Achievement

Our IGERT trainees are successful in securing fellowships and support for their research, including NSF Graduate Research Fellowships, a Doctoral Dissertation Improvement Grant, Fulbright Fellowship, private foundation fellowships (Rasmuson Foundation, Leifur Eriksson Foundation), EPSCOR Graduate Research Fellowships, UAF Graduate School Fellowships, and travel awards. Many trainees had previously worried that they would not be able to find outside funding for periods when they were not receiving an IGERT fellowship. Trainees report that they are more confident in seeking external funding as a result of the grant/fellowship application process, and noted that our IGERT was critical in providing possible funding sources and options. These trainees will serve as excellent role models for early-stage trainees. Writing successful grant applications is a key skill set for graduate students to develop as early as possible, and IGERT trainees clearly have advanced in this area.