As set forth in the Faculty Diversity Initiative announced on November 3, 2015 by President Peter Salovey and Provost Ben Polak, Yale must expand and develop the pool of young scholars who will contribute to the excellence and diversity of future generations of faculty. Yale sponsors a number of “pipeline programs” that help our students and alumni transition into graduate programs and into the academy, including the Edward A. Bouchet Fellowship, the Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship Program, and the James and Mary Pinchot Fellowship at the School of Forestry & Environmental Studies. However we can and must do more.
Following through on this commitment, we are pleased to announce the “Emerging Scholars Initiative”, a partnership between the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences and the Office of the Provost that will focus on fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive graduate student community campus wide. The initiative for PhD students across all schools will include: (1) fifteen new Dean’s Emerging Scholars Fellowships per year for incoming graduate students beginning with the fall 2016 cohort; (2) ten competitive, Dean’s Emerging Scholars Research Awards per year for matriculated graduate students; and (3) six, 1-year Post-baccalaureate Research Education Experiences per year, beginning in July 2016.
Dean’s Emerging Scholars Fellowship
The fellowships for incoming graduate students are “top-ups” of standard stipends that will include: an additional $3,000 added to the standard departmental stipend for the first 3 years and a one-time restricted research fund to be administered by the department or program in the amount of $2,000. Recipients will be selected after admissions decisions are made but typically before the actual offers are sent to the students. Schools, departments, and programs may make recommendations for the fellowship recipients. A committee comprised of the GSAS Dean, the Academic Deans, and the Associate Dean for Graduate Student Development and Diversity will make the final decisions.
Dean’s Emerging Scholars Research Award
The competitive, research award for matriculated graduate students will be a one-time restricted research fund in the amount of $2,000 for conference and/or fieldwork related expenditures to be administered by the school, department, or program. The application and additional details will be forthcoming and will go into effect beginning in the fall of 2016.
Please note incoming and matriculated graduate student fellowship and research award recipients must exhibit meritorious academic promise and achievement, and must meet at least one of the following criteria:
(a) Recipients are from backgrounds that have been underrepresented in their chosen fields of study, e.g., historically underrepresented minority students, first-generation college graduates, students from economically disadvantaged backgrounds, or women in some STEM fields.
(b) Recipients have previously been, or are currently, involved in diversity-related initiatives, including but not limited to, community service or university/college campus outreach or service.
Recipients are planning to pursue research related to issues of diversity and identity, including but not limited to, race, ethnicity, gender, socio-economic status, religion, sexual orientation, and ability.
Post-baccalaureate Research Education Experience
The goal of the 1-year post-baccalaureate research education experiences is to provide program participants with a foundation of knowledge and skills necessary to be successful graduate students. Specific objectives for the program participants are: 1) To experience life as a graduate student at a major research university, taking courses, doing research and receiving mentoring alongside first year PhD students. 2) To study an educational curriculum that consists of research literature seminars, graduate school and career workshops, and GRE preparation. This initiative will be open to recent college graduates in all divisions, and will build upon our established NIH-funded post-baccalaureate program in the biological sciences. The application and additional details will be available soon.
Best Regards,
Michelle D. Nearon, Ph.D.
Associate Dean, Graduate Student Development and Diversity
Lynn Cooley, Ph.D.
Dean, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences