UIC Pipeline to an Inclusive Faculty (PIF) Program 2021
Summer 2021 Competition for Rising 2nd- and 3rd-Year PhD Students
PIF Photo Slideshows Heading link
PIF Objective Heading link
Acknowledging the lack of diversity in faculty around the country, we wanted to build a program at UIC to recruit and support outstanding historically underrepresented PhD students, who are interested in pursuing careers as faculty members. Our intent is to support these students with competitive funding packages, skills and professional development opportunities, and mentoring in order to ensure success in graduate school and in their future careers. ONE nomination per doctoral program.
Overview of the PIF Program Heading link
- Selection Process: Normally, during the recruitment season, we select five historically underrepresented scholars in PhD programs in any discipline from among the Access and University Fellowship applicants. This competition seeks to add to our existing cohorts.
- Funding: Scholars will receive adequate funding so that they will be able to concentrate on their scholarship and skills development and progress to degree in a timely fashion. PIF Scholars will receive three years of funding at $28,000 and one year of top-off funding at $10,000 to add to the stipend provided by a teaching assistantship.
- Mentoring: Scholars will be paired with both a senior student peer mentor from their program and a faculty mentor who is outside of their department and who is not their research advisor. They will also be part of a peer-mentoring network, including students at all stages of their graduate programs, and participate in research presentation seminars, writing groups and community building events.
- Grant Writing Experience: Scholars will apply for the Provost’s Graduate Research, Provost’s Graduate Internship Award, the Award for Graduate Research research funding, and/or external funding by their third year in the program.
- Teaching Experience and Training: Scholars will serve as teaching assistants to build their teaching skills. Scholars will also enroll in at least one semester of an approved teaching course, and will be encouraged to complete the GC Foundations of College Instruction certificate.
- Mentoring skills: To build their mentoring skills, scholars will serve as “Research Team Leaders” in the Summer Research Opportunities Program (SROP) for one summer, or participate in another mentoring extended mentoring experience.
- Networking in Field: Scholars will be provided with funds to attend discipline specific meetings (or travel for their research) in order to build a national presence and network for job placement.
- Professional development: Scholars will be expected to fulfill all professional development requirements in their own department and in addition attend other selected workshops.
Summer 2021 Competition Heading link
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Eligibility
Applicants must be citizens or permanent residents of the United States who come from groups that have been historically underrepresented in graduate education. Historically underrepresented groups include: Black, Latinx, American Indian, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and other Pacific Islanders. Applicants must be (a) US citizens or, per the Illinois RISE Act, (b) undocumented (DACA) residents of the State of Illinois and a member of an historically underrepresented group listed above.
Furthermore, only UIC PhD students who will be entering their second or third year of study in August 2021 will be considered.
Students currently holding a Graduate College recruitment fellowship (Access, UF, SROP) are discouraged from applying.
Only ONE nomination per doctoral program.
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Selection Criteria
PIF fellows are selected based on academic achievement, promise, future faculty career goals, and fit with the existing cohorts.
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Terms
The PIF fellowship package carries an annual stipend of $28,000 for three years and a $10,000 “top-off” award for a fourth or “work” year. In all four years, PIF scholars will receive a waiver of tuition and selected fees. The estimated value of the Fellowship (stipend + waiver) for the first year is $42,758 for an Illinois resident and $54,800 for a non-resident. If registering in the 2022 summer session, the fellowship’s full value would be approximately $46,000 for an Illinois resident or $62,000 for a non-resident. In all four years, the tuition differential, if applicable, will be waived. The nominating program may offer additional aid/employment concurrently; however, a student cannot concurrently hold a fellowship of approximately the same value.
If the nominee has already served two semesters as a teaching assistant (TA) and/or instructor of record at 0.50 FTE (or higher), the nominating program is not required to provide the PIF scholar with a TA appointment during the duration of the funding package. If, however, the nominee has not yet served as TA, the program must complete and adhere to the Statement of Financial Support Form (by providing a 0.50 FTE teaching assistantship).
PIF scholars are expected to maintain good academic standing and pass the preliminary examination by April 1st of their third year.
Sample Schedule of Support (assuming satisfactory academic progress)
2021-22: PIF Fellowship stipend of $28,000 plus tuition and partial fee waiver each term
2022-23: PIF Fellowship stipend of $28,000 plus tuition and partial fee waiver each term
2023-24: 50% Teaching Assistantship, PIF “top-off” support of $10,000, plus tuition and partial fee waiver each term
2024-25: PIF Fellowship stipend of $28,000 plus tuition and partial fee waiver each term
PIF scholars are required to registered for a minimum of 9 hours each fall and spring semester during the period of fellowship, participate in both monthly PIF scholar professional development, and accept certain restrictions on other employment. In addition, PIF scholars are required to present their research at a graduate research event on campus, typically in their third or fourth year.
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nomination
To be considered for nomination, students should consult with their Director of Graduate Studies to ascertain the unit’s internal deadline. There is a limit of ONE nomination per doctoral program.
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Docs
The Director of Graduate Studies (or surrogate) obtains and combines these seven elements for the nomination:
- Director of Graduate Studies Transmittal (form)
- Student Application (form)
- DGS Nomination Letter. In this letter, the DGS should explain why the nominee was selected for the nominating PhD program; the nominee’s academic and professional progress since matriculating; past funding; and the nominee’s fit with the doctoral program and with objectives of the PIF Program.
- Statement of Financial Support (form)
- Student’s Curriculum Vitae (4-page maximum)
- Post-secondary transcripts. Copies of official are sufficient. For UIC, an unofficial transcript from Student Self Service, if unedited and complete, is permissible. Alternatively, your program may provide complete printouts from Banner, the administrative student database).
- Three letters of recommendation. These may be the same letters used to gain admission.
Graduate programs are encouraged to set an earlier internal deadline to ensure time for any internal selection process and timely submission to the Graduate College.
Current PIF Fellow Profiles
Pipeline to an Inclusive Faculty Fellowship (PIF) Selection FAQ Heading link
Pipeline to an Inclusive Faculty Fellowship (PIF) Selection FAQ – Summer 2021 Competition
Q1: How are students nominated? A1: Applicants must be nominated by their graduate program. Limit ONE nomination per doctoral program.
Q2: What are the selection criteria? A2: PIF fellows are selected based on academic achievement, promise, future faculty career goals, and fit with the existing cohorts.
Q3: Are all UIC graduate students eligible? A3: Only UIC PhD students who will be entering their second or third year of study in August 2021 will be considered.
Q4: Are unofficial transcripts sufficient? A4: Transcripts from institutions where post-secondary degrees were earned may be copies of the official transcript; UIC transcripts may be unofficial.
Q5: May letters of recommendations from one’s application for graduate study be used? A5: Yes.
Q6: Must the nominating program promise one year of teaching assistantship? A6: It depends. If the nominee has already served two semesters as a teaching assistant (TA) and/or instructor of record at 0.50 FTE (or higher), then this requirement has already been fulfilled. If the nominee has not yet served as TA, the program must promise nine months of TA experience. See the Statement of Financial Support Form.
Contacts Heading link
Theresa Christenson
Phone:
Email:
Benn Williams
Phone:
Email:
DEADLINE Heading link
DEADLINE: 4 pm, JULY 1, 2021 (CDT)