Types of Appointments

Research Assistantships (RA's)

Research assistant appointments are primarily for the benefit of the individual’s course of study and research and are directly applicable to the individual’s thesis or dissertation. Research assistants are required to register for a full load (8-12 credits) of graduate courses and research. Because a research assistantship is not considered employment, income taxes, but not social security taxes, are withheld from research assistant stipends.

1. Departmental
   The department offers stipends for the support of outstanding students. These funds are supplied by the Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine’s Research and Development Committee and are earmarked primarily for supporting students that are doing lab rotations in their first year.
2. Research Grants
   Many of the individual trainers have research programs that are funded by awards from outside agencies such as the National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation, biotechnology companies and other funding sources. These grants often provide stipends for graduate assistants. The NIH is currently awarding stipend supplements to existing grants as part of their recruitment of minority candidates to scientific fields. Inquiries regarding the availability of a stipend should be directed to the individual faculty member.

Project Assistantships (PA's)

A limited number of project assistant (PA) positions are available each fall and spring semester for Pathology graduate students. The duties of the PA are to assist with research, training, or other academic programs or projects. For additional information on PA positions in the department, Pathology students and trainers should contact the department at gradinfo@pathology.wisc.edu.

Teaching Assistantships (TA's)

The department does not currently offer Teaching Assistantships.

Fellowships

Fellowships are available on a competitive basis from several sources.

1. Graduate School Fellowships
   The Graduate School offers University Fellowships on a competitive basis to outstanding students both at the time of admission and throughout graduate studies. At the time of admission into the Program, the Admission Committee ranks applicants and nominates the top candidates for fellowships. The UW-Madison is committed to increasing the pool of ethnic minority scholars and professionals in the United States. The Advanced Opportunity Fellowship Program (AOF) is designed to increase the number of students of color and/or educationally disadvantaged non-minority students at any stage of graduate study. To be eligible for this funding, a student must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. Permanent Resident, admitted to or enrolled in a graduate department, and identify with one of the following groups: African-American, Native American, Mexican American, Puerto Rican, Vietnamese, Hmong, Cambodian, Laotian, or long-term educationally disadvantaged non-minority persons. Long-term educationally disadvantaged students are eligible if they meet at least two of the following requirements: parents did not attend college; participated in a TRIO program (i.e. Upward Bound, Talent Search, McNair); or eligible for federally administered financial aid grants (i.e. Pell, SEOG). AOF funds are allocated directly to the departments, which make the awards to students. Please contact the Department Secretary if you believe that you qualify for this fellowship. Announcements for competitive fellowships will be forwarded to students by the Graduate Education Office as they become available.
2. Training Grants
   Several training grants on campus provide stipends to support graduate research. These include the Genetics Training Grant, the Molecular Biology Training Grant, the Neurobiology Training Grant, the Developmental Biology Training Grant, the Gamete and Embryo Biology Training Grant, etc. If the candidate will be working in any of these areas, the major professor should initiate inquiries to these programs.
3. Federal, State and Private Awards
   Outstanding students are encouraged to apply for individual predoctoral fellowships, e.g. National Science Foundation or Howard Hughes. In addition, fellowship support may be available from biotechnology or medical companies.