Supporting Graduate Diversity – Nominating Spaulding-Smith Fellows

The nomination cycle will open in September, and the deadline to submit a nomination is February 4th, 2025, at 6 p.m.

The Graduate School aims to increase access, inclusion, and engagement for students from underrepresented backgrounds within your discipline and in the academy. We would like to partner with you to recruit and ensure the success of all students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds. Our main goal is to partner with you to meet your diversity goals. We broadly define diversity as individuals that are underrepresented within your discipline. In addition, the Graduate School has a number of fellowships for which Graduate Program Directors and Admission Chairs can nominate outstanding students. Below is information on how to nominate your student for the Spaulding-Smith fellowship.  

The Spaulding-Smith Fellowship supports the recruitment, retention, and success of outstanding STEM graduate students from underrepresented groups. Named for two UMass Amherst alumni — Major Franklin Spaulding (the first African American to receive a doctorate) and Elizabeth Hight Smith (the first woman to receive a graduate degree) — this fellowship includes financial support during the first and final year of graduate school, as well as mentoring, professional development, and community-building programs. 

Eligibility 

Eligibility is limited to students entering PhD programs in STEM fields.  Please note that students cannot simultaneously receive a Spaulding-Smith fellowship and the Research Enhancement and Leadership (REAL) fellowship. 

Funding is intended for students from groups that are underrepresented in the disciplines, the professoriate, or among recipients of doctoral degrees. There is no limit on either the number of nominations a program may submit or on the number of awards that can be made to any program. 

Nominees should have a demonstrated record of academic excellence and potential for future success. This may be discerned from an applicant’s grades, research experience, work experience, publications, scholarships and awards, participation in programs such as the McNair Scholars Program, letters of recommendation, and other appropriate factors, depending on the nominee’s discipline and background. We encourage admissions committees to look at a range of indicators when evaluating academic success and potential. 

Applicants’ personal experiences and backgrounds may be discerned from transcripts, personal statements and resumes, letters of recommendation, and other relevant materials. 

Nomination Process 

• Nominations must come from the Graduate Program Director or Graduate Admissions Director. Students are not permitted to apply directly for these fellowships. 
• The nominating doctoral program must commit to admitting the student and also commit to a plan for providing a funding package of at least 3 years of financial support. As in all cases, program funding commitments are contingent upon the student’s satisfactory progress in the program and the availability of sufficient funding resources. 
• The program must commit to assigning an advisor who will mentor the student during the academic year and summers if this is not already the program’s standard practice. Assigned mentors are strongly encouraged to participate in the Faculty Mentor Training Program. 
• Nomination occurs in Slate. The nomination questions can be accessed here, and instructions on completing the nomination process in Slate for advisor can be accessed here and for Graduate Program Director or Admission Chair can be accessed here. 
• The nomination cycle will open in September, and the deadline to submit a nomination is February 4th, 2025, at 6 p.m.
• After that deadline for personal statements, the Fellowship Committee meets to consider the nominees, and OIE will notify departments/programs and nominees as quickly as possible after that. 
• Award letters will be sent out the week of February 24th, 2025. 

Additional Resources 

The following resources may be useful for nominations: 

• NSF Survey of Earned Doctorates 
• Historically Black Colleges and Universities 
• Hispanic Serving Institutions 
• Tribal Colleges and Universities 
• McNair Scholars Program 

Please contact the oie [at] grad [dot] umass [dot] edu (Office of Inclusion & Engagement) with any further questions. 

If you are a Graduate Program Director or Admission Chair and Interested in nominating an accepted student for a Spaulding-Smith Fellowship — this can be done in Slate.