Grad

2024 Doctoral Funding Task Force

As part of its mission to advance graduate student success and the NEXT Graduate Scholars pathway, the Graduate College established the 2024 Doctoral Funding Task Force for the purpose of assessing doctoral funding across the university and making recommendations that will support the recruitment and retention of high-quality doctoral students at UC.  

Task Force Charge

The task force was asked to address the following specific questions: 

  1. What are the funding model options for doctoral programs, and which model might work best at UC to support recruitment and retention of doctoral students? 
  2. What should the minimum doctoral student stipend be? Should there be a university minimum or a minimum for each college? 
  3. How might we increase our five-year graduation rates and/or shorten the time to degree for doctoral students? 
  4. What should be standardized across all doctoral programs (e.g., appointment dates; offer letters; stipend and scholarship)? Are there considerations based on the type of degree award (e.g., AuD, DMA, DNP, DPT, EdD, OTD, and PhD)?

Scope: 

  1. Focus on the issues central to doctoral student funding 
  2. Shape our recommendations without regard for any specific funding mechanisms

Executive Summary

Our doctoral students are an integral part of UC’s R1/very high research status. Doctoral programs are under pressure to recruit, retain, and graduate top-tier students. Doctoral students and graduate programs alike report non-competitive financial packages as a barrier to meeting recruitment, retention, and graduation goals. This task force committee calls on the university to centrally invest in doctoral funding by providing more funding for stipends, scholarships, and other student financial needs. 

In this report, the task force outlines four recommendations, aimed at increasing the minimum stipend rate to a competitive level; providing doctoral programs with additional funding through a competitive analysis process to support doctoral student recruitment and retention; and overhauling policies and procedures to promote student success, reduce confusion, and improve reporting capabilities. 

Recommendation 1: All Graduate College financial policies should apply equally to all doctoral students

Recommendation 2: Increase stipend rates and develop new policy for funding limits 

Recommendation 3: Competitive analysis for additional funding 

Recommendation 4: Changes to and standardization of award processes and policies across university graduate programs 

Final Report

Report of the Doctoral Funding Task Force (PDF), published January 10, 2025.  

To view this document, you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader, a free download.

Membership

  • Alessandro Giovanni Battaglia​, graduate student, Department of Classics, College of Arts and Sciences
  • Ryan Boyd​, Associate Director of Admissions, National Recruitment, Office of Admissions, Enrollment Management 
  • Robert Buckingham​, Professor and Graduate Program Director, Department of Mathematical Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences
  • James Bunte​, Co-Associate Dean of Academic Affairs, College-Conservatory of Music 
  • Angela Cannata​, graduate student, Immunology Doctoral Program, College of Medicine
  • Amanda Carlisle​, Program Manager, School of Human Services, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services 
  • Megan Carroll​, Program Director, Graduate College
  • Tai Collins​, Associate Dean, Graduate College 
  • Amy Farley​, Associate Professor, School of Education, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services
  • Matt Huml​, Associate Professor, Sport Administration, Doctoral Program Coordinator, School of Human Services, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services 
  • Henry Levesque​, graduate student, School of Planning, College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning
  • Sarah Matthews​, Senior Data Reporting Analyst, Graduate College 
  • Michael Odio​, Associate Professor, Sport Administration, School of Human Services, College of Education, Criminal Justice, and Human Services
  • Claudia Rebola​, Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs, College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning 
  • Emilee Suchomski​, Director of Admissions, Recruitment & Strategic Initiatives, Office of Admissions, Enrollment Management
  • Noah VanBergen, Associate Professor of Marketing​, Carl H. Lindner College of Business 
  • John Wang​, Professor, Accounting, Carl H. Lindner College of Business
  • Ryan White, Divisional Dean, Natural Sciences, Professor and Ohio Eminent Scholar, Chemistry, College of Arts and Sciences