Funding
Funding
There are many ways to obtain funding for your studies. The simplest,
but not necessarily the most attractive are graduate student
assistantships (GSA). There is a limited number of GSA positions in
the Department of Information Science. GSA positions are awarded for
varying work assignments on a competitive basis based on the
qualifications and, in part, the need of the applicants. Examples of
assignments are: assisting faculty in teaching and research, working
in the SLIS library, or working in the computer laboratories. It is
worth realizing that usually these assignments are not related to the
studies and GSA work tends to be a factor that slows down the studies.
Most GSA positions are assigned in halves: the duties involve 10 hours
work, and in return a modest stipend and 50% or the tuition fees.
Applications for GSA positions are accepted twice a year. Please, check
the deadlines with Heather Frye, ,
SLIS 732, phone +1 (412) 624-9404.
A very attractive source of funding are graduate research assistantships,
available through various faculty members. These are assigned primarily
on the basis of skill: Recipients are normally students who are involved
in a project with a faculty member. It is a good idea to let these
skills be known (i.e., be involved in a project as soon as you identify
your interests), as faculty members understandably tend to favor
supporting those students that they have been working with. Research
projects have deliverables and there are duties involved. These are
usually synergistic with the overall goal of doctoral studies and
normally lead to a doctoral dissertation. It is in the student's best
interest to search for a dissertation topic within the project that
funds him/her. DSL offers research assistantships -please check the
list of our ongoing projects and get in touch with Dr. Druzdzel.
Finally, it is possible to obtain graduate fellowships from various
agencies and foundations. These are usually assigned on a competitive
basis (based on a research proposal or an essay) and the competition
is fierce. The benefits are usually excellent: you have no duties
assigned from the department and can concentrate on your research. The
links listed below are meant to provide you with initial pointers to
information about the funding sources.
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