Nine Professional Development Grants Fund Discipline-Specific Opportunities
The Graduate School has awarded nine Professional Development Grants for the 2026 calendar year, bringing the total number of awards to 96 since the program launched in 2014.
While The Graduate School regularly offers cross-disciplinary professional development programs, events, and resources, the Professional Development Grants offer an opportunity for departments and programs to create discipline-specific programming. Each grant provides up to $2,000 to help bring proposed projects to fruition.
About the 2026 Grant Recipients
Biology
A half-day plant biology symposium to strengthen trainees’ career readiness, communication skills, and professional networks through a keynote, career panel, flash talks, and alumni networking.
Biomedical Engineering
Enhance BME 790: Inclusive Engineering Leadership, a formal mentoring and leadership training course that develops STEM-specific mentorship skills, will be enhanced through guest speakers, a practicum, and a field trip to learn about Durham.
Chemistry
Expand the “Coffee with a Chemist” series to bring in a wider array of professionals in diverse careers for informal networking and career exploration events.
Global Health
Strengthen alumni engagement and career readiness by hosting a large networking event linked to CUGH [Consortium of Universities for Global Health] and a series of small-group career conversations with global health professionals.
Master of Arts in Teaching (M.A.T.)
Yearlong Professional Commons series connecting candidates with Durham Public Schools leaders, alumni, and mentors through panels, mock interviews, and workshops to improve early-career readiness and retention.
M.F.A. in Dance: Embodied Interdisciplinary Praxis and M.F.A. in Experimental & Documentary Arts
A two-day “Creative Ecologies” colloquium with workshops on purpose, financial literacy, income diversification, and professional planning to support sustainable artistic careers, sustained by monthly meetings thereafter.
Romance Studies
A four-part international professional development series connecting graduate students with alumni and faculty working abroad to better understand global academic and cultural job markets and support internationally oriented career planning.
Statistical Science Ph.D.
Two-session series featuring industry hiring managers who will explain Ph.D.-level roles, expectations, skills, and hiring practices to better prepare doctoral students for industry careers.
University Program in Genetics & Genomics (UPGG)
Set of networking lunches, biotech company site visits, and an alumni mixer to expose Ph.D. students to diverse career paths, provide real-world industry insights, and strengthen professional networks across the life sciences.