Requirements and Benefits of IGERT Participation

Requirements for entry

Students must be accepted by the University of Florida graduate school, a Ph.D. program in a home department or interdisciplinary program at UF, and identify an advisor who agrees to sponsor their IGERT participation (typically the chair of their Ph.D. committee). Students will generally start in the IGERT program in year 1 or 2 (for biologists or geographers) or year 2 or 3 (for mathematicians) of their PhD program; mathematicians should have passed their first-year qualifying exams. NSF funding for mathematics students (in years 2-3 of IGERT participation) is contingent on successful completion of qualifying exams.

Benefits of participation

IGERT fellows will be funded for 2 full years (years 2-3 of IGERT participation), receiving a stipend of $30,000 and a cost-of-education allowance of $10,500 covering tuition and fees.
IGERT fellows will receive additional support for field trips and travel to meetings.
The IGERT will provide funds to support publication of interdisciplinary papers.
After their funded years, IGERT fellows (and IGERT affiliates) will be eligible to apply for additional funds to pay stipends, travel/meeting support, or publication costs to support interdisciplinary, team-based research or education projects.

All IGERT funding is contingent on satisfactory performance (see requirements below) in previous years.

Fellow requirements

Pass all required IGERT courses, maintaining an average grade of B or better. Required courses include:
- spatial colloquium: 2 semesters/year through end of the workshop year, at least 1 semester/year for the next two years
- 2 appropriate cross-disciplinary courses by the end of IGERT year 2, from the list of required courses. If all required courses or their equivalents have already been taken, fellows may instead choose from the "recommended" list. Fellows are also responsible for satisfying the prerequisites for their cross-disciplinary courses.
- spatial dynamics workshop (2 semesters + summer) during IGERT year 3
- interdisciplinary rotation outside of the home discipline, 1 semester during IGERT year 2, including a final report.
Participate as a co-author in at least one collaborative interdisciplinary paper, to be submitted for peer-reviewed publication by the end of IGERT year 4, and to participate in presenting this research in the spatial colloquium.
Select an interdisciplinary co-advisor in another department, to be approved by the IGERT council, by the end of their first semester in the IGERT program.
Participate in assessment activities as requested by both NSF and the IGERT council and in the annual symposium; assessment activities will continue beyond the term of the IGERT fellowship.
Undergo an annual evaluation of activities and progress, including a written annual activities report and a meeting including the advisor, coadvisor, and several members of the IGERT council.
Pursue a dissertation research project with a biological focus (for students in quantitative sciences: math, statistics, etc., and geography) and/or a quantitative focus (for students in biological sciences and geography).
Remain in good standing with the PhD program in their home department, including all required courses and examinations.

Advisor/mentor requirements

Participate in 1 semester-credit-hour per funded fellow year (i.e. 15 student contact hours or equivalent) of IGERT activities, such as participating in the spatial colloquium, teaching or co-teaching modular courses, or traveling on recruitment visits.
Submit a written annual evaluation of the fellow's activities to the IGERT council and participate in the annual evaluation meeting for the student.
Participate in IGERT- and NSF-sponsored evaluation activities.
Recognize the demands that the IGERT program makes on the fellow's time, and help them plan how to meet the other requirements of their program. Recognize that while on the fellowship, the fellow will be committed to IGERT coursework and research activities.

Co-advisor requirements

Take an active role in shaping the fellow's research program, as well as helping the fellow bridge scientific, cultural, and logistical barriers between disciplines and between organizational units at UF.
Participate in IGERT and NSF-sponsored evaluation activities.