Section 4
Funding, Teaching and the Job Market

4.1 Financial Assistance

There are four categories of financial assistance administered by the department: Research Assistantships, Project Assistantships, Teaching Assistantships and Fellowships. The majority of graduate students obtain funding through Research Assistantships. While grants paying for Research Assistantships are often established entirely through faculty initiative, many students jointly prepare grant proposals with faculty members. Some students also obtain grant or fellowship funds through their own intiative. In all cases, it is in the student's interest to establish working relationships with faculty members in their area of interest and to plan ahead for grant and fellowship proposals.

Research Assistantships

The Research Assistantship appointment should satisfy the following three criteria: (1) the grant must be made primarily to further the education and training of the recipient, (2) the research for which the stipend is paid must be accepted by the institution in satisfaction of degree requirements, and (3) equivalent research must be required of all candidates for that particular degree.

Students holding Research Assistantships are required to register for a full-time graduate credit load each semester they hold an appointment. During the summer, students holding Research Assistantship appointments are required to register in the 8-week summer session for a minimum of two graduate credits (usually AAE 990). Dissertators holding summer RA appointments are required to register for 3 credits of 990 in the 8-week summer session.

Assistantship awards of at least a one-third time exempt a student from the tuition for that semester. Summer tuition is waived for students who have held an Raship the previous spring, even if they do not have a summer appointment. Awards are usually made in the equivalent of half-time or one-third time graduate assistantships, but in special circumstances a student and faculty mentor may arrange for a three-fourths time award.

The terms of the Research Assistantship are arranged between the professor and student, with time generally used for research which will ultimately lead to a thesis. These appointments conform with general University policy, and more information is available from the Director of Graduate Studies and the Department Administrator.

Funds for Research Assistantships are, for the most part, generated from research grants obtained by faculty, sometimes with the collaboration of a graduate student. Every effort is made to assign Research Assistants to projects which are compatible with their interests and capabilities, and which will yield a research project suitable for an acceptable thesis.

From time to time, students change projects. In the event that a student anticipates moving to a new project, s/he should consult with the current supervisor and the faculty member sponsoring the new project by early January. Decisions about funding for the student body as a whole are made in January and February. Therefore, it is important for all parties to come to agreement on changes early in the calendar year. This allows faculty to consider incoming students for any positions being vacated.

Project Assistantships

Project Assistant appointments may also be made. This appointment is for work on departmental research which will not necessarily lead to a thesis, and is subject to withholding of state and federal income tax and social security. Project Assistant appointments are governed by the collective bargaining agreement negotiated with the Teaching Assistants' Association (TAA). Project Assistants need to register for a full-time credit load except in the summer months. PAs appointed during the summer do not need to register.

Teaching Assistantships

The department has several one-semester Teaching Assistantships available each year for undergraduate courses. Hiring criteria and open positions are posted on the web site. These appointments are governed by the collective bargaining agreement negotiated with the TAA.

 

Fellowships and Scholarships

Students are encouraged to apply for fellowships, as they can serve as an important credential in the job market. Some fellowships are available by departmental nomination only. For others, students must apply on their own initiative. Some awards may exempt a student from payment of tuition and may provide a monthly stipend and dependent allowance. Other awards are specifically for travel for dissertation research, and many awards are available only to those students with dissertator status. Awards are made in recognition of scholarly achievement and promise as evidenced by academic records, letters of recommendation, research experience, and the dissertation proposal.

Students should keep in mind the importance of planning well in advance in order to secure future financial support, especially for dissertation field research. Many competitions, such as the Fulbright, are announced during the summer and have early fall deadlines in September and October. Students must be ready to submit research proposals and fellowship applications in the early fall in order to obtain fellowship support for the next year.

Individual fellowships announcements are posted outside 305 Taylor Hall or circulated by email. The Taylor-Hibbard Library also contains a file of previous winning fellowship applications from AAE graduate students.

Listings of fellowship opportunities are available from:

• Fellowships Office of the Graduate School
• International Institute Fellowships Office
• Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies
• Memorial Library Reference Room

 

4.2 Funds for Research or Travel to Meetings

Every year the department receives an allocation of funds from the Graduate School to be awarded at the discretion of the Graduate Committee. These funds may be available upon petition to the Graduate Committee for students to travel to professional meetings to present papers or conduct domestic dissertation research. Note that these funds are not to be used for travel to professional meetings unless the student is presenting a paper, and the amount awarded may not cover all travel expenses. Funds can also be requested for rental of a University vehicle for group travel to the summer AAEA convention.

The Graduate Student Collaborative administers the Vilas Travel Fellowships for UW-Madison dissertators and final year MFA students. Awards are granted for domestic or international travel to conferences or for research purposes to eligible students. The Vilas Travel Grant Competition begins October 1st and applications must be received by October 31st.

The AAEA Foundation offers travel grants to graduate students attending the annual summer meeting. Students should apply by April 1. Applicants who are actively participating in the meeting and who have financial need will receive priority. Details are announced in the AAEA Newsletter and on the AAEA web site.

4.3 Other Teaching Opportunities

Graduate students not holding Teaching Assistantships who want to acquire a supervised teaching experience (usually assisting with graduate courses in AAE) may enroll in AAE 799, Practicum in Agricultural and Applied Economics Teaching.

Students have also been successful in obtaining part-time teaching positions at the Madison Area Technical College, Edgewood College, Beloit College, Cardinal Stritch College, and at two-year campuses in the University of Wisconsin System which are within driving distance of Madison. Those students wishing to be considered for such opportunities may contact these institutions and the UW System Administration directly.

4.4 The Job Market

The department assumes responsibility for providing graduate students with all possible assistance in obtaining employment following completion of their graduate program.

The Taylor-Hibbard Club sponsors sessions on the academic job search process each fall and spring semester, and all students are encouraged to attend. In addition, written materials on the job search, including sample vitae and cover letters, information on strategy and timeline, etc., are kept in the Taylor-Hibbard Library and posted on the department intranet. Students should review these materials early in their tenure in the program.

The availability of this general assistance in no way abrogates the role and responsibility of the student's major professor. Many, if not most, positions are ultimately obtained through personal contacts and, in many cases, the major professor is in the best position to provide the student with information concerning specific positions available in the student's primary area of interest. In addition, the major professor is frequently the best qualified to provide information concerning work conditions at specific universities and organizations. Other faculty might provide advice concerning employment opportunities and letters of recommendation.

Students are encouraged to register their interests and qualifications with the National Employment Registry for Agricultural Economists by contacting the AAEA Employment Service.