UW Initiates Unprecedented Graduate Fellowship Push

In an effort to make UW–Madison a hands-down favorite in the heated competition for the nation’s best and brightest graduate students, the UW-Madison Graduate School announced this week plans to create a $200-million endowment for the support of as many as 400 graduate fellows.

The program, which has already received a commitment of up to $100 million in matching funds from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, would be among the largest programs of its kind anywhere.

“The goal is to ensure that graduate education is attractive to the nation’s most talented students and that these ‘best and brightest’ students pursue their graduate studies at UW–Madison,” Graduate School Dean Virginia Hinshaw said in announcing the program.

For research universities like UW–Madison, graduate students are critical participants in the research, teaching and outreach activities at the heart of the institution. Graduate enrollment at UW–Madison fluctuates between 8,000-10,000 students annually, making it one of the largest graduate schools in the nation.

By committing significant and unprecedented resources for large numbers of students, UW–Madison is positioning itself to weather the continuing decline in support for graduate study from both the state and federal governments.

Dubbed the Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship Program, the plan calls for selected fellows pursuing master’s and doctoral degrees to receive up to $24,000 annually. Of that, $22,000 would be in the form of a stipend. In addition, up to $2,000 would be provided to promote a fellow’s professional development. Full fellows would also be eligible for remission of the non-resident portion of fees and tuition.

The program is being developed through a partnership of the Graduate School and other UW–Madison schools and colleges, WARF and the UW Foundation. WARF is a not-for-profit corporation that manages and licenses patents on behalf of UW–Madison faculty and staff. The UW Foundation, also an independent nonprofit corporation, is the principal fundraising organization for the university that raised more than $100 million on its behalf last year.

Funds for the Wisconsin Distinguished Graduate Fellowship Program will be raised over a 10-year period, beginning next year, with the goal of establishing an endowment of $200 million. WARF, said Hinshaw, has agreed to match gifts to the program during that period on a one-to-one basis, committing up to $100 million.

“Investment in graduate education to provide opportunities for deserving students is critical to the research strength of our university and the world for the next century,” Hinshaw said. “To ensure that strength, we need to support these students in their commitment to research careers.”

A gift of $250,000, coupled with matching funds, will provide an endowment for a full fellowship. Individuals or organizations making donations at that level may name and designate the fellowship.

Such donors and named fellowship recipients will be celebrated through an annual recognition dinner sponsored by the Graduate School, enabling donors to meet their fellows and allowing the university to recognize donors for their contributions.

The minimum level for which the Graduate School will provide a match is $125,000, but donations from multiple donors can be combined and directed to a specific fellowship fund to receive a match.

Each school and college within the university has the opportunity to receive matches for endowments up to $10 million. Deans will be responsible for determining whether donations designated for specific departments or programs are part of the school’s or college’s $10 million goal for match.

Undesignated funds and gifts to interdisciplinary programs not within a specific school or college will be directed by the Graduate School.

The intent, said Hinshaw, is for all groups on campus to benefit.