FUNDING OPPORTUNITIES

Vilas Travel Grants

Do you need money for travel to a conference or for research purposes? Apply for a Vilas Travel Grant. The Graduate Student Collaborative helps the Graduate School distribute 300 $600 travel grants and a small number of $1,500 grants for international research travel. Current UW-Madison dissertators and final year MFA students are eligible to apply. The Vilas Travel Grant Competition begins October 1, 2008.

Deadline: October 31, 2008
Information: http://www.grad.wisc.edu/gsc/vilas/vilasinfo.html

National Science Foundation (NSF) Fellowship

The National Science Foundation aims to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics in the United States and to reinforce its diversity by offering approximately 1,000 graduate fellowships in this competition. The Graduate Research Fellowship provides three years of support for graduate study leading to research-based master's or doctoral degrees and is intended for students who are at the early stages of their graduate study. The Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) invests in graduate education for a cadre of diverse individuals who demonstrate their potential to successfully complete graduate degree programs in disciplines relevant to the mission of the National Science Foundation. The fellowship is renewable for three years over a five year period and provides an annual stipend of $30,000 with and extra education allowance of $10, 500 per year to cover tuition and fees. The application deadline is November 3 - November 12, 2008 (varies based on discipline). More information is available online at https://www.fastlane-beta.nsf.gov/grfp/Login.do.

Spencer Dissertation Fellowship

The Spencer Dissertation Fellowship Program supports scholars from a wide range of disciplines and professional fields to undertake research relevant to the improvement of education. These fellowships provide $25,000 for a one-year tenure in order to support the final analysis of the research topic and the writing of the dissertation. For this reason, all applicants must document that they will have completed all pre-dissertation requirements by June 1, 2009 and must provide a clear and specific plan for completing the dissertation within a one or two-year time frame. Applicants need not be citizens of the United States. The deadline for applications is November 4th, 2008. For more information, please visit http://www.spencer.org/content.cfm/dissertation-fellowship-program.

Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship

The ACLS awards Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowships for a one-year tenure beginning summer 2009. Aimed at encouraging graduate students in the humanities and related social sciences to complete the Ph.D. in a timely manner, these fellowships offer a stipend of $25, 000 with up to $8,000 more available to cover research costs and university fees. Applicants must be no more than six years into their degree program and should be prepared to complete their dissertations within the period of their fellowship tenure or shortly thereafter. Completed applications must be submitted through the ACLS Online Fellowship Application system (http://ofa.acls.org/) no later than 9 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, November 12, 2008. More information is available at http://www.acls.org/grants/Default.aspx?id=512.

Charlotte Newcombe Dissertation Fellowship

The Charlotte W. Newcombe Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships are designed to encourage original and significant study of ethical or religious values in all fields of the humanities and social sciences, and particularly to help Ph.D. candidates in these fields complete their dissertation work in a timely manner. In addition to topics in religious studies or in ethics (philosophical or religious), dissertations appropriate to the Newcombe Fellowship competition might explore the ethical implications of foreign policy, the values influencing political decisions, the moral codes of other cultures, and religious or ethical issues reflected in history or literature. Applicants must be able to fulfill all pre-dissertation requirements by the application deadline, including approval of the dissertation proposal, and must expect to submit completed dissertations by summer 2010. Successful candidates will be in the writing stage of the dissertation, having completed fieldwork or other research by the time of the award. Fellows will receive $24,000 for 12 months of full-time dissertation writing. The deadline for applications is November 14th, 2008. More information is available online at http://www.woodrow.org/fellowships/religion_ethics/index.php.

American Association of University Women (AAUW) Dissertation Fellowship

The AAUW Dissertation Fellowship is open to women doctoral candidates in any field of study who will complete their dissertation writing between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2010. The fellowship provides a $20,000 stipend for one year, beginning July 1, 2009. To qualify, applicants must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents and have completed all course work, passed all required preliminary examinations, and received approval for their research proposal or plan by Nov. 15, 2008. Candidates will be evaluated on the basis of scholarly excellence, teaching experience, and active commitment to helping women and girls through service in their communities, professions, or fields of research. The deadline for applications is November 15th, 2008. For more details on eligibility requirements or to access an application, please visit http://www.aauw.org/education/fga/fellowships_grants/american.cfm.

Ford Foundation Dissertation Fellowship

Through its program of Diversity Fellowships, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. The awards will be made to dissertators who, in the judgment of the review panels, have demonstrated superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. The fellowship provides a $21,000 stipend. For more information on eligibility and selection criteria, please visit http://www7.nationalacademies.org/fordfellowships/forddiss.html. The deadline for online applications is November 28, 2008.

Financial Assistance for Child Care Fees

Are you a UW-Madison student parent and have your child (children) enrolled in a licensed child care center, licensed in-home provider or a licensed after-school program?

You may be eligible for financial assistance toward those child care costs while you attend classes at the UW-Madison during the fall 2008 semester. You may apply for financial assistance through the Child Care Tuition Assistance Program(CCTAP). CCTAP provides financial assistance toward child care costs to eligible low-income student parents. Not all students are eligible. All student applicants must reside in Wisconsin and have licensed child care in Wisconsin.

For more information, eligibility, deadlines and an application, visit the CCTAP Web site and click on financial assistance. While on the CCTP site check out the the Kids-Kare Program, a program that provides financial assistance for sick, back-up and evening care to eligible CCTAP student parents. Please note deadlines.

Additional Funding Resources

Individuals looking for funding opportunities are usually best served by starting with the Funding Sources for Individuals category under the Grants Information Collection. Don't forget that the UW Job Center offers a great online resource for finding graduate student assistantships on campus. Register with the Job Center to receive weekly updates.

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT OPPORTUNITIES

GSC Graduate Student Professional Development Workshops

In cooperation with the Graduate School's Office of Outreach and Professional Development, the Graduate Student Collaborative (GSC) holds a number of workshops that help students acquire the skills, knowledge, and experiences that will help them get the most out of their graduate school experience and succeed later in their chosen field.

Listed below are upcoming workshops, about which details are available on the GSC Events Calendar. Participants must register for workshops.

Mastering the Non-Academic Interview
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
11:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Bascom Hall, Rm 260
Food will be served!

Developing your CV and Cover Letter
Monday, October 27, 2008
4:30p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Bascom Hall, Rm 260

Family Matters:
The Unique Challenges of Balancing Parenthood & Academics Wednesday, November 12, 2008
5:30 p.m. — 7:30 p.m.
Eagle Heights Community Center
Food will be served!

Identifying Careers Outside Academia
Thursday, November 13, 2008
5:30 p.m.—7:00 p.m.
Bascom Hall, Room 260
Food will be served!

Grant Proposal Preparation Tips (just added!)
Friday, November 14, 2008
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.
Bascom Hall, Room 260

Relaxation Strategies for Graduate Students
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
11:30 p.m.—12:30 p.m.
On Wisconsin C, Red Gym

Graduate School Seminar Series 2008-2009

The Graduate School offers many free seminars related to policies,
procedures and regulations for research and graduate education
throughout the year. The sessions are open to all members of the campus
community. The following seminars fall under the 'Responsible Conduct of Research' seminars. Registration is required.

Mentor/Trainee Responsibilities
Tuesday, November 4
2:00 pm - 3:30 pm
UW Biotech Center Auditorium

This seminar will focus on mentor-trainee responsibilities for researchers
in the social and behavioral sciences. Topics covered in this
seminar will include: establishing mutual understanding regarding
expectations, creating a supportive research environment, ensuring that
there is adequate supervision and feedback, discussing authorship and
issues surrounding future access to data sets, and promoting
independent research capabilities.

Guidelines for Keeping Laboratory Notebooks
Thursday, November 6
10:00 -11: 30 am
UW Biotech Center Auditorium

"Why, what and how" of maintaining research laboratory notebooks are the topics covered in this seminar presented by Cheryl Scadlock, WARF's Information Specialist. Also discussed are the issues related to saving, accessing, and archiving electronic research data.

Community-Based Research
Wednesday, November, 12
1:30 – 3:00 pm
UW Biotech Center Auditorium

This seminar will describe community-based participatory research--a
method of conducting research in partnership with communities, including
participation in formation of the research question, research design,
data collection, data analysis, and dissemination of results. Using local and national examples, research issues will be explored.

Opportunities & Challenges Associated with
Large Collaborative Projects
Thursday, November 13
10:00 – 11:30 am
UW-Biotech Center Auditorium

This session will use the experiences and lessons learned from the
IceCube project to examine some of the unique challenges that come
about when engaged in a large collaborative effort.

Research Misconduct
Monday, November 17
10:00 – 11:30 am
UW Biotech Center Auditorium

Both UW and Federal requirements for judgment of research misconduct
and policies will be addressed. A case study approach will be used to
amplify aspects of research misconduct.

Ownership of the Results of Research
Tuesday, November 18
2:00 - 3:00 pm
UW Biotech Center Auditorium

Ownership rights to the products of research will be discussed.
These products include raw data, results, and any arising intellectual
property, such as patentable inventions and copyrightable software.

Authorship, Peer Review, and Responsible Publishing
Thursday, November 20
10:00 –11:30 am
UW Biotech Center Auditorium

Many aspects of publishing can engender tension and disagreement.
This session will explore a number of those aspects from a responsible-
conduct-of-research perspective. Among the topics:  How does one decide
authorship order? What is plagiarism and how can one avoid it?  What
does it mean to engage in responsible peer review, and how should
authors respond to criticism?

UW Networking: Enabling UW Research

Friday, October 24, 2008
10am - noon
Pyle Center

High-speed networking can enhance if not change the way research is
performed. In support of research, UW-Madison has significantly enhanced its on and off-campus network capabilities and connectivity over the last few years. On October 24th, we'll explore these network enhancements that can be used from your lab or office to facilitate things such as: collaboration with regional, national and international colleagues; distributed computing; accessing remote data or providing access to your data; accessing remote instruments or providing access to UW instruments; high-quality videoconferencing; high-speed access to other research, education and government institution; high-speed access to commercial entities.
Please register online for this free event.

Library Workshops

Campus libraries workshops and tours help you learn how to find what you need quickly and efficiently. They will help you save time when deadlines for papers and projects approach. Most of these are hands-on. And best of all, they're free.

Upcoming topics include: Grants Information, Citations Managers, Internet
Searching, Libraries in a Nutshell, Map Tools for Demographic Data,
Publishing Your Research, RSS Feeds and Alert Services, and Web Based
Learning Tools.

Visit the library Web site to find out more about upcoming library workshops.

Writing Center Workshops

The Writing Center offers non-credit classes throughout the semester, held in Helen C. White Hall. Writing Center classes are free and are open to currently registered UW-Madison students. Each class will give you the chance to pick up valuable writing skills in a supportive, small-group environment. For more information visit the Writing Center Web site or 608-263-1992. The following courses may be useful to graduate students and are offered in the coming month:

Free Instructional Workshops and Demos from DoIT

If you are faculty, an instructor or a teaching assistant who supports a UW-Madison timetable course, DoIT Academic Technology invites you to participate in one of several free trainings and demonstrations. Learn web development, Learn@UWtools and tricks, how to use clickers, and much more. See the DoIT Training Web site for details.

Additional Graduate Information Resources

Want more? See the Graduate Student Professional Development Web site, the GSC Web site, the University Events calendar, and Software Training for Students for general and specialized workshops.

COMMUNITY EVENTS

Distinguished Lecture Series: Shirin Ebadi

Monday, October 20
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm
Wisconsin Union Theater

Dr. Shirin Ebadi is one of the world's most distinguished human rights activists. Recipient of the 2003 Nobel Peace Prize, Dr. Ebadi is an Iranian lawyer who advocates tirelessly for women's and children's rights. She is also a best-selling author, whose volumes include Iran Awakening. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to hear one of the most captivating and important women of our time. Reception and book signing to follow, TITU. Free to students, faculty and staff. See DLS Web site for ticketing information. www.union.wisc.edu/dls.

Avenue Q: The Broadway Musical

Tuesday, October 21 - Sunday, October 26
Overture Center for the Arts
Showtimes vary
Tickets: $28 - $70

Avenue Q is Broadway’s smash-hit 2004 Tony Award winner for best musical, best score and best book. A hilarious show full of heart and hummable tunes, Avenue Q is about trying to make it in NYC with big dreams and a tiny bank account. Called “one of the funniest shows you’re ever likely to see” by Entertainment Weekly, Avenue Q features a cast of people and puppets who tell the story in a smart, risqué and downright entertaining way. The New Yorker calls it “SUBVERSIVE and UPROARIOUS!”

Visit the Overture Center Web site for more information or to purchase tickets.

UW Cinematheque

The Cinematheque is a coalition of UW-Madison academic departments and student film groups dedicated to showcasing films which would otherwise never reach Madison screens; the Cinematheque regularly showcases archival and other rare prints from around the world.

The Cinematheque screens films every Friday and Saturday night (and on the occasional Sunday afternoon). Current and upcoming film series include: Moving Pictures: the European Films of Max Ophüls, Deviants, Delinquents, and Do-Gooders: Hollywood Social Problem Films of the 1950s, Mami Wata: Art for Water Spirits in Africa and Its Diasporas, Treasures from the Munich Filmmuseum, Polish Film Festival, Turkish Film Festival.

UW Votes '08: Election Night Fiesta

Tuesday, November 4
9:00 p.m.
Der Rathskeller

Come relax and watch the results come in Tuesday night with discussion tables and reflections on a historical election, regardless of the outcome.

Wisconsin Union Theater: Angelique Kidjo

Thursday, November 6
8:00 p.m.
Wisconsin Union Theater
Tickets: $10 with student ID

One of Africa's greatest stars, Kidjo returns to the theater with her buoyant, upbeat act. Born in Benin and performing professionally since she was six, Kidjo sings in several African languages as well as French and English.

"What is Human?":
Roots of the Human Symposium

Wednesday, November 12
8:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Fluno Center

"What Is Human?" is a UW-Madison interdisciplinary initiative that fosters revitalization of intellectual and institutional relationships between the sciences and the humanities and fosters collaborative research partnerships across the disciplines. The "Roots of the Human" symposium will feature the following distinguished speakers:

David A. Edwards, Gordon McKay Professor of the Practice of Biomedical Engineering School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Harvard University and founder of Le Laboratoire
“Innovation as Culture”

Ian M. Hacking, Professor of Philosophy, University of Toronto and College de France, author of The Social Construction of What?
“Humans, Aliens, and Autism”

Molly Jahn, UW-Madison Dean of College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

Wisconsin Union Theater: Savion Glover

Saturday, November 8
8:00 p.m.
Wisconsin Union Theater
Tickets: $10 with student ID

Tap dancer and choreographer Savion Glover made his Broadway debut as the title character in The Tap Dance Kid at the age of 12 and has since danced his way through films, television programs, the Academy Awards—and concert stages throughout the world. In 1996, he won the Tony Award for his dancing and choreography of the Broadway smash-hit Bring In Da Noize, Bring In Da Funk. Glover’s moves were captured in the film “Happy Feet;” according to director George Miller, Savion is “without question the greatest living tap-dancer.”

SOCIAL EVENTS

Graduate Student Collaborative (GSC) Socials

GSC Socials are held every Friday during the semester to give grad students from all across campus a weekly chance to mingle, get to know people outside their department, and unwind from the hectic week.

Friday, October 17
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Amy's Cafe

Friday, October 24
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Genna's Lounge

Friday, October 31
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Der Rathskeller

Friday, November 7
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Madison's

Friday, November 14
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Vintage Spirits & Grill

Graduate Student Collaborative (GSC) Monthly Midweek Mingle

Join grad students from a wide variety of disciplines for the GSC's Monthly Midweek Mingle. The first Wednesday of every month, GSC gathers at Genna's Lounge for some much needed social time. Meet new and continuing grad students and get rejuvenated for the rest of the week!

Wednesday, November 5
4:30 - 6:00 p.m.
Genna's Lounge (Main & Carroll Sts.)

Graduate Student Collaborative (GSC) Gastronomic Gadabouts

All graduate students are invited to attend any and all Gastronomic Gadabouts events. Every month, the GSC heads out to a local restaurant for an opportunity to try out local fare and connect with students.

Tuesday, October 21
7:00 p.m.
Cabana Room (240 W. Gilman St.)

This month we're heading to one of Madison's newer restaurants, the Brazilian-themed Cabana Room. Come out and try one of the 34 beers on tap or enjoy Brazil's national dish the "feijoada". Not sure about ordering something you can't pronounce? Click here to read the full menu.

Please RSVP to GSC (262-0201 or gsc@bascom.wisc.edu) by October 21 at noon so that we can reserve the right number of seats.

Check the GSC Events Calendar often to see where future social events will be held.

ACADEMIC DEADLINES

Fall 2008 Deadlines

Last day to add a course.
Last day to drop a course.
Last day to convert from Credit to Audit
Last day to apply for PASS/FAIL.

Friday, October 31st

Last day to withdraw from the semester (Last day of class)

Friday, December 12th

For a list of all fall semester deadlines check http://www.registrar.wisc.edu/deadlines.php?term=1092

For questions about Graduate School policies and procedures, see the Academic Guidelines at http://www.wisc.edu/grad/education/acadpolicy/introduction.html