility of their management plan.

Application Materials

Applicants must submit the following documentation as a single PDF:

1. Fill out the application form with your information (attached).

2. Letter of Support from the Chair of the Dissertation Committee that:

○      Describes the current state of the dissertation and the probable impact of the Fellowship on the student's progress.

○      Verifies that no UMBC-administered financial support is available for the student.

     3. Management Plan (1–2 pages), written by the applicant and signed by the Chair of the Dissertation Committee. This must describe the dissertation format (regular or 3-essay/paper), status of the dissertation work, remaining steps, and a timeline for completion of those steps.

    4. Research Abstract for Lay Audience (maximum 1 page), written by the applicant in plain language for a non-expert audience, describing their research and its relevance.

    5. Curriculum Vitae (CV) (most recent version). Example of CV.

    6. Employer Documentation(if applicable): If employed outside the university, written evidence from the employer indicating a willingness to reduce the student's job hours and duties during the fellowship.

   7. Optional Statement: A brief response to the prompt: "Is there anything else you would like the committee to know about your situation and the need for a Dissertation Fellowship?"

Submission & Deadlines

●        Deadline: Applications must be received by 11:59 p.m. EST on Friday, July 10, 2026.

●        How to Apply: Email your completed application as a single PDF to dissertationfellowship@umbc.edu.

●        Notification: Recipients will be announced by Friday, July 31, 2026.

The application is attached.