Council of Graduate Students
at The Ohio State University

About the Career Development Grant

Purpose

The Career Development Grant program encourages graduate students to prepare for placement into their chosen field. Students will submit their Career Development Grant Application to the Council of Graduate Students (CGS) for an opportunity to receive an award to defray costs associated with the development of their careers.

By offering grants of up to $350 each, CGS will be providing an incentive for graduate students to invest effort in their own career development while attending OSU. These grants will provide subsidy for expenses incurred by the activities outlined by applicants in their Career Development Plan.

The Career Development Grants will be awarded to individuals demonstrating strong linkages between their stated professional goals and their submitted Career Development Plan. Additionally, applicants will be evaluated upon the relevance and strength of proposed activities as they relate to the applicant's resume and the Career Development Plan.

Rationale

The financial expenses associated with defined activities or engagements included in one's Career Development Plan may be cost-prohibitive to many graduate students, and the availability of financial support for students varies widely across the university. Whereas students in some departments, schools, and colleges may have several opportunities for funding, others may have no sources of funding whatsoever. For this reason, the absence of such funds at the university-level has resulted in significant concern from CGS.

Inquiries on this matter to the CGS office and delegates, from both individual students and other graduate student associations within the university, are frequent. Therefore, the Career Development Grant will help fill a void for many students. Additionally, it will also provide financial continuity for graduate students to further their professional activities upon exhausting other funding sources.

The Career Development Grant is intended to supplement -- not replace -- existing funds at the program, department, school, college, and/or university levels.

Resources

Check out the New Career Development Grant Resource Packet for more information about how the grant can support your academic and professional goals and how to apply. In the packet you will find information on the following topics:

  • Guidelines & Policies
  • Eligible Activities & Expenses
  • How to Apply
  • Tips for a Successful Application
  • Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Please contact the Grant Administration Chair & CGS VP Katie Conner.280 if you have any questions.