Promoting a positive U.S. presence in the world that reflects and respects the strength and diversity of America.

The USAID Donald M. Payne International Development Graduate Fellowship Program seeks to attract outstanding individuals who are interested in pursuing careers in the Foreign Service of the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). If you want to work on the front lines of some of the most pressing global challenges of our times —  injustice, climate change, health, conflict, and poverty - foreign policy interests and reflect the American people's compassion and support of human dignity. The Payne Fellowship, which provides up to $104,000 in benefits over two years for graduate school, internships, and professional development activities, is a unique pathway to the USAID Foreign Service.

Program Overview:

The Payne Fellowship Program awards up to 30 fellowships valued at up to $52,000 annually for a two-year program. The award includes up to $24,000 per year toward tuition and mandatory fees for completion of a two-year master’s degree at a U.S. institution; a $18,000 stipend for each academic year for room, board, books and other education-related expenses; and up to $10,000 per year in stipend, housing, transportation, and related expenses for summer placements. At the conclusion of two years of study, the Payne Fellow is expected to obtain a degree in international development or another area of relevance to the work of the USAID Foreign Service at a U.S. graduate or professional school approved by the Payne Program. Fellows who successfully complete the Payne Program and USAID Foreign Service entry requirements will receive appointments as Foreign Service Officers with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

The program expects to have all documents to be submitted electronically. Should applicants have insuperable problems submitting a document electronically, they can consult with program staff about alternate methods (paynefellows@howard.edu). However, we strongly encourage you to submit documents electronically.

Selection Process:

A panel of individuals with experience in the USAID Foreign Service and academia makes selections for the Payne Fellowship.  The selection panel will consider candidates’ academic work, statements of interest, letters of recommendation, and honors and awards, as well as their community, extracurricular, and leadership activities.  Consideration will be given to qualified applicants who, in addition to outstanding leadership skills and academic achievement, demonstrate financial need.

The Payne selection panel will choose finalists in the beginning of December 2024. Candidates selected for final consideration will be invited to participate in the virtual final-round interviews in mid-January.   The program will strive to complete the selection process and make offers to thirty fellows soon after the interview.

Applicants should carefully review the USAID Foreign Service requirements for medical and security clearances.  Participation in the Payne Program is conditional upon successful completion of pre-employment procedures specified by the U.S. Agency for International Development, including background investigations for a security clearance, medical examinations (to include spouse and eligible family members if applicable) and drug tests. Failure to meet medical and security requirements may result in an applicant’s disqualification from the fellowship program and reimbursement to the U.S. government of financial assistance paid in connection with the applicant’s education. 

Today, the Center for Democracy and Civic Life will be hosting Dr. Jennifer Domagal-Goldman, Executive Director of the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge, who has graciously agreed to come to campus to help us engage UMBC’s community. During this session, which will be from 1 - 2 p.m. in our office (Commons 2B24), we will be talking about what we (staff, students, faculty) need to know when supporting students in getting registered for this election. This invitation originally went to the election working group, but we have some open spots! If you would like to attend, simply RSVP on myUMBC. A virtual option is available for people who are not on campus - let me know if you need to participate virtually.

It is with great pleasure and honor that I announce our Speaker of the Senate for the 2024-2025 school year. 

Please join me in congratulating our newly elected Speaker of the Senate, Soham Katkar!

Our Updated Executive Council for 2024 - 2025 academic year:

President: Jessica Burstrem 

Vice President: Aminah Amjad

Treasurer: James Gilmore Jr

Secretary: Daniel Douglas 

Speaker of the Senate: Soham Katkar 

GRPC Chair: Neha Saindane

GEARS Chair: Saad Ahmad Kaan

GAAC Chair: Naghemeh Akhavan

LCC Chair: Yasi Soni

GSSC Chair: Lokesh Gupta 

Equity of Funds: Mrunal Jadhav

Join us tomorrow at 10AM in Commons 308 in the Office of Graduate Student Life (OGSL) for some fresh Coffee and Donuts!

On your way up to OGSL, DON'T FORGET TO GET YOUR FIRST DAY OF CLASS PHOTOS located at the Commuter Lounge. (the floor above Dunkin')

Bring your smile and appetite because we can't wait to cheer you on!

Apply NOW to work as a writing consultant!

Application deadline: September 4

To learn more about the position, the link to the post will be provided below. 

Link: https://www.umaryland.edu/writing/

Group Counseling services at Retriever Integrated Health

There will be five groups this semester (one with multiple rounds.) We are offering both in-person and virtual groups, as well as many groups that will remain open for participants throughout the semester. You can find information about them in the attached "Group Descriptions" document and flyers. Please spread the word and share with students as well as colleagues.

There's truly something for everyone within RIH's group program! All RIH's services are LGBTQIA2S+ friendly and are welcoming to all diverse populations. The first step for a student to join a group is to complete RIH (410.455.25420 or making an appointment through the RetrieverCare portal. Anyone interested in more information can contact our Group Coordinator Lauren Mirzakhalili at lmirzak1@umbc.edu. Interested students should contact her through their RetrieverCare portal. 

We're excited to announce that applications for the SciComm Identities Project (SCIP) Fellowship are now open for the third and final cohort! Apply for this groundbreaking program designed for pre-tenure faculty of color by September 23rd, 2024.

WHAT: A year-long fellowship developed by University of Rhode Island’s Metcalf Institute, Michigan State University’s Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, and the URI Science & Story Lab to develop your voice and skills as a science communicator through a variety of media, including podcasting! SCIP is designed to test a novel science communication training curriculum based in intercultural communication and culturally responsive pedagogy.

WHO: Pre-tenure faculty from underrepresented ethnic and racial backgrounds at U.S. academic institutions, who study issues related to climate change and agriculture, aquaculture, or food insecurity. We encourage applications from varied disciplines in social and natural sciences and engineering.

WHERE: Fellows are required to participate in two in-person, weeklong workshops held in January and July, as well as five virtual trainings throughout the year. Lodging expenses for the in-person workshops are pre-paid. Travel and per diem will be reimbursed. 

WHEN: Apply by September 23, 2024. The 2025 Fellowship runs January-December, 2025.

WHY: Access mentorship, peer community, resources, new networks, and the skills and confidence to communicate your work and its impact to the world. Level up in your storytelling - and your career - while learning how to craft a more compelling tenure narrative that communicates the value of science communication. Fellows receive a stipend of $5,000 for their commitment, split in two payments after the in-person workshops.

If selected, being a fellow will count towards your diversity credit for the Ͼ CIRTL certification. What is CIRTL?

RETRIEVERS! 

We are pleased to inform you that the live tracking issue in the Transit App has been resolved. You can now track all routes in real-time through the app, ensuring a smoother and predictable transit experience.

If you encounter any issues or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our transit team at 410.455.2425 or email us at transit@umbc.edu.

Thank you for your patience and continued support.  

Graduate Students & Postdocs,

Learn about the nationally recognized teaching certificates that can be earned from UMBC's Center for the Integration of Research, Teaching, and Learning (CIRTL). It's never too early to work towards building your CV, particularly if you are considering a career in teaching/academia.

Earning these certifications is FREE for all UMBC graduate students & postdocs.

If you are interested in learning what this certification entails and how to begin to working towards it, please attend this virtual information session on Wednesday, August 21, at 11:30 AM.

In addition receive information about an opportunity to get teaching experience with our SEA CIRTL fellows program. This is a COMPETITIVE opportunity, last year we got more than 130 applicants for nine spots. 

As a SEA CIRTL Fellow, you’ll work with experienced faculty to design and implement a one-week course on a topic of your choice. Those who get selected get professional development to get the teaching certification, plus mentorship to create and teach their course during summer (Summer 2025) for middle schoolers or highschoolers and a stipend of $1,000 after they teach their class and get their certification.

Applications for the program open on August 30 and close on September 18, 2024. 

To learn more about CIRTL please visit https://gspd.umbc.edu/center-for-research-teaching-and-learning-cirtl/

This session will be recorded and uploaded to the Grad Student & Postdoc Development myumbc group, files tab. 

Postdocs have two options for sharing their work at the Postdoc Research Symposium: in a poster session or a five-minute flash talk. On this form, please indicate which format (either the poster presentation or flash talk) you would like to sign up for. Regardless of the format you choose, please submit an abstract summarizing the research you will be presenting at the Postdoc Research Symposium. Your abstract should be brief, clear, and concise. It should not exceed 300 words. If you have any questions, please reach out to Anne-Charlotte Mecklenburg at amecklen@umd.edu.