A new opportunity has arrived at the University of Oregon for PhD candidates applying to the UO and those already accepted. An award provided by the Advancing Science in America Foundation (ARCS) will give recipients a $6,000 stipend each year for three years.
Three awards will be given to PhD candidates in the biology and chemistry department, said Darren Johnson, a UO chemistry professor. The goal is to recruit promising students to the university.
PhD students enrolled at the UO for less than a year will also be eligible for the award. The idea is to reward students who have made great strides and showed exceptional progress in their research.
The money is given in addition to any other scholarships PhD student receives from the university. The money can be used for anything the student wishes and doesn’t have to be strictly for academic use, explained Bruce Bowerman, the head of UO’s biology department.
The funds can be used to purchase food, go on business trips or anything else the student desires.
ARCS, according to its website, is a group of philanthropists who wish to promote science research by donating funds to academic scholars.
The group of over 100 donors has given more than 150 scholarship awards, amounting to a total of $2.5 million awarded. The Portland chapter of ARCS is one of 17 across the nation and was established in 2004. The Portland chapter, in addition to UO, has partnered with Oregon Health & Science University and Oregon State University.
The reasoning behind allowing the money to be used outside of educational purposes is that it will support the students and their academic pursuits, rather than just the school, Kara Sherman, a graduate student in chemistry, said.
While the money can be a great way for the university to attract exceptional PhD students, Sherman argues that it is the networking opportunity that ARCS provides which is far more valuable.
“Having the ability to connect with people like in ARCS is essential to building your career,” Sherman said.
ARCS holds an event once a year for each school it sponsors. Students who received the award are allowed to share their research, giving students who study vastly different subjects an opportunity to meet others with an interest in their research and the promotion of science. Johnson jokingly refers to them as “science spectators,” as they may not have a science background but are interested in the field.
While the program is currently only available in two departments at the UO, there is the potential to expand to other science-related departments, said Johnson.
The criteria for the reward is currently under work. The biology and chemistry department will begin to give out the awards starting fall term of 2015.
“This is a fantastic new partnership,” Johnson said.