Graduate School Newsletter

September 2025

Important Announcements

Message from the Dean

Dear MSU Grad Students,

Welcome to new students and welcome back to continuing students! I hope you are settled into a productive semester by now!

Graduate school is a time to engage deeply with disciplinary knowledge and skills. It can also be a time to network and find friends and colleagues from across the campus. One way to branch out is to volunteer for various councils and organizations on campus. Benefits include learning to work with people outside your own discipline, gaining skills in administration, practicing leadership roles, and so forth. Opportunities on campus for graduate students include representing graduate students on:

--Faculty Senate

--the Associated Students of Montana State University (ASMSU)

--Diversity Council

--Research Council

--and Housing Council (for students living in campus housing)

If you are interested in serving on any of the councils and organizations, please contact me, Deborah Haynes, dhaynes@montana.edu. I encourage you to get involved!

Best wishes,

Deborah Haynes, Ph.D.

Dean of the Graduate School

Leadership Institute 2025 Fall Summit

Tickets are now available for the 2025 Leadership Institute Fall summit, a 3-day, 2-night off-campus leadership retreat in Big Sky, MT, October 17-19!

The retreat will focus on developing leadership skills and confidence through small group trainings and hands-on activities. This weekend will also be a space for participants to meet a community of likeminded friends and engage in a variety of activities, including hiking, yoga, and cooking meals for each other. The cost is $50/person including food, transportation, and all facilitation, and scholarships are available!

Link to sign up: https://www.montana.edu/leadership/programs_activities.html

Message from Grad Student Leadership Council (GSLC)

Welcome back, graduate students! We hope your semester is off to a strong start. We are the Graduate Student Leadership Council and we are here to support you and serve as the graduate student voice on campus.

What is the Graduate Student Leadership Council (GSLC)?

GSLC was formed in 2022 by a resolution passed by ASMSU recognizing that issues impacting graduate students are often different from those of undergraduates. The goal of GSLC is to promote all graduate student voices through service as representatives on university councils that affect policy changes at MSU. GSLC is composed of graduate students who serve on councils including Budget, Research, Diversity, and Graduate Councils, and serve as representatives to ASMSU Senate and Faculty Senate.

Want to provide your feedback to GSLC?

GSLC wants to hear from you! Our goal as the GSLC is to advocate for you to help improve your quality of life as a graduate student at Montana State University. We'd like to hear about any concerns you have such as living conditions, wellbeing, and your rights as students. Share your feedback in our anonymous graduate student survey.

Would you like to become involved with GSLC?

We are looking for graduate students who are motivated to serve our campus community and advocate for the graduate student body through university council positions. Please reach out to Anna French at anna.french1@student.montana.edu for more information.

Upcoming Dates & Deadlines

Full List of Grad School Dates & Deadlines

September 3- Last day to self-drop classes online.
September 5- Last day for master's and doctoral comprehensive examination or thesis/dissertation defense for the one-credit extension.
September 10- Last day to drop fall classes without a "W" grade.
September 12- One-credit extension deadline; last day for formatting approval of Electronic Thesis or Dissertation (ETD) by the formatting advisor. 5PM deadline.
September 20- Last day for graduate students to file for graduation in MyInfo or via a Graduation Application (only used when a student has applied for the same degree in a prior term).

Funding & Fellowships

America's Seed Fund at the National Science Foundation with Dr. Ela Mirowski, SBIR Program Officer- Sept 17

This session will present an overview of America’s Seed Fund powered by the U.S. National Science Foundation, a grantmaking program that provides funding to startups without taking any stake in your company. The program encourages innovators across all scientific disciplines to submit proposals that explore new frontiers and challenge conventional knowledge boundaries.

Registration is required. Registered participants will have the opportunity to sign up for a 20-minute one-on-one meeting to speak with Dr. Mirowski about their innovation and to explore whether their project is a good fit for these initiatives.

Identify Scholarships and Research Funding for Your Graduate Education!

The University of Illinois has an excellent Fellowship Finder featuring awards that are open to grad students from any university. It features several filters to aid your search.

The National Research Council postdoctoral program is used by federal agencies across the country to support postdoc searches. This is a great place to look when you are close to finishing your PhD and the salaries are quite good. Quarterly application deadlines.

For more funding opportunities, visit MSU’s Research Funding Opportunities and the MSU Graduate School's Funding and Fellowships webpage.

Workshops & Events

Graduate Wellness Champions

The Graduate School is accepting applications for the 2025-2026 academic year. To support the well-being of graduate students, department-level initiatives are key – both in running local well-being events, but also to help change culture and practices. A $500 fellowship ($250 per semester) is available for graduate student wellness champions who will advocate and organize well-being events in their departments. This fellowship is to support the student for organizational work during the academic year. For more information, please visit the GradCat Wellness Champion Program website.

Mindfulness Based Graduate Mentorship Program

Applications for the Mindfulness Based Graduate Mentorship Program (MBGMP) are currently open. Applications are due September 5th. For questions or for more information, contact Jen Brown at jennifer.brown@montana.edu.

MSU Writing Center

Our graduate writing groups meet weekly and offer participants accountability, support, and feedback. The Writing Center provides the facilitator and the space. To join a Fall 2025 writing group, sign up here by Wednesday, September 17:

https://www.montana.edu/writingcenter/graduate-students/graduate-writer-support.html

MSU Core Facilities Day

Learn more about the wide range of state-of-the-art services that Montana State University core facilities have to offer. From advanced GIS services to Cryo-EM capabilities, our cores support numerous research applications. Attendees will have the opportunity to learn specifics about services, network with other facility users, MUS researchers, and industry partners, as well as tour the facilities.

Professional Development: GradCat 360

GradCat 360 is a comprehensive professional development program for graduate students at Montana State University. It is a series of programs and events designed by the Graduate School and departments across campus that center around nine focus areas. These areas are tailored to help students cultivate a unified set of skills and knowledge for educational success and professional preparation.

Check out our GradCat 360 Event Calendar, specifically curated for Graduate Students. We are constantly updating the GradCat 360 calendar with workshops and events that are uniquely useful for Graduate Students.