VSE Faculty:

VSE has made it a strategic goal to improve significantly both the 
quality and quantity of doctoral students as part of our broader 
aspirations for significant research growth.

Last year we increased our stipends for doctoral students, increased the 
number of tuition credits, and made multi-year offers to incoming 
students, in order to make our offers more competitive. For Fall 2017 we 
were successful in attracting 71 new PhD students to our programs (up 
from 57 in Fall 2016, and 41 in Fall 2015).

Based on data gathered by the department chairs we have concluded that 
our offers to new students are competitive with many of our peer 
institutions.  However many of our peer institutions offer additional 
funding to more advanced students.  For Fall 2018 we are going to 
address this by offering larger stipends to PhD students who have 
reached candidacy.

The full details on GTA/GRA funding for both PhD and MS students can be 
found in the attachment.

Last year we instructed faculty making grant submissions to budget for a 
stipend of $22,500 for Fall 2018.  The revised guidance in the 
attachment does not exceed this amount.  Also, the increases proposed 
for Fall 2019 and beyond are smaller than were suggested last year.

As was stated last year, if a sponsored project has GRAs who are 
budgeted at a lower stipend, and the PI does not have project funds to 
cover the difference, the PI may present a proposal to Kim 
Goodwin-Slater, the School's Director of Finance, for financial support 
from VSE.  Similarly, if a GRA is supported by an existing grant, and if 
the increase in tuition credits cannot be supported by the grant, the PI 
can make a proposal to Kim Goodwin-Slater for financial support from 
VSE. Kim will take into account the size of the indirect pool available 
to the PI when evaluating the proposal. These comments apply to 
proposals submitted in 2016 or earlier, before last year's guidance was 
announced.

If you have questions about this, please contact me or Kim 
Goodwin-Slater ([log in to unmask]) for more information.

Stephen Nash

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Stephen G. Nash
Senior Associate Dean
Volgenau School of Engineering
George Mason University
Nguyen Engineering Building, Room 2500
Mailstop 5C8
Fairfax, VA 22030

[log in to unmask]
Phone: (703) 993-1505
Fax: (703) 993-1633
https://volgenau.gmu.edu/profile/view/10248