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GAANN Fellowships for Graduate Assistantships in National Areas of Need

The U.S. Department of Education has funded a grant for 3 years to support GAANN fellowships for underrepresented students in science. The grant provides $126,672 per year for stipends and institutional payments. The program aims to enhance recruitment and evaluation plans to ensure success. Additional financial support is available through TA positions and reduced teaching loads.

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GAANN Fellowships for Graduate Assistantships in National Areas of Need

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  1. U.S. Department of Education GAANN Fellowships Graduate Assistantships in Areas of National Need A GAANN Committee consisting of H. Batelaan, D. Claes, A.Dominguez, D. Leslie-Pelecky, G. Snow (chair), and K. Uiterwaal submitted a GAANN proposal to the U.S. Department of Education in November 2005. We were notified on April 18 that the grant will be funded, for 3 Fellowships/year for 3 years. Only U.S. citizens and permanent residents are eligible for GAANN support. GAANN program requires attention to students from underrepresented groups in science.

  2. Google “GAANN”, I feel lucky

  3. Special thanks to: All committee members for their input to the proposal H. Batelaan for the proposal template from previous years’ submissions D. Claes, R. Kirby for providing lots of input about the graduate program and the department for the proposal P. Christen, N. Braaten for invaluable help on the day of the electronic submission in November D. Pilson (Biology), R.Wiegand (Math) for discussions on how they run their GAANN programs J. Tederman (Financial Aid) for insight on FAFSA financial needs assessments

  4. The Award The grant is for $126,672/year for 3 years Start date August 14, 2006 No indirect costs charged by the University A given year is broken down as follows: (Up to) $30,000 stipend  3 = $90,000 $12,224 “institutional payment”  3 = $36,672 A 25% = $31,668 total cost share/year is required Office of Graduate Studies: Tuition waivers Department: ½ TA support, fits in with supervised teaching requirement for Fellows The institutional payment is intended to be used for fees, tuition not covered by cost share, travel, research supplies, books, etc., needed by Fellows

  5. Why did we get funded for 3 Fellowships instead of the requested 6? No info on budget comes with award letter; E-mailed program officer The number of awarded Fellowships is based on the reviewers numerical ratings Reviewers assign numerical ratings in 11 categories Reviewer 1: 97/100 points Reviewer 2: 93/100 points Proposals with an average  95.5 (and above some threshold) were awarded 3 Fellowships Proposals with an average >95.5 points received between 4 and 7 Fellowships Average = 95.0

  6. What were the weaknesses? Reviewer 1 (97/100): Perfect score in 9/11 categories Recruitment plan (9/10): “A general sense of the enrollment is given but would benefit from a more explicit listing. This section would benefit from more information concerning the past success of the academic department in enrolling talented graduate students for its academic program.” Evaluation plan (10/12): “A time-line chart is not noted in this section. It would benefit this section if a time-line proposal would have been included.”

  7. What were the weaknesses? Reviewer 2 (93/100): Perfect score in 8/11 categories Recruitment plan (7/10): “Little evidence is provided that the students recruited are of high ability. Statistical data, e.g. GPA and GRE scores would have helped the proposal.” Project administration (5/7): “More evidence that the department will indeed be able to recruit as GAANN fellows students with the minimum requirements listed is needed. More data such as numbers of applicants, their qualifications, etc. would have helped.” Evaluation plan (10/12): “There does not appear to be an adequate plan to disaggregate the data on those of different racial backgrounds, etc. A timeline chart is not provided.”

  8. The financial details • Fellowship stipend amount is based on need which is • determined by the online “Free Application For Federal • Student Aid” form (FAFSA) • Procedure: student fills FAFSA, UNL Financial Aid • receives report and forwards to us (Jo Tederman) • Need based on previous year’s income (taxable or not) • UNL: Typical needs assessment for a student with no • income in previous year is about $12K • Things that can increase the assessed need: • Spouse and dependents at home with no income • Things that can decrease the assessed need: • Student appears on parent’s tax return as dependent, • financial assets, student or spouse works, student • received TA or RA or fellowship support in previous • year

  9. The financial details • Our proposal commits ½ TA spread over academic year • for Fellows = $9K which: • Augments typical GAANN stipend ($12K) to the approx. • $18K our grad students receive with full RA/TA • Might make the GAANN option attractive, due to • reduced teaching load • Supplementing with part-time RA support could increase • income to a level above our standard $18K • Reminder: This scheme would result in a FAFSA • determination of greatly reduced financial need for the • next year, making a second GAANN stipend unlikely. • This is a known flaw in the system. • However, “once a GAANN, always a GAANN”, means that • the institutional payment funds CAN be used in later years

  10. The financial details • One advantage of the fact that it is nearly impossible • to provide a student with more than half of the • maximum $30K per Fellow – you can use the $30K • to support two Fellows • So excluding special cases where assessed need is >>$15K, we can provide 6 Fellowships using the stipend money designated for 3 • Math and Biology do this with their GAANNs • Department of Education likes this

  11. Short Term Do-List • (Identify 1st year GAANN Fellows as soon as possible) • GAANN info web page linked to Dept. page (started) • Application form (have examples) • GAANN Committee reviews application procedure • Announce 2006-2007 fellowship competition with • short deadline (May 15?) to all incoming and present • grad students • GAANN Committee does preliminary prioritization of • applicants (June 1?) • Wait for FAFSA needs assessments (2-week turn around) • Convolute with preliminary prioritization results • Announce 1st year GAANN awards in June • We should make sure to award at least one GAANN • Fellowship to student(s) from underrepresented groups

  12. UNL Biology GAANN Web Page

  13. Longer Term Do-List • Organize supervised teaching activities for GAANN • Fellows (mentoring, in class observation, …) • Organize mentoring and evaluation activities for • GAANN Fellows • Produce information brochure for Physics GAANNs • Enhance GAANN web page with tracking and evaluation • information on Fellows and other graduate students • Implement recruiting schemes in proposal for 2nd year • GAANN recipients • A detail: We will set up 2 cost objects for the GAANN • grant [(i) stipends, (ii) other payments] for ease of • yearly financial reporting

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