Financial Support
- Overview
- Graduate Student Instructor
- Graduate Student Researcher
- University Fellowships
- Extramural Fellowships
- Financial Aid
- IB Support
Overview
The department provides Integrative Biology Ph.D. students in good standing with five years of financial support if they do not have other sources of funding.
Forms of support include Graduate Student Instructor (GSI) and Graduate Student Researcher (GSR) appointments, curatorial positions, and Fellowships (both University and Extramural). This five year guarantee includes the years a student is supported by outside fellowships.
In past years the department has been able to provide support to all sixth year students who needed it and were able in many cases to hire students who were here seven years and more.
However, when planning research and funding students should take into account that the department cannot guarantee support after they have exceeded normative time. As mentioned above, every student is required to teach for at least two semesters in order to earn the Ph.D.
Graduate Student Instructor
Appointments
- Appointments are usually made for one semester at a time, normally a 50% time appointment (20 hours per week on the average).
- GSIs work 20 hours per week on the average.
- Appointments are assigned by the Head Graduate Advisor of the department, based upon sufficient academic progress and teaching evaluations from previous semesters.
Pay Periods
Each semester has five paychecks. If appointed in both semesters GSIs receive 10 paychecks, once a month, from September 1 through June 1.
Fee Remission
In addition to salary, GSIs are credited a remission on most of their fees for that semester.
Appointment Steps
Step 1
As of Fall 2011, the starting salary for a Graduate Student Instructor with fewer than four semesters of college teaching experience (Step 1) is $8,484.75 per semester for a 50% appointment.
Step 2
After four semesters at Step 1, or with a combination of experience at a previous institution and Berkeley, GSIs advance to Step II with a raise in pay.
Step 3
Advancement to Step 3 occurs after six semesters teaching and generally GSIs remain at that level until they are finished teaching.
The absolute limit on teaching is twelve semesters as a Graduate Student Instructor. After the twelfth semester, a student can no longer be hired in that capacity.
Teaching Evaluations
At the end of each semester the department provides each GSI with teaching evaluation forms to be completed by their students and returned to the department. In addition, GSIs are evaluated by the faculty in charge of the course.
The evaluations give GSIs and faculty feedback on issues such as knowledge and preparation of subject matter, presentation, fairness and impartiality in dealing with students, etc. They become part of the student's record and may be used to determine future GSI appointments as well as an assessment tool for subsequent letters of recommendation.
Graduate Student Researcher
Appointments
This position varies in percentage, usually between 40-50%, with a 50% rate of $8,073/semester at step3 (as of Fall 2011). These positions are usually supported by money from a professor's grant, with hours somewhat more flexible than those of Graduate Student Instructors.
Fee Remission
There is also a partial or full fee remission which is determined by the percent time of the appointment.
Appointment Steps
As with the Graduate Student Instructor, there are raises in pay earned through time in step.
In the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, the Museum of Paleontology, and the University Herbarium, Graduate Student Researchers are generally hired at 50%, and are sometimes referred to as Curatorial Assistants, but are still hired and paid as Graduate Student Researchers.
University Fellowships
Funding from the University such as the Berkeley Fellowship, Mentor Research Award, UC Dissertation-Year Fellowship are administered by the Graduate Division.
For a complete list of the fellowships available, the criteria for the award and the application deadline, please see the Graduate Division's Financial Aid web page.
Extramural Fellowships
Investigate these at least one year before you intend to use them since the application process for most of them is quite lengthy. In some cases, e.g., the National Science Foundation Fellowship, you must apply early in your career before you have too many graduate units to be eligible.
A full list is available from the Graduate Fellowships Office, as well as applications for some of the major awards such as NSF.
You can apply for some extramural fellowships through the IB Grants Office in 40 Giannini. With your mentor's approval, the department will help you submit proposals for NASA and NSF Fellowships.
Financial Aid
The Graduate Financial Aid Office is located on the second floor of Sproul Hall. U.S. citizens or students who hold immigrant visas may apply for need-based loans, grants and work study awards.
IB Support
The Department has limited funds available to cover student research and travel expenses. You may apply for up to $300 per fiscal year to support dissertation research and up to $250 for travel money to meetings at which you are presenting a poster or paper.
Applications for both types of funding are available online, click on Application for Research and Travel Funds (GRAC).
Research Funds
The purpose for which funds will be used should be integral to the dissertation research, "side" projects will not be supported. Appropriate expenses include:
- supplies
- small items of equipment
- costs associated with field research
Applications should be addressed to the Chair of the GRAC and should include a brief description of the proposed research, a budget, and a justification for the proposed use of Departmental funds.
Travel Funds
- Intended only for travel to scientific meetings at which you are presenting a poster or paper. You may request up to $250 per fiscal year to help defray travel and lodging costs while attending.
- Applications should be submitted to the Chair of the GRAC and must be submitted prior to the meetings for which the funds are requested.
- The application must include an official confirmation that the poster or paper has been accepted for presentation.
IB 299 Funds
These funds are made available to each laboratory. A certain amount is given for each graduate student and it is used with the approval of the professor in charge of the lab. For more information, see guidelines for use of 299 funds.
In-Candidacy Fee Offset Grant (ICFOG)
Available to all IB students who have advanced to candidacy AND within Normative Time AND do not have any other forms of support that will pay fees, i.e. GSI, GSR, fellowships, etc. Students will not be eligible for an ICFOG grant if withdrawn, on filing fee, or have no current annual review on file. ICFOG will pay the Tuition (formerly Educational Fee) portion of fees.
Supplemental Stipends
In early spring semester, the department will award supplemental stipends to all students with total 10-month stipends of less than $22,000. Amount of stipend is contingent on fund availability and number of students.
Summer Research Grants
The department will award, funding permitting, summer research grants to graduate students who are within normative time, passed their qualifying exam, and have a current annual review on file. These funds are competitive and based on proposals submitted. The number of awards and amount varies from year-to-year and student-to-student.
IB Info
Thank you for your interest!
Integrative Biology
UC Berkeley
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Berkeley, CA 94720-3140
IB Contact
(510) 642-3281 phone
(510) 643-6264 fax
IB Events
See IB Calendar for upcoming events.