PhD Works Awards for Career Exploration (ACE)

PhD Works is a program that supports the career exploration and professional development of Stony Brook University's graduate students and prepare them for careers beyond the traditional expectations of their program or beyond academic research.

PhD Works Awards for Career Exploration (ACE) is a program created by the Graduate and Postdoctoral Professional Development unit at Stony Brook’s Graduate School. It expands our previous PhD Works Awards for Diversity and Inclusion.

PhD Works ACE - Spring 2023

APPLICATIONS FOR SPRING 2023 ACTIVITIES WILL OPEN SOON

Eligible Activity Dates: January 1, 2023 - April 15, 2023

DEADLINE: TBA

PhD Works Awards for Career Exploration (ACE) offers up to $750 to support meaningful career exploration activities focused on preparation for the professional workforce outside the standard academic research track and the traditional expectations of the applicant's graduate program. This round of awards is generously sponsored by the Graduate Student Organization. 

Both PhD and Master’s students are strongly encouraged to apply for PhD Works ACE. We particularly welcome applications from students whose professional development activities contribute to diversifying the workforce in their fields. Students should have engaged in career exploration activities held between January 1, 2023 and April 15, 2023 for which they have documented expenses that have not been reimbursed by any other funding source.

Activities that directly support students' thesis/dissertation research and related activities (such as conference registration or travel to present research or thesis/dissertation topics) are NOT eligible for this award.

• Eligible applicants

  Any Stony Brook graduate student enrolled in any SBU Master’s or doctoral program during Spring 2023 is eligible to apply for this round of PhD Works ACE, regardless of their citizenship.

  Preference will be given to applicants who have not received a PhD Works award before.

• Eligible activities

  Activities that advance the student’s career exploration goals beyond academia and the professor/researcher path are eligible for PhD Works ACE as long as they do not include traditional academic research or the traditional requirements or expectations of an academic graduate program.

  These activities must be held in the United States or online.

  These activities must be held between January 1, 2023 and April 15, 2023

  The awards are only granted through a reimbursement process. We cannot pay for activities in advance, but you can propose activities that have not yet taken place as of the deadline if they occur within the funding period.

  Important: PhD Works ACE is awarded to only one activity per applicant.

  Activities NOT supported:

  • Activities related to students’ thesis, dissertations, academic research, lab work or similar, including, but not limited to, fieldwork, lab meetings, conference registrations, conference travel expenses, etc.
  • Salaries, stipends, or income to compensate the applicant or any other person.
  • Actual expenses related to a course, event, internship, project or activity that is part of an applicant's degree program.
  • Purchase of equipment, software, consumable, or non-consumable supplies.
  • Per diem or other type of expenses for food or catering.
  • Activities held outside the United States.

  Some examples of supported activities:

  • Registration or travel to consulting case competitions.
  • Unreimbursed travel to internship sites.
  • Registration or travel to professional development workshops, seminars or classes.
  • Industry or business event registration.
  • One-time subscription to a career development program or community, provided that the applicant completes at least one specific, members-only training activity within the time frame of the award.

  Important: It is the applicant's responsibility to make the case to the judges about:

  1. What specific career outside the academic path the funded activity will prepare the applicant for,
  2. How this activity helps the applicant explore or pursue a career outside their academic program or the academic path, and
  3. How this activity is not primarily serving to fulfill or advance the applicant's thesis, dissertation, coursework, or any other academic or research endeavor in their program.

  Important: PhD Works ACE is awarded to only one activity per applicant.

  Not sure how to kickstart your career exploration?

  Learn about the PhD Career Ladder Program!

• Are you or your activity not eligible?

  You may find other sources of support at SBU that may be more suitable for you:

  • GSEU Professional Development Awards Program
  • RF Professional Development Fund
  • GSO’s various funding opportunities
• Are you an international student?

  With our new reimbursement process, there are no restrictions on the mode of reimbursement for international students.

• Documents you need to apply

  Deadline for applications: TBA.

  Applicants must be ready to provide the following:

  1. Information and demographics

  You must answer all the mandatory questions on the PhD Works ACE form.

  Please prepare all of your answers and uploadable files in advance. We recommend that you check the sample of the application before accessing the PhD Works ACE portal .

  2. Budget documentation

  This PDF document must contain copies of receipts, tickets, quotes, etc. for either paid expenses (if the activity has already occurred) or estimated expenses (if the activity is yet to be completed). The total requested amount may not exceed $750.

  Name your document as follows: LASTNAME Firstname - Documentation (e.g., WILLIAMS Serena - Documentation)

  IMPORTANT: Please keep all physical receipts with you because they will be later requested by our sponsors during the reimbursement process.

  3. A 2-page CV

  This 2-page PDF document must contain your CV highlighting your career exploration activities, skills and research-related accomplishments that may be relevant to your career development.

  Name your document as follows: LASTNAME Firstname - CV (e.g., WILLIAMS Serena - CV)

   

  Important: It is the applicant's responsibility to make the case to the judges about:

  1. What specific career outside the academic path the funded activity will prepare the applicant for,
  2. How this activity helps the applicant explore or pursue a career outside their academic program or the academic path, and
  3. How this activity is not primarily serving to fulfill or advance the applicant's thesis, dissertation, coursework, or any other academic or research endeavor in their program.

  Important:
  - PhD Works ACE is awarded to only one activity per applicant.
  - Judges will not open links to information outside of an application.
  - Absence of budget documentation will immediately disqualify the application.
  - Activities that directly support your dissertation, such as academic conferences or travel for research, are not eligible for this award.

• Where to apply

  Deadline for applications: TBA

   

  Important: You will NOT be able to save your progress in the application. Therefore, please prepare all of your answers and uploadable files in advance. We recommend that you check the sample of the application before accessing the PhD Works ACE portal.

   

• What are the odds of receiving an award?

  The awards are only granted through a reimbursement process. We cannot pay for activities in advance, but you can propose activities that have not yet taken place as of the deadline if they occur within the funding period.

  As long as you and your activity are eligible and you follow the submission rules of this round, you are likely to receive an award.

  Please keep in mind that, depending on our funds and the size of the eligible pool, awardees may receive less than the amount requested. To give you an idea, while in our Spring & Summer 2019 round each of our awardees received no more than $500, we were able to grant awardees their full request up to $750 in our Fall 2020 round.

  Important: It is the applicant's responsibility to make the case to the judges about:

  1. What specific career outside the academic path the funded activity will prepare the applicant for,
  2. How this activity helps the applicant explore or pursue a career outside their academic program or the academic path, and
  3. How this activity is not primarily serving to fulfill or advance the applicant's thesis, dissertation, coursework, or any other academic or research endeavor in their program.

  Important:
  - PhD Works ACE is awarded to only one activity per applicant.
  - Judges will not open links to information outside of an application.
  - Absence of budget documentation will immediately disqualify the application.
  - Activities that directly support your dissertation, such as academic conferences or travel for research, are not eligible for this award.

• On the amount of the award

  Applicants can request up to $750.

  Please keep in mind that, depending on our funds and the size of the eligible pool, awardees may receive less than the amount requested. To give you an idea, while in our Spring & Summer 2019 round each of our awardees received no more than $500, we were able to grant awardees their full request up to $750 in our Fall 2020 round.

• Award notifications

  We will process applications only after the application deadline. We expect to send notifications within four weeks after that.

• Award reporting

  The awards are only granted through a reimbursement process. We cannot pay for activities in advance.

  After the activity has concluded, awardees must submit original receipts and some information on the completed activity. Awardees will receive additional information on this process. 

• Questions?

  Contact Dr. Kathleen Flint Ehm, Assistant Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Initiatives.

   

Past awardees

Past rounds

Questions?

Contact Dr. Kathleen Ehm, Assistant Dean for Graduate and Postdoctoral Professional Development.