Dear Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Scholars,

I hope you are staying healthy and safe during these challenging times. I appreciate all you are doing to stay engaged in your courses and research and to support those around you. Like you, I’m eager to return to our academic activities, on-campus and beyond, and look forward to being together again.

I am pleased to announce that in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Provost Drell has approved expansion of existing emergency grant-in-aid funds to help support graduate students and postdoctoral scholars who are facing unanticipated financial hardships specifically as a result of the pandemic. Emergency funds are available immediately to address these urgent needs through both the Financial Aid Office and the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs. These central offices are able to implement an effective, efficient, and equitable mechanism to serve the most affected members of our community.

Additional funds are being made available for our existing Grant-In-Aid programs to provide assistance to graduate students and postdoctoral scholars with an expanded range of expenses related to COVID-19 that may be causing financial hardship. These include but are not limited to unexpected travel expenses, expenses related to academic activities or work performed from home, costs incurred as a result of carrying out essential research on campus, or accommodation for unexpected changes in family finances.

Graduate students may find information about and apply for the Emergency Grant-in-Aid Funds for up to $5000 at the Financial Aid Office (FAO). Note that if you have already received the maximum this year for an unrelated issue and have new expenses related to COVID-19 that are causing financial hardship, you are encouraged to submit a new application.

Postdocs may find information about and apply for the Emergency Grant-in-Aid Funds for Postdoctoral Scholars for up to $5000 at the Office of Postdoctoral Affairs (OPA).

I hope that these additional financial resources help you and your families during these challenging and uncertain times.

With warm regards,
Stacey

Stacey F. Bent
Vice Provost for Graduate Education and Postdoctoral Affairs
Jagdeep and Roshni Singh Professor in the School of Engineering
Professor of Chemical Engineering
Professor, by courtesy, of Materials Science & Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Chemistry