Mission
To promote and support meaningful opportunities for Washington State University (WSU) graduate students to gain interpersonal, team, and leadership skills.
Background
The Graduate School’s role in fostering excellence in graduate education includes a focus on providing professional development experiences that enhance the graduate student experience at WSU. This proposal process is an opportunity for graduate students to propose activities that will expand their interpersonal, team and leadership skills as they prepare for careers in the 21st century. The program encourages graduate students to submit proposals for grants to support specific professional development activities that will occur on-campus and that will have a broad appeal to graduate students.
Definition
For the purpose of this proposal process, professional development is any activity that provides further professional and life skill development in a broad range of life skill areas that are relevant to the preparation of graduate students for their future career endeavors. Proposals that apply across disciplines or draw students together from different programs and that leverage funding from other sources will be given priority consideration.
Topics
Possible topics for professional development include, but are not limited to the following:
- Personal awareness; appreciating different perspectives
- Consensus building
- Navigating conflict
- Teambuilding and leadership skill development
- Engagement and active listening
- Balancing life and career commitments
- Organizational skills; time management
- Building self-esteem
- Working effectively with a faculty advisor
- Developing mentorship skills
Limitations
Professional development for this program does not include job fairs, awards banquets, career presentations, discipline-specific seminars or technical training workshops.
One-time events, such as a workshop or presentation, or a series of events that spans the entire academic year will be considered. Proposals to fund professional development experiences for an individual student will not be considered in this program.
Professional Development Grants will cover the operational costs for the event, provide an award for the leader(s) of the project, and cover travel and honorarium for the guest speakers (if any). GPSA will provide assistance with event planning and facility scheduling, budget management, and guidance for the project leader(s).
Grant Funds
- Grants have a limit of $3,000 per proposal, but may be less than this amount, depending on the project.
- Grant funds may be used for room rentals, publications, publicity, speaker costs (including honoraria and travel), equipment rental, and refreshments.
- The honorarium for each speaker is limited to $500; speaker travel costs are in addition to this amount.
- Grant funds may not be used for alcohol, student time, personal travel to attend conferences or presentations, or equipment purchases of any kind.
- At the close of a project, unused grant funds automatically will be returned to the pool of funds for future proposals.
Award
In recognition of their efforts, students whose proposals are accepted each will receive a $100 award, up to $500 per proposal (for a group submission). The award is separate from the requested budget for the professional development activity, which will be managed by the GPSA.
Learn more about Eligibility, How to Apply, and Possible Topics.
News
Congratulations!
2008 Award Winners
Professional Development Grant Final Report Form
Deadlines
- Fall 2008 activities - passed.
- Spring 2009 activities - submit by 5:00 pm, October 1, 2008.