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

Hello everyone!

Due to the heat advisory today, we will be cancelling our Free Farmers Market (7/16/2026). Instead, our pantry will be opening at 2:30pm - 4:00pm

Please plan your trip accordingly, and we apologize for any inconveinces. 

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

Hello everyone!

Retriever Essentials opening will be delayed until 1:15pm

We apologize for any inconviences, and please plan your trip accordingly.

Hello everyone!

Just as a reminder, we'll be at the gathering space for the rest of the summer.

We hope to see you there!

Hello everyone!

In preparing for our renovations, Retriever Essentials is closed tomorrow (7/8/2026) for our relocation to lower Flat Tuesdays! We will be there for the remainder of the month.

We will reopen on 7/10/2026. Please plan your trip accordingly, and we apologize for any inconviences.

Call for UMBC SCIPE (UM-CIP Fellows) Graduate Fellows - Fall 2026
Submission Deadline: July 10, 2026

Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) SCIPE program (Enhancing the Transdisciplinary Research Ecosystem for Earth and Environmental Science with Dedicated Cyber Infrastructure Professionals), CGC-SCIPE is a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) - iHARP and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences (UMCES). The project aims to strengthen the research capacity in Earth and Environmental Sciences by leveraging High Performance Computing (HPC), Artificial Intelligence, and data-driven modeling, while developing the next generation of Cyber Infrastructure Professionals (CIPs). This project, as part of the iHARP center and Mdata lab, invites applications for UMBC CIP Graduate Fellows (UM-CIP Fellows).

About the Fellowship
The UM-CIP Graduate Fellowship supports a senior PhD student whose dissertation research aligns with Earth or Environmental Science and who seeks to incorporate HPC or advanced AI into their work. The Fellows will receive guidance from an HPC mentor to expand their technical and computational expertise.

Fellowship Details
* Duration: One Year (Starting Fall 2026)
* Funding: Support for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027, including tuition, health insurance, and stipend. Note that summer will be supported at 20 hours per week.
* Focus Areas: Earth and Environmental Science (Students may come from any department but must have these focus areas for their research). 

Fellowship Eligibility
* Must be a PhD candidate at UMBC who has completed their dissertation proposal defense by the time of the appointment.
* Must have a research focus in Earth or Environmental Science.
* Must demonstrate interest in using advanced computing High Performance Computing (HPC) in the research. They should describe how they plan to incorporate HPC into their research.
* Students who are already using advanced computing will not be considered for this call. Fellowship Expectations
* A fellow is expected to continue with their research topics identified in their dissertation proposal defense and continue to be mainly advised by their PhD advisor(s)
* A fellow is expected to engage with the SCIPE team and Cyber Infrastructure Professionals (CIPs)
* A fellow will be expected to present the progress of their work during the fellowship year.
* A fellow's work will have the UMBC SCIPE grant in acknowledgment of all work developed through the fellowship. A final publication is an expected outcome of this fellowship.
* A fellow is expected to participate in CGC-SCIPE related events, such as workshops and seminars.
* Fellowship stipend will be based upon the current Information Systems Department stipend rate.
* Previously awarded fellows are not eligible.
* As this is a full time fellowship, fellows may not be supported by another grant funding source or full time support.

Applicants should submit a one-page research statement outlining the research question and approach, the type of data used or planned, and how HPC will be incorporated or enhanced through the fellowship. Please attach a copy of your CV or Resume and provide at least one Letter of Recommendation (preferably from your PhD advisor).

Please submit via this Google Submission Form by July 10, 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Vandana Janeja (vjaneja@umbc.edu).

Hello everyone!

Due to the heat advisory tomorrow, we will be cancelling our Free Farmers Market tomorrow (7/2/2026). Instead, our pantry will be opening at 11:00am - 1:00pm tomorrow

Please plan your trip accordingly, and we apologize for any inconveinces. 

Hello everyone!

For the remainder of the summer, we will be at The Gathering Space in the Center for Wellbeing

Please plan your trip accordingly, and we apologize for any incovneinces.