Cash Awards to Outstanding Graduate Students

Learn how to apply for Graduate Awards of Excellence.

Have your graduate research or graduate teaching assistance recognized university-wide and receive cash while doing it.

These prestigious awards given to only the most outstanding student nominees will be distinguished throughout the UCF community as having shown truly exceptional and commendable work.

Five graduate students, one from each of the award categories below, will earn a certificate and a cash award of $1,500 each.

• Outstanding Dissertation – focusing on the excellent quality and contribution of the student’s dissertation
• Outstanding Master’s Thesis – focusing on the excellent quality and contribution of the student’s thesis research
• Innovative Thesis or Dissertation – recognizing cutting-edge use of technology in theses and dissertations through the application of renderings, photos, data sets, software code and other multimedia objects
• Excellence by a Graduate Teaching Assistant – recognizing the extent and quality of the assistance provided by the student to the lead instructor and the students in the class
• Excellence in Graduate Student Teaching – focusing on the quality of the student’s teaching and the academic contributions of those activities

Application materials need to be submitted by Friday, January 20. However, the College of Sciences’ deadline is Tuesday, January 17. Please check with your college for your specific submission deadline as it may be earlier than January 20.

To be nominated, contact your adviser or College Graduate Coordinator immediately for consideration. Graduate Coordinators will evaluate the documentation submitted by all the nominees, and select one person from each category of award to move on to the university nomination process. Graduates must win on the college-level to be considered for the university award. The Graduate Program Review and Awards committee will recommend the winners to the Interim Vice Provost and Dean of the College of Graduate Studies. He will select the final university winner from each category for the cash award of $1,500 and will announce the winners at the Research Week Awards Breakfast in April.

For further information on eligibility and specific application requirements please visit our website at https://graduate.ucf.edu/awards-and-recognition/.