1. Graduate
  2. Graduate Fellowships & Assistantships
Students walking down Fairfield Way in front of the Homer Babbidge Library and the Information Technologies Engineering Building. Oct. 19, 2021. (Sean Flynn/UConn Photo)

Graduate Fellowships & Assistantships

Research Assistantships (RAs)

Research assistantships are the most common form of financial support for graduate students in the School of Computing. They are typically funded through faculty research grants and involve working directly on sponsored projects with a faculty mentor. In many cases, RA work directly supports the student’s own thesis research, providing both financial support and critical academic progress toward the degree. Responsibilities may include experimentation, software development, data analysis, and co-authoring publications.

Teaching Assistantships (TAs)

Teaching assistantships support the School’s instructional mission by assisting in undergraduate courses and labs. Duties may include leading lab sections, grading, holding office hours, and occasionally lecturing. English language proficiency is required for all TAs. The Graduate School provides details on assistantship policies, stipends, and benefits.
Students interested in a TA position should complete the Teaching Assistantship Application Form available on the School of Computing’s Graduate Forms page.

School of Computing Fellowships

The School of Computing offers a range of competitive fellowships to recognize academic excellence, research progress, and (for some awards) financial need:

  • Taylor L. Booth Graduate Fellowship – The School’s most prestigious award for Ph.D. students, intended for those pursuing faculty careers at U.S. universities. Students planning industrial careers are not eligible.
  • Predoctoral Fellowships – Intended to accelerate progress toward completion of Ph.D. requirements; applicants must be in good standing and actively engaged in research beyond required coursework.
  • Professor Reda Ammar Fellowship in CSE – For students matriculated at (or graduates of) institutions outside the United States; financial need required, with priority to those demonstrating interest related to the Middle East.
  • Anthony W. DeSio Endowed Fellowship in CSE – Recognizes academic achievement and financial need; priority to students with at least four years of U.S. military service.
  • Marion and Frederick Buckman Engineering Fellowship – For full-time School of Computing graduate students demonstrating financial need and academic achievement.
  • Sarah Levitan Larie CSE Fellowship – For M.S. students demonstrating financial need and/or meritorious performance.

University and College-Wide Funding Opportunities

Graduate students are encouraged to apply for additional awards offered by the University and the College of Engineering. The Graduate School maintains a comprehensive list of Graduate Fellowships & Awards, including:

External Fellowship Opportunities

Students are strongly encouraged to seek nationally competitive fellowships, including:

  • NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program – Provides three years of support, including an annual stipend and tuition coverage, for U.S. citizens and permanent residents in research-focused graduate programs.
  • DoD NDSEG Fellowship – A three-year, tuition-covering fellowship for U.S. citizens in science and engineering Ph.D. programs, awarded through the Department of Defense.
  • National Physical Science Consortium Fellowship – Supports graduate students in physical sciences and engineering through multi-year fellowships and mentoring.
  • DOE Computational Science Graduate Fellowship – Supports doctoral students in fields that use high-performance computing to solve complex science and engineering problems.