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RED Announces Updated GA Compensation Policy

July 14, 2021 by White, Brian

Research and Economic Development (RED) recently announced changes to the policy governing how tuition and other forms of compensation for graduate assistants (GAs) are charged to sponsored awards (Policy 50.5). Following is the text of that announcement:

To be allowable costs, tuition and other forms of compensation for GAs must meet the following conditions:

The individual is conducting activities necessary to the award
Tuition remission and other support are provided in accordance with the established policy of the department/program and consistently provided in a like manner to students in return for similar activities conducted under sponsored awards as well as other activities
During the academic period, the student is enrolled in an advanced degree program at the university and the activities of the student in relation to the award are related to the degree program
The tuition or other payments are reasonable compensation for the work performed and are conditioned explicitly upon the performance of necessary work
The program/department’s practice is to similarly compensate students under sponsored awards as well as other activities.

A recent review of campus practices indicated that compensation packages provided to graduate assistants, including teaching assistants (TAs) and research assistants (RAs) enrolled in the same graduate program often vary, making it unlikely that conditions #2 and #5 are being met. Moreover, the current version of Policy 50.5 requires that sponsored awards cover costs such as fees that are not typically provided to similar GAs supported on institutional or State funds. These forms of compensation are not allowable costs unless they are generally provided to comparable students (e.g., students enrolled in the same graduate program) supported on GAs, regardless of the source of the funds.

The revision of Policy 50.5 aims to establish consistent compensation packages for GAs within individual programs and aligns our university policy with the requirements for Federal awards outlined in the Uniform Guidance.

Although the policy will go into effect on July 15, 2021, we have worked with the college leadership to develop a phased approach (outlined below) that minimizes the impact on existing awards and provides time for programs to establish standard compensation packages for GAs. The FAQs address some of the most common questions we received over the past 18 months as we worked to update the policy.

Implementation of Revision of Policy 50.5

Phase I: Onboarding of Early Adopters (2021-22 Academic Year)

The Associate Deans in the Colleges have identified 21 doctoral programs and 9 master’s programs that currently provide standard compensation packages to graduate assistants and are therefore already aligned with the updated policy. During the 2021-22 academic year, PIs wishing to support students enrolled in these graduate programs may charge up to 100% of the compensation package to an award. PIs wishing to support a student in a program that is not on the “early adopter list” may charge stipend or wages to the award during the 2021-22 academic year, but will not be permitted to charge other forms of compensation, such as tuition, fees, or health insurance. During this period, stipend levels can still be set by the program and may vary by funding source.

Additional details include:

The compensation charged to the award cannot exceed what is described in the standard package. Compensation less than the standard amount should be accompanied by a comparable decrease in effort.
Details of the compensation packages and the associated policies governing student eligibility should be communicated to Grants and Contracts Administration (GCA) prior to the submission of a Student Educational Award Form. Any changes to standard compensation packages must be reviewed and approved by Academic Affairs and reported to GCA for publication on the RED website.
When preparing proposals with start dates after July 15, 2021, PIs wishing to support students enrolled in programs with standard compensation packages must include all components of the package that are permitted by the sponsor, including stipend, tuition, and health insurance.
PIs with existing awards that include GA support should work with their grants administrators to re-budget costs that are no longer included in the standard compensation package or are no longer allowable.

Phase II: Full Implementation of Policy 50.5 (2022-2023 Academic Year)

Policy 50.5 will be fully implemented at the start of the 2022-2023 academic year. Only students enrolled in programs with approved standard compensation packages will be eligible to be supported on GAs from sponsored awards. PIs may charge up to 100 percent of the standard compensation package to an award and all components of the package that are permitted by the sponsor must be included in any request. Programs without standard compensation packages will no longer be allowed to charge any costs associated with GAs to an award.

Additional details include:

As outlined above, funds allocated for items, such as fees, that are not included in a standard compensation package may be re-budgeted to cover other allowable costs (with sponsor approval, if required).
Budgets for new projects with start dates after July 15, 2022 that include GA support should include costs associated with the current or anticipated standard compensation package.

For more information, please contact Rick Tankersley, rtankers@uncc.edu.

Webinar Planned for Funding/Assistantship Questions

July 12, 2021 by White, Brian

The Graduate School Funding and Assistantships team will host a webinar July 19 to provide information and answer questions from faculty and staff.

Topic: Meeting with Funding/Assistantships Team
Time: July 19, 2021, 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Meeting ID: 971 4543 6961
Passcode: 477656

Zoom Link

Master’s Students Seeking Part-Time Positions

May 10, 2021 by White, Brian

Many admitted students in the M.Ed. Educational Leadership program plan to work part-time on campus in roles that will give them hands-on experience in higher education administration and student success, advising and support work.

These positions, formerly classified as graduate assistantships are now classified as student temporary employees.

Multiple M.Ed. students are still searching for part-time employment opportunities on campus for the 2021-22 academic year. If your office is searching/hiring for such positions to start in Fall 2021, in addition to posting on Hire-a-Niner, send your position announcement to program director, Dr. Ryan Miller.

Graduate School Awards Fellowships

April 19, 2021 by White, Brian

The Graduate School recently awarded donor-supported graduate fellowships to 17 UNC Charlotte students, representing a broad cross section of academic programs.

Established to support exceptionally talented and committed graduate students, the Graduate School offers a variety of fellowships for program specific research or scholarship. The fellowships are presented annually in the spring with award payments beginning in the upcoming academic year.

Webinar Planned for Funding/Assistantship Questions

April 12, 2021 by White, Brian

The Graduate School Funding and Assistantships team will host a webinar Apr. 19 to provide information and answer questions from faculty and staff.

Topic: Meeting with Funding/Assistantships Team
Time: Apr. 19, 2021, 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Meeting ID: 971 4543 6961
Passcode: 477656

Zoom Link

Support #NinerNationGives April 7-9

April 06, 2021 by White, Brian

Outstanding graduate students are the key to the success of any research university. In the words of Graduate School Dean Tom Reynolds, “They are necessary to attract top faculty which in turn drives our research and scholarship forward to the next level.”

The driving force behind graduate education is the desire to address business and community needs. Our Center for Graduate Life delivers professional development, career preparation and a sense of community that equips well-educated students with leadership, cultural and communication skills they need to succeed. Our Graduate Fellowships help provide the resources students need to maintain focus on their studies and progress toward their degree.

Please consider how you can assist UNC Charlotte’s Graduate School in educating and training graduate students whose work in laboratories, private industry and national universities contributes to America’s global leadership. Today’s graduate student becomes tomorrow’s highly trained, skilled leader or employee.

Show your support by visiting #NinerNationGives.

Four Win NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

March 29, 2021 by White, Brian

Four students – two from the William States Lee College of Engineering and two from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences – were awarded the highly competitive and prestigious Graduate Research Fellowship from the National Science Foundation for 2021.

The four; Forest Atcheson, Electrical Engineering, Terawit Kongruengkit, Materials Engineering, Anthony Lindsay, Political Science, and Christopher Neff, Electrical Engineering are among only 2,000 students selected nationwide to receive the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship from more than 16,000 applicants.

For more information, please visit the Graduate School.

New Funding Source Available for Summer 2021

February 19, 2021 by White, Brian

A new Graduate School Summer Fellowship Program (GSSF) is available for students who need financial support to continue to focus on their research over the summer months. The GSSF Fellowship provides a $6,000 stipend for qualifying students.

More information and instructions for applying are available for download.

GPD Nominations Needed for New Student Graduate School Fellowships

February 11, 2021 by White, Brian

GPD nominations are required by Mar. 15 for some 2021-22 Graduate School Fellowships such as the Wayland H. Cato Jr. First-Year Doctoral Fellowship and the Herschel and Cornelia Everett Foundation First-Year Graduate Fellowship.

These fellowships are funded by donors for need-based and merit awards that recognize excellent students for their academic achievement and provide assistance to those who demonstrate financial need.

More information on fellowships is available from the Graduate School’s Student Funding site.

Nominations must be submitted by Mar. 15. Student applications must be completed by Mar. 30. To nominate, GPDs can access the awards in the University Scholarship Portal.

21-22 Tuition Support Details Available in Canvas

January 15, 2021 by White, Brian

Graduate student tuition support for ’21-22 – call for nominations with details, information and training can be found in Canvas.

For more information, please contact Julie Goodliffe, Director of Funding and Fellowships.

Nominations Open for Graduate School Fellowships

January 13, 2021 by White, Brian

Nominations for the Herschel and Cornelia Everett First-Year Master’s and Doctoral Graduate Fellowship and Wayland H. Cato Doctoral Fellowship are open for 2021 awards.

These fellowships, which are available only to outstanding UNC Charlotte graduate students, are administered by the Graduate School each year. Awards begin in the upcoming academic year.

The deadline to submit nominations is Mar. 15, 2021. To nominate, please visit the Scholarship Office Nomination Portal.

Mar. 30, 2021 is the deadline for student applications for nominated and matched awards. Application is available through the Scholarship Office Application Portal.

For more information, please visit the Graduate School’s Fellowships site.

Window Open for Ignite Planning Grants

December 21, 2020 by White, Brian

Research and Economic Development (RED) is soliciting applications through Feb. 15 for the Spring 2021 Ignite Planning Grants program.

Ignite Planning Grants promote new collaborative research efforts and facilitate the development of interdisciplinary teams focused on preparing competitive, large-scale collaborative proposals for significant external funding. Ignite planning grants are intended to enhance existing areas of excellence, accelerate the development of emerging research strengths, and foster interactions between UNC Charlotte faculty and potential collaborators at other institutions. The program aims to lower and eliminate barriers to building collaborative teams and coordinating, planning, and preparing large, interdisciplinary multi-investigator research proposals by providing funds to (1) convene conferences and meetings, (2) coordinate workshops, (3) support travel costs for potential collaborators from other institutions, (4) hire grant-writing consultants and content specialists, and (5) conduct other proposal-development and team-development activities.

Proposals must be submitted electronically as an email attachment to ignite-planning@uncc.edu by 5 pm Feb.15. Questions may be sent to Lesley Brown, Director of the Center for Research Excellence.

Data Science Seed Grants Available

December 07, 2020 by White, Brian

The School of Data Science is accepting cross-disciplinary research proposals through January 10 for the summer 2021 seed grants for data science funding cycle. This grant opportunity is $10,000 per award, a grand total of $20,000 in funding for UNC Charlotte and partnering faculty and researchers.

For more information or to submit a proposal, please visit the School of Data Science.

Funding Webinar Recording Available

November 02, 2020 by White, Brian

The Nov. 2 Zoom webinar, Funding Q&A Session for Faculty/Staff, is available to review. Access the Zoom recording with the passcode @K!P0^3N.

SEA Spring 2021 Deadline is Jan. 7

October 27, 2020 by White, Brian

As the due date for students’ spring term bills is January 13, the priority deadline to submit SEA (Student Educational Award) forms for Spring 2021 is January 7, 2021.

Why the deadline?

The earlier the SEA forms are processed, the better. Students start worrying about balances owed to the University when the first e-bills are issued (at the beginning of December).
This deadline allows Financial Aid staff sufficient time to process awards to students’ accounts prior to the first cancellation for nonpayment (Jan. 13), and for the Graduate School to reallocate Graduate Assistant Support Plan (GASP) funds to support additional students.

Deadline to submit forms is Jan. 7

All SEA forms for spring 2021 term awards should be submitted by Jan. 7. Please communicate this deadline broadly to all in your departments who are involved with issuing student educational awards, including grant-funded participant stipends.
If SEA forms are not processed by this date, students will be at risk of class cancellation for non-payment for the spring term.

Reminder of best practices

Check the student’s registration in Banner before completing the SEA form to ensure you submit the correct payment amount for tuition and/or fees.
The SEA report in Report Central is your best friend. This report gives you a clear picture of what grant(s) your student is already receiving. (Remember the data on the report is from the prior day.)
After you submit a SEA form, review the SEA report regularly while the Spring registration period is open to monitor your students for any changes in their registered credit hours.
On the SEA form, one input field indicates the minimum number of credit hours required for the award to disburse. If the student is registered for fewer credit hours than required, the award will remain as “memoed” on their financial aid record.

Funding for New Students Spring 2021

October 09, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

The Graduate School continues to navigate rapidly evolving conditions, including COVID-related consulate/embassy closures affecting the issuance of new visas, travel restrictions, and economic volatility, but will continue to try and support funding for new students admitted to the Spring 2021 as budget becomes available. As necessary, students may be placed on a funding waitlist.

If you are uncertain if funding is secured for a new Spring 2021 student, please check eGPS for details. Please feel free to attend one of our bi-weekly Question/Answer Drop-in Session with the Graduate School’s Funding Team. Visit the GPDNet Calendar for dates. And, as always, the Funding Team is available via email, virtual meet or phone.

Graduate School Virtually Honors its Fellowship Recipients

September 28, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

Congratulations to the 2020 Graduate School Fellowship Award Recipients! We are so proud of you, your academic accomplishments, as well as your dedication and commitment in attaining your advanced degrees. We also want to say thank you to the generous donors who have the vision and foresight to give selflessly of their time and treasure in order to help our graduate students be successful. Your gifts also help support research that cannot be found anywhere else in the region and bring internationally recognized faculty to instruct our students on cutting edge issues. We couldn’t do this without you. Thank You!

Dean Tom Reynolds

Students Encouraged to Apply for NSF Grant

September 16, 2020 by White, Brian

Eligible candidates recently received an email from the Graduate School encouraging them to apply for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.

The message, sent by Director of Funding and Fellowships Julie Goodliffe, also offers assistance in completing application. Dr. Goodliffe also serves as a reviewer for NSF on a national level.

For more information, contact Julie Goodliffe, jmgoodli@uncc.edu.

UNC Charlotte Makes OPT Top 100

September 02, 2020 by White, Brian

UNC Charlotte was included in the Top 100 Schools with Optional Practical Training (OPT), according to 2019 data recently released by the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) of the Department of Homeland Security

The top employers for OPT participants and other data is available on the SEVP website.

Calendar Tips from Human Resources

August 25, 2020 by Stanchina, Karla

Wonder when you should submit your eGA or EPAF to hire a student? Human Resources has provided Google calendars that you can add to your calendar, so you know when the deadlines are for them to approve by payroll deadlines.

For eGAs, the Graduate School must have the eGA by 4:00 pm on the day before the eGA deadline on HR’s calendar. Please follow the directions from HR to add the EPAF and eGA calendars to your Google calendar.