Day: April 8, 2024

April 8, 2024

Welcome to the Virginia Tech Graduate School’s D.C. Area weekly newsletter for graduate students. We share events, services, administrative announcements, and job opportunities.

The newsletter is published on Mondays. When the university is closed for a holiday on Monday, the newsletter will be emailed on Tuesday.

You’ll find posts under the following headings:

• This Week’s Events and Activities
• Administrative Announcements
• Job Opportunities
• External Funding Opportunities
• Upcoming Events
• Volunteers and research participants sought
• Ongoing Services

This Week’s Events and Activities

1. WATCH THE SOLAR ECLIPSE IN THE WASHINGTON, D.C. AREA

Monday, April 8, 2-4 p.m., Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church, Washington-Alexandria Architecture Center (WAAC), Virginia Tech Research Center-Arlington, Innovation Campus Headquarters.

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to meet to watch the eclipse in their various buildings and be in a good viewing position as the eclipse reaches its peak of 87% around 3:20 p.m. In addition to free viewing glasses, Moon Pies, Starry sodas and a select number of T-shirts designed for the event, will be available on a first-come, first-served basis. Meeting places: Northern Virginia Center lobby, 7054 Haycock Rd.; WAAC library, 1001 Prince St., Alexandria; Virginia Tech Research Center-Arlington third floor lunch room, 900 N. Glebe Rd.; Innovation Campus Headquarters entrance, 3000 Potomac Ave., Alexandria.

2. USING GENERATIVE AI TOOLS IN YOUR JOB SEARCH: CAREER EXPLORATION

Wednesday, April 10, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., Virtual (Zoom)

The first session in a series focused on using generative artificial intelligence (AI) tools to aid in the job search process. This session will cover how to leverage generative AI to aid in finding potential career pathways that align with your background, skills, and interests. The series continues through June, meeting on the second Wednesday of the month at the same time. Register here: https://www.research.vt.edu/about/postdoctoral-associates/postdoctoral-events-programs/2024/using-generative-ai-tools-in-your-job-search.html

Administrative Announcements

3. CHANGES TO STUDENT MEDICAL INSURANCE BILLING PROCESS

Additional information will be shared with domestic, international, and graduate student populations prior to the beginning of open enrollment. For more information: https://news.vt.edu/notices/smi-billingchanges.html?utm_source=cmpgn_news&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=vtUnirelNewsDailyCMP_march1324-fs or you can view FAQs which detail the impacts for students here: https://risk.vt.edu/smi/bursarbilling.html. For additional questions, please contact smi@vt.edu.

4. TIMELY CARE AVAILABLE FOR STUDENTS

In addition to Cook Counseling Center resources for D.C. metro area graduate students, there are also Timely Care resources that are available to all graduate students, staff, and faculty in the region. Timely Care is a free Virtual Health Service for all Graduate Students at Virginia Tech: https://app.timelycare.com/auth/login

With Timely Care, students (and staff and faculty) can download the app, and can get free, 24/7 virtual health and well-being support from a variety of providers. Timely Care resources include 12 scheduled counseling sessions, unlimited Talk Now urgent counseling sessions, and unlimited Health Coaching sessions. Translators in many different languages are also available for these services. For any questions, please contact Julie Kaplan at jskaplan@vt.edu.

5. APPLY FOR THE PUBLIC AND VISUAL ARTS COUNCIL

Deadline: April 15

Graduate students can apply to serve on the Public and Visual Arts Council, whose work helps to uplift the university as a global destination for creativity and the arts. This is a volunteer position and terms are for one year beginning July 1, with the option to renew. To be considered as a graduate student representative, please apply by Monday, April 15. Apply here: https://www.vt.edu/about/arts/public-art/policy.html

6. STUDENT ADVISING APPOINTMENTS WITH D.C. GRADUATE SCHOOL TEAM VIA NAVIGATE

The Graduate Admissions and Advancement team has transitioned its advising appointment scheduling for graduate students to Navigate for students in the D.C. Metro Area. The Graduate School staff can be reached for In Person and Virtual Appointments to discuss various topics under admissions and academic progress. Students should use our webpage to access the link to schedule appointments directly and select Northern Virginia for an advising appointment and select the service needed. Visit this site to schedule an appointment via Navigate: https://www.nvc.vt.edu/Current-Students/gsso.html.

Job Opportunities

          No job postings at this time.

Funding Opportunities

All external funding opportunities that we are aware of can be found here: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/scholarships-and-fellowships.html

7. National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellowship Program Accepting Applications

Deadlines: April 10 and 17

NIJ’s Graduate Research Fellowship (GRF) program supports doctoral research with relevance to criminal or juvenile justice in the United States. This includes criminology, forensic science, technology for law enforcement, and more. Applications from all science and engineering fields are welcome.

Students must be enrolled full time in a Ph.D. program in a science or engineering field and propose dissertation research relevant to improving criminal or juvenile justice practice or policy in the United States. Applications are submitted by the university, which must be an accredited academic institution in the United States or its territories. The fellowship provides up to three years of support within a five-year period and includes:

• $41,000/year student salary
• $16,000/year cost of education allowance
• $3,000/year research expenses

To learn more and see profiles of past and present GRF fellows, visit https://nij.ojp.gov/funding/fellowships/graduate-research-fellowship-program.

The grants.gov deadline is April 10 and the JustGrants deadline is April 17, 2024.

8. SUMMER MICROGRANT PROGRAM

Deadline: April 30

The new 2024 summer cycle of Research!America’s Civic Engagement Microgrant Program, generously supported by the Sloan Foundation, will provide support for groups led by STEM graduate students, professional students (medical, dental, nursing, pharmacy, etc.), and postdocs to create projects aimed at building dialogue with public officials, community leaders, and local community members around issues of common interest. 

We are seeking applications from groups of graduate students and post-docs for grants up to $3,000 to support a wide range of civic engagement activities. Past grantees have developed and led community-orientated podcast series, poster sessions with city council members, K-12 science fairs, professional development workshops, new campus science policy groups and much more.

Benefits of participation:
• Gain experience in science communication, science policy, public engagement.
• Build skills in program management, grant writing, and more.
• Benefit from mentoring and workshops by Research!America staff.
• Connect with program participants from around the country.
Visit this site for more information and the application: https://www.researchamerica.org/civic-science/microgrants/

9. 2024 GOOGLE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM

Deadline, May 1

The 2024 Google PhD Fellowship Program, which directly financially supports doctoral students doing exceptional research in computer science and related fields, as well as connect them to a Google Research Mentor, is opening for nominations. Eligible PhD Students will have completed graduate coursework by Fall 2024 (when the Fellowship begins) and remain enrolled in their program for the two years of the fellowship. Virginia Tech will be able to nominate up to four candidates. Nomination materials include CV, letters of recommendation, dissertation proposal, a personal essay describing the potential impact of your work, and academic transcripts. Students who wish to be considered for one of VT’s nomination spots may contact Lifu Huang (lifuh@vt.edu) or Eli Tilevich (tilevich@vt.edu) for details and with any questions. Materials for internal consideration will be due to Dr. Huang by the end of the day on Wednesday, May 1.

For information and the application, visit this link: https://research.google/outreach/phd-fellowship/

10. SUMMER CUNNINGHAM FELLOWSHIPS AVAILABLE

Deadline: May 1.

In combination with the Cunningham Doctoral Scholarship and the Graduate School Annual Fund, we are delighted to announce the availability of summer fellowships in the amount of $7,500 each. This supplement will be awarded as a lump sum fellowship (see note below) at the beginning of the summer. This is a one-time award, cannot be renewed, and is awarded without the expectation of any additional work on your part. Awardees must be current Ph.D. students who are working on their dissertations during the summer months. This award cannot be combined with other Virginia Tech funding sources. Priority will be given to those toward the end of their program. Financial need will be considered as a secondary factor.

Applications will be accepted until May 1. Awards will be announced soon thereafter. For more information and to apply, use this form: https://forms.gle/6vYKM9AHizoAgKeN8

NOTE: Fellowships are not considered employment. No taxes are withheld and you will not receive a W2 form at the end of the year. Fellowships will show on your 1098-T from the university and may have to be reported to the IRS on your 1040 form. However, different tax rules apply to international students. For them, the university is required to collect taxes on the fellowship and to report those amounts at year-end to the IRS on form 1042S. For more information, see IRS Publication 970: Tax Benefits for Education.

11. DOE OFFICE OF SCIENCE GRADUATE RESEARCH AWARDS

Deadline: 5 p.m. ET, May 1.

Online workshop: April 20.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science is accepting applications for the 2024 solicitation 1 cycle for its Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program. The award program is open to current Ph.D. students in qualified graduate programs at accredited U.S. academic institutions, who are conducting their graduate research in targeted areas of importance to the DOE’s Office of Science.
https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/scholarships-and-fellowships/dept-of-energy-office-of-science-research-grant.html.

The SCGSR program provides supplemental awards to U.S. graduate students to conduct part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE national laboratory or facility in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist. The goal of the program is to prepare graduate students for scientific and technical careers critically important to the mission of DOE’s Office of Science. Supplemental awards are intended to cover incremental costs associated with living and travel expenses during the award period.

An application assistance workshop on Zoom is available to assist students on Saturday, April 20, 2-4:30 p.m. The workshop will guide attendees through the application process, answer general questions, provide guidance on proposal writing, and feature discussions with scientists and former awardees; register here: https://www.zoomgov.com/meeting/register/vJIscu6rqT4oGzObcYFT24tieAsFM-vAHqg#/registration

More information on the SCGSR program can be found at by visiting the SCGSR program website: https://science.osti.gov/wdts/scgsr. You’ll also find information on this webpage: https://graduateschool.vt.edu/funding/scholarships-and-fellowships/dept-of-energy-office-of-science-research-grant.html

12. GLOBETHICS YOUTH LEADERSHIP AWARD 2024

Deadline: May 10.

Young leaders (individuals or groups) aged between 18 and 30 years of age who have designed and implemented initiatives that have produced real, proven societal impact and positive change in areas related to one or more of the four Globethics priorities are eligible to apply for the Globethics Youth Leadership Award. Winning the Globethics Youth Leadership Award would give winners the opportunity to build on and develop their initiatives.
The three finalists will then be invited to present at the Global Ethics Forum in Geneva, Switzerland taking place from 2-4 September 2024. During the Forum they will have the opportunity to improve their initiative and its development plan, with the support and accompaniment of a mentor, ready to present it to the Forum’s audience, constituted by experts and practitioners in the field of ethics, from different parts of the world.
Award winners will achieve recognition for their pioneering work and receive financial and mentoring support to upscale and to multiply the results of their initiative. The awards are:

• 1st prize: USD 15,000
• 2nd prize: USD 10,000
• 3rd prize: USD 5,000

All winners will also benefit from the support of a mentor for nine months.

More information about the award can be found on this document: https://globethics.net/sites/default/files/media/document/2024-03/Youth%20Leadership%20Award%202024%20-%20Information.pdf

For the application, contact Globethics at infoweb@globethics.net

Upcoming Events

13: SAVE THE DATE: ASIAN CARNIVAL

Tuesday, April 16 1-2 p.m., Virginia Tech Research Center-Arlington, in the Hospitality Zone

The Asian Affinity Group will host an Asian Carnival to bring cultural awareness about five observances unique to the continent of Asia: Bengali New Year, Eid al-Fitr, Lunar New Year, Prayer to the God of Knowledge, and Persian New Year. The Asian Carnival will feature graduate student speakers discussing the cultural significance of each celebration, as well as an international food tasting. All are invited to attend! Register here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfBWYBIhEwe9EjGvWcEOYENJNyXJj5eqVJco9qXlz0Jjkpz8g/viewform?usp=sf_link

For more information, contact Chontrese Hayes at chontresehayes@vt.edu.

write-up for the Newsletter.   The RSVP link (as shown below) did not appear to hyperlink.   If this is the case, you can delete the line that says: Please RSVP here

14. D.C. AREA HOUSING FORUM

Thursday, April 18, 6-7 p.m.; Northern Virginia Center Room 210 & Virtual

Come learn more about your housing options! The Hokie One Stop has invited Virginia Tech housing partners to share their housing options in the D.C. metro area. Dweck Properties, National Corporate Housing, and Off Campus Partners will be present to provide information about housing locations, pricing, amenities, roommate matching, and more! The presentation will last 30 minutes, leaving students time to ask questions and visit resource tables set up by each housing partner. Students are encouraged to attend in person. The event will also be offered virtually. Please register for the event below (those attending in person will also need to register via the link): https://dcarea.vt.edu/housing.

15. PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT: INTRODUCTION TO CRUCIAL CONVERSATIONS

Friday, April 19, 2-4 p.m., Virtual (Zoom)

Learn how to use some of the principles of Crucial Conversations’ Model for Mastering Dialogue to embrace difficult situations in ways that strengthen relationships and improve results. In addition, we will begin to explore how an understanding of our Clifton Strengths can help us gain a common language that allows us to express how we work, what we value, and where we excel. Using this common language, we can also begin to appreciate our and our team members’ unique contributions to the team. With a new understanding of the benefits of constructive conflict, we will discuss ways to continue building on the knowledge and skills presented during this training because we understand that no single learning event can accomplish everything, and development is a journey. Register here: https://virginiatech.zoom.us/j/3528292709?omn=81523720795#success

16. AFFINITY GROUPS CULTURAL ACHIEVEMENT CEREMONY

Thursday, May 2, 2-4 p.m. in the East/West Falls Church room on the Arlington campus.

Registration deadline: April 18

The Affinity Groups Cultural Achievement Ceremony will celebrate the accomplishments of our graduating master’s and Ph.D. students who identify with the following communities: Asian, Black, First-Generation, GRAD Parents, Latinx, Veterans, and Women in TECH. Participating students will receive a commemorative stole which can be worn with their academic regalia during university commencement ceremonies.

For graduating students who wish to participate in the ceremony, please register at https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdjiHibQs5zZBPNa0LpdxgOQpLeEMjKmBOWRbRNLAL51bZKJg/viewform?usp=sf_link.

Volunteers and research participants sought

17. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR STUDY ON CAREGIVING STRESS AND COGNITION

The Cognitive Aging and Translational Science Lab at Virginia Tech is recruiting adults who care for an older adult. Care activities can range from helping with everyday needs (i.e., paying bills, grocery shopping, etc.) to intensive physical, mental, or emotional care.  Direct care workers are also encouraged to participate!

Participants must be 18 years of age

Participant must be currently caregiving for a person 65+
Participant must not have any major cardiovascular or cognitive conditions (high blood pressure is OK)

Participants can expect to undergo a short, 15-20 minute screening call as well as a single, 60-90 minute in-person session. This session includes participation in surveys, a short interview going over your responses, participation in a brief computerized cognitive task, and non-invasive physiological measurements (i.e., blood pressure, pulse, and brain oxygenation via fNIRS). In-lab and at-home sessions are available.
Compensation is offered in the form of a $30 Mastercard gift card.
Contact caatslab@gmail.com or call 540-231-9417 for more information and to participate.

18. PARTICIPANTS NEEDED FOR A STUDY OF SONS OF SINGLE MOTHERS STUDY

The Relationship Experiences Strengths and Strains (REST) Lab is recruiting men who were raised by single mothers to participate in 1.5-2 hour interviews about their lived experiences, definitions of masculinity, and how personal experiences shaped masculine identities.

Participants must identify as a man who was raised by a single mother without a residential father figure (biological, step, adoptive, etc.) and be willing to complete a 1.5-2 hour long qualitative interview. Compensation, if applicable, will be a $25 Amazon gift card. More details and application information can be found here: https://virginiatech.questionpro.com/t/AVVVtZ1Yr4

Ongoing Services 

• GRADUATE SCHOOL IN THE GREATER WASHINGTON, D.C. METRO AREA: Schedule an in-person or virtual advising appointment with a Graduate School Academic Progress and Admissions advisor at https://rb.gy/80frn or send your questions to gssoncr@vt.edu. Offices are located on the fourth floor of the Northern Virginia Center (NVC) in Falls Church. Drop-in hours are Tuesdays and Thursdays, 9-11 a.m. and 3-4:30 p.m. No appointment needed to meet with an advisor for Drop-In hours.

• CAREER ADVISING: Schedule a career advising appointment via https://career.vt.edu/job-search/Handshake.html

• COOK COUNSELING: Schedule an in-person or virtual appointment with the Northern Virginia Embedded Counselor, Julie Kaplan, Ph.D. by emailing jskaplan@vt.edu or calling 703-635-9957.

After hours support can be found by calling 540-231-6557 or visiting ucc.vt.edu/timelycare

• SERENITY SPACE: The Cook Counseling Center has created the Serenity Space at the Northern Virginia Center in Falls Church (NVC) in room 489, a peaceful, calm space for all graduate students to use, to take a break in the day, and to de-stress.  All students can use this room 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. 

Please contact Julie Kaplan, Ph.D., at jskaplan@vt.edu, if you have any questions related to this space. 

• CRANWELL INTERNATIONAL CENTER: Schedule an appointment by emailing international@vt.edu or calling 540-231-6527.

• GRADUATE OMBUDSPERSON: The ombudsperson provides information about institutional policies and works to help individuals effectively navigate conflicts through informal, confidential conversations.

Contact for a virtual appointment at gradombud@vt.edu or call 540-231-9573.

AFFINITY GROUPS: The affinity groups are:

Asian Affinity Group
Black Affinity Group
First-Generation Affinity Group
GRAD Parents Affinity Group
Latinx Affinity Group
Veterans Affinity Group
Women in TECH Affinity Group

Join an affinity group here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdW61FGWCbuhwUhsSF2NK0rqtjSxzqz_eTFhhpJf8W74ykaKA/viewform. For more information, contact Dr. Hayes at chontresehayes@vt.edu

• NORTHERN VIRGINIA RESOURCE CENTER LIBRARY: Monday-Thursday, 10 a.m.-9:30 p.m.; Friday, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Saturday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, Closed.

• HOKIE ONE STOP: Online links to additional resources and services available to graduate students in the greater Washington, D.C. metro area and Northern Virginia campuses. https://dcarea.vt.edu/hokieonestop.html

• WRITING CENTER: Virginia Tech Libraries house The Writing Center, a free service for all students, faculty, and staff at the university. The center offers real-time, face-to-face online synchronous sessions as well as online asynchronous sessions. For more information: https://lib.vt.edu/study-learn/writing-center.html

About the Newsletter and How to Submit a Post

Posts must be relevant to graduate students in the greater Washington, D.C., metro area and other Northern Virginia campuses.

Posts must include the name and contact information of the requesting organization or person; not exceed 150 words; and not include attachments, QR codes or embedded links (no fliers or photos). Submissions will be edited to fit newsletter style and formatting requirements.

Please submit post requests by 3 p.m. Friday before the Monday on which the post is to appear using this Google form: https://gs.vt.edu/weeklylistserv.

The D.C. Area Weekly newsletters are also available at:

https://dcareaweekly.graduateschool.vt.edu/.

If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact the reference in the posting at least 10 business days prior to the event.     

If someone has forwarded this to you and you wish to subscribe, please send an email to dc-gradstudents-g+subscribe@vt.edu.

Follow us on social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VTGradSchoolDC

Instagram: @hokieonestopdc

Have a great week!