- Graduate Assistantships
- Prospective Students
- Admissions
- Current Students
- Faculty and Staff
- 2023 Graduate Expo
- Graduate Assistantships
- Prospective Students
- Admissions
- Current Students
- Faculty and Staff
- 2023 Graduate Expo
Every graduate program has the opportunity to name one currently enrolled student from the program as a "Distinguished Graduate Student" to be recognized during the April awards ceremony. Criteria for selection is left to the faculty of the graduate program and the graduate coordinator is responsible for organizing the selection process and completing the notification form for the Graduate School. Students selected are then eligible to be nominated for induction into the Hamand Society of Graduate Scholars and graduate programs may want to refer to that eligibility criteria when selecting their program's Distinguished Graduate Student, but are not required to do so.
Selection Notification: Graduate Coordinators need to submit their program's selection by Friday, February 16, 2023. Notification is accomplished by completing this form.
Purpose: Named in honor of the first dean of The Graduate School, Dr. Lavern Hamand, the Hamand Society recognizes degree-seeking graduate candidates nominated from among the current year's class of Distinguished Graduate Students whose achievements in both scholarship and service have had a documented impact on the discipline and the community. The quality and impact of the scholarship and service achievements of Hamand Society Scholars reflect the highest ideals of the engaged graduate student.
Eligibility Criteria: Documentation may be evidenced by — but not limited to — examples in the categories of scholarship and service listed below. (Nominees must be, or have been, the Distinguished Graduate Student honoree for their program)
GPA Requirements- Nominees must have a cumulative graduate grade point average of 3.75 or higher at the time of nomination for the award.
Enrollment- Nominees must be enrolled full-time or part-time as a degree-seeking candidate at the time of nomination.
Scholarship- Awards/recognition for scholarship, research projects, or creative activity.
Peer-reviewed publication and/or presentation of graduate work.
Invitations to present graduate work.
Other scholarship.
Service- Participation in department, college/school, university organizations.
Participation in civic organizations that enhance life in the community.
Participation in programs that enhance schools and/or other public assets.
Participation in programs that improve the lives of others regionally, nationally or abroad.
Recognition for leadership roles within the university, discipline, workplace or community.
Completion of initiatives or new programs that have positively influenced the university, discipline, workplace or community.
Other service.
Nomination Process: Each nomination requires a sponsor who may be the graduate coordinator, program chair, or member of the graduate faculty at Eastern Illinois University. Each nomination also requires two co-sponsors who have direct knowledge/experience with the candidate and may be members of the university community or may be constituents external to the university. A complete nomination packet will include the following:
Deadline: 4:30 p.m. on the last Friday of February each year. The 2023 deadline is February 24, 2023.
Number: Up to five candidates from those nominated will be inducted into the Hamand Society each year.
Selection: Award winners are selected by the Council on Graduate Studies Hamand Society Board. The Hamand Society Board will include a representative from each of the colleges appointed by the dean of the Graduate School. Members of the board in any given year cannot nominate a student or provide letters of support for a Hamand Society Scholar.
Recognition: Hamand Scholars will be inducted into the Hamand Society during the Distinguished Graduate Students Awards Ceremony and receive an honorarium from the EIU Foundation. Scholars become lifetime members of the society and will be invited to return to campus periodically to participate in the ceremonies for newly inducted recipients.
Purpose: Recognition of the highest achievement in master's degree research based on projects completed between July 1, 2020, and June 30, 2022.
Award: $650 honorarium with possible nomination for the MAGS Distinguished Thesis Award, and recognition during the Distinguished Graduate Student Awards Ceremony.
MAGS Requirements: The Midwest Association of Graduate Schools rotates the nomination categories by academic discipline yearly. If the Distinguished Master's Thesis Award winner meets the current disciplinary category then it automatically advances to the MAGS competition. If it does not meet the current MAGS criteria then the next highest ranking theses from the appropriate disciplines from the college winners will advance. The winner of the MAGS competition receives a $750 honorarium from MAGS and travel expenses (up to $500) to attend the annual MAGS conference. For current information on the MAGS thesis competition,click here.
Eligibility: Graduate degree-seeking candidates who completed a thesis as part of the requirements for the master's degree during the dates specified.
Application: Each department or graduate program may select top theses from among those submitted to forward to the Council on Graduate Studies for consideration. The department or program will submit to The Graduate School a digital copy of the thesis being nominated (or link to thesis in Booth Library's The Keep); a digital copy of an abstract of the thesis not to exceed 300 words, which describes the research and its significance; a digital one-page resume of the nominee, and a letter from the graduate faculty mentor noting the significance and quality of the work. Click here for application.
Deadline: The 2022 deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2022.
Number: One award per year.
Selection: Award winners are selected by the Awards Committee of the Council on Graduate Studies.
Obligation: The candidate selected for the Augustine Distinguished Thesis Award will be photographed and featured on the cover of the Graduate Journal of Scholarship and may be required to present the thesis during the Annual Graduate Student Exposition in April each spring semester. Students no longer on campus at the time of the exposition may have their work presented by a faculty mentor or colleague and must arrange for a representative to accept the award during the awards ceremony.
Purpose: Recognition of the highest achievement in graduate research from each of the four academic colleges based on master's thesis projects completed between July 1, 2020 and June 30, 2022. Recipients will be selected from among those who are nominated for, but do not receive, the Augustine Distinguished Master's Thesis Award.
Award: Recognition from the Graduate School will include announcement at the Distinguished Graduate Student Awards Ceremony and publication in the Graduate Scholar.
Eligibility: The same eligibility requirements as the Augustine Distinguished Thesis Award.
Application: Application guidelines are those outlined for the Robert and Kathryn Augustine Distinguished Master's Thesis Award Competition and Midwest Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) Thesis Nomination.
Deadline: The 2022 deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Thursday, October 6, 2022.
Number: Four awards per year — one each in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, the Lumpkin College of Business and Technology, and the College of Health and Human Services.
Selection: Award winners are selected by an Awards Subcommittee of the Council on Graduate Studies.
Obligation: The candidate selected for the EIU College Thesis Award of Excellence will be photographed and featured in the Graduate Journal of Scholarship and may be required to present the project during the Annual Graduate Student Exposition in April each spring semester. Students no longer on campus at the time of the exposition may have their work presented by a faculty mentor or colleague and must arrange for a representative to accept the award during the awards ceremony.
Purpose: Recognition of the highest achievement in graduate research based on non-thesis graduate research/creative activity projects required for a degree program and completed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 the prior year.
Award: $500 honorarium and recognition during the Distinguished Graduate Student Awards Ceremony.
Eligibility: Graduate degree-seeking candidates who completed the research/creative activity as part of the requirements for the graduate degree during the dates specified.
Nominations: All nominations are electronic. A complete nomination packet includes a letter of nomination from the graduate faculty mentor noting the significance and quality of the work; a written abstract of the project not to exceed 300 words which describes the project and its significance, a one-page resume of the nominee, and a copy of the project. The copy may be submitted as a text file if the project is a written document; as an image or images if the project is artwork; or as a media/video file if the project is a recital, performance, or presentation. The abstract must include the title of the project, the name of the degree program, and the name of the author. Click here for application.
Deadline: The 2022 deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 3, 2023.
Number: One award per year.
Program Nomination: Program nominations are reviewed and selected according to procedures developed by the degree program.
Obligation: The candidate selected for the King-Mertz Distinguished Research/Creative Activity Award will be photographed and featured in the Graduate Journal of Scholarship and may be required to present the project during the Annual Graduate Student Exposition in April each spring semester. Students no longer on campus at the time of the exposition may have their work presented by a faculty mentor or colleague and must arrange for a representative to accept the award during the awards ceremony.
Purpose: Recognition of the highest achievement in non-thesis graduate research/creative activity in each of the four academic colleges based on non-thesis research/creative activity projects completed between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31 of the prior year. Recipients will be selected from those who are nominated for but do not receive the EIU Distinguished Research/Creative Activity Award.
Award: $250 honorarium and recognition during the Distinguished Graduate Student Awards Ceremony.
Eligibility: Graduate degree-seeking candidates who completed the research/creative activity as part of the requirements for the graduate degree during the dates specified.
Application: Application guidelines are those outlined for the EIU Distinguished Research/Creative Activity Award Nomination and same application is used.
Deadline: The 2022 deadline is 4:30 p.m. on Friday, March 3, 2023.
Number: Four awards per year; one each in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, the College of Education, the Lumpkin College of Business and Technology, and the College of Health and Human Services.
Program Nomination: Program nominations are reviewed and selected according to procedures developed by the degree program.
Obligation: The candidate selected for the King-Mertz Research/Creative Activity College Award of Excellence will be photographed and featured in the Graduate Journal of Scholarship and may be required to present the project during the Annual Graduate Student Exposition in April each spring semester. Students no longer on campus at the time of the exposition may have their work presented by a faculty mentor or colleague and must arrange for a representative to accept the award during the awards ceremony.
Purpose: The purpose of the Graduate School Research Awards Competition is to provide financial incentives and support for outstanding graduate research and creative activities. Preference will be given to research projects and creative activities that hold the potential for generating external impact, which may be demonstrated through partnerships with external businesses, industries or educational agencies, or through academic publications or the display of new creative ideas.
Award: Up to $300, depending on the quality of the proposal and recognition during the Distinguished Graduate Students Award Ceremony. (Funds are transferred to the department.) If you have requested and received the maximum amount of federal student aid, this may impact the award amount that we may disburse to you.
Application: Applications require completion of a proposal form, an abstract of the project, a project budget, a one-page resume of the graduate candidate, a letter of support from the partner agency if applicable, and a letter of support from the graduate faculty mentor. Submit proposal.
Deadline: Completed proposals must be received by the Graduate School according to the dates below:
Number: The initial distribution is two awards distributed to each academic college. If there are no submissions from a college or if there are no projects selected from a college, the available award(s) will be open to university-wide consideration.
Selection: All award proposals are reviewed and selected by the Awards Committee of the Council on Graduate Studies.
Obligation: The candidates selected for the Research Awards will be photographed and featured in the Graduate Journal of Scholarship and may be required to present their work during the Annual Graduate Student Exposition in April each spring semester.
Williams Travel Grants were established to provide travel support for EIU graduate degree-seeking candidates who have papers or creative works accepted for presentation at regional, state, national or international conferences between July 1 and June 30 of the current fiscal year. The current competition covers presentations made from July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023.
Award: These grants are for support of documented travel expenses. Grants will be made based on the quality of the application. A 25 percent match from the candidate's department is encouraged. Williams Travel Grant Winners may be required to present their projects during the Annual Graduate Student Exposition each spring semester. Winners will be photographed and featured in the Graduate Journal of Scholarship.
Eligibility: Graduate degree-seeking candidates who are enrolled at the university during the term the project was presented. If you have requested and received the maximum amount of federal student aid, this may impact the award amount that we may disburse to you.
Deadline:
Application: A Williams Travel Grant application will consist of the following:
Provisional Consideration: Students who have submitted a paper for peer review but may not receive notification of acceptance before the spring due date may request provisional consideration. The Provisional Consideration Application requires completion of the standard Williams Travel application form as outlined above and must include a letter requesting provisional approval until the student has received notification of the paper's acceptance for presentation.
If Provisional Consideration is approved, the student must provide evidence that the paper was accepted for presentation, as outlined in the application guidelines above, in order to receive the award.
Williams Travel Grant Application
Purpose: The award was established by the Graduate Alumni Advisory Board with support from graduate alumni to recognize outstanding research and creative activity by a graduate student. Recipient must be a full-time graduate student or have been accepted into a graduate degree program. Recipient must have a 3.50 GPA, and preference will be given to students enrolled in, or accepted into, First Choice graduate programs. Candidates must provide a proposal for the project or an abstract of an established project, and the project must be required in partial fulfillment of the degree.
Deadline: 4:30 p.m. on March 10, 2023
Application: Applicants must provide a proposal or abstract demonstrating the impact the project will have on the discipline and/or profession, three letters of recommendation from faculty familiar with the project, and a resume.
Submit application materials here.
Purpose: The purpose of the Eastern Illinois University and Midwestern Association of Graduate Schools (MAGS) excellence in teaching award for graduate assistants is to recognize the importance of excellence in teaching and mentoring as a component of graduate education and as part of the preparation of graduate students for future service as college and university faculty.
Award: Nomination for the MAGS Excellence in Teaching Award, and recognition during the Distinguished Graduate Student Awards Ceremony. If selected by MAGS, the award winner receives a $750 honorarium from MAGS and travel expenses to attend the annual MAGS conference.
Eligibility:
Nomination: Graduate Coordinators are responsible for nominating candidates. Each program may select one assistant who meets the eligibility criteria to forward to the Council on Graduate Studies for consideration. The program will submit a digital copy of the materials outlined below to Myra Taylor in the Graduate School at metaylor4@eiu.edu.
Letter of support from the Department Chair
A Teaching Portfolio that is limited to 6 double spaced pages and includes a summary of the following:
Additional Nomination Materials Required of the Selected Recipient
The EIU recipient of this award will be required to include the following materials with their MAGS Nomination:
10 minute video clip of “teaching in action.” If you need assistance filming the video, please submit a Marketing and Communications Job Request Form.
The Graduate School will submit a current transcript and a Nomination Form at the time of submission to MAGS.
Deadlines: The nomination portfolio is due to the Graduate School by 4:30 p.m. on Friday, December 2, 2022.
Selection: Award winners are selected by the Executive Committee (Chair and Vice Chair) of EIU’s Council on Graduate Studies.
Obligation: The candidate selected for the EIU/MAGS Excellence in Teaching Award will be photographed and featured in the Graduate Journal of Scholarship and may be required to present during the Annual Graduate Student Exposition in April each spring semester.
The Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in (DFI) Illinois Program Board and the Illinois Board of Higher Education has applications available for the 2022-2023 DFI Fellowship Program. The DFI program annually provides competitive fellowship awards to over 100 Illinois minority graduate students. The program aids students to complete graduate degrees (master’s or doctoral) leading to faculty or staff positions at Illinois higher education institutions.
In order to apply for the DFI fellowship, applicants must be enrolled full-time and have a current FAFSA application completed. Award winners may receive up to $20,000 in scholarship stipend. Completed applications must be submitted to Eastern Illinois University's DFI Representative on or before Feb. 10, 2023, at 5 p.m. Submit complete applications to:
Ryan Hendrickson, Ph.D., DFI Representative
Dean, Graduate School
1201 Blair hall
E-mail: rchendrickson@eiu.edu
Click here for the DFI Fellowship Program regarding qualifications, application, and other information.
1201 Blair Hall
Eastern Illinois University
600 Lincoln Avenue Charleston, IL 61920
217-581-2220
Fax: 217-581-6020
graduate@eiu.edu
