NEXT Graduate Leaders Fellowship

The mission of the NEXT Graduate Leaders Fellowship (formerly known as the NEXT Graduate Scholars Program) at the University of Cincinnati is to enhance the reputation of graduate programs, academic colleges, and the University of Cincinnati by supporting the recruitment, retention, and graduation of high-caliber graduate students. 

This award requires program selection; students cannot directly apply. It is strongly recommended, though, that interested students connect with their future program. (Please visit the Contact Your Program page for program contact information.) Please contact Graduate College program director Megan Carroll (carrolm2@ucmail.uc.edu) with questions and for more information about fellowship eligibility.

Graduate programs interested in applying for the fellowship should visit the NEXT Graduate Leaders Fellowship page in Bearcats Landing. 

Students in the program engage in a first-year experience program, which provides professional development training and networking opportunities for new NEXT Graduate Scholars Program participants. The program is developed to introduce students to an array of university resources available to them, which will increase their likelihood of success in their graduate program. Students will develop a strategic plan to meet graduate program milestones, develop skills, and explore career options in their specific field. In addition, first-year fellows engage in leadership programming throughout the academic year, in a dynamic, small-group learning environment, which is designed to nurture leadership skills, peer connection, and meaningful impact in higher education.

Students admitted into the NEXT Graduate Leaders Fellowship will be eligible to receive a fellowship stipend: $10,000 per year, for up to 2 years for a master’s student, and up to 4 years for a doctoral student. Students also receive a tuition scholarship, provided by their graduate program, and a Graduate Student Health Insurance Award, which covers the full cost of single-student UC Student Health Insurance coverage. 

First year fellows are required to attend biweekly professional development meetings. The first required meeting will be a half-day fellowship orientation, on the Saturday prior to the start of fall classes. Fellows in their first year of funding will participate in NEXT Graduate Leaders Fellowship biweekly meetings while classes are in session, for both fall and spring semester. In the fall, these meetings are held on Fridays, 1:00-3:00 PM. 

NEXT fellows are also required to complete and submit an Individual Development Plan (IDP) annually, for every year they receive fellowship funding. New and revised/updated IDPs will typically be due to the Graduate College in spring semester, in early April. Once the fellow has exhausted all fellowship funding, they are encouraged, but no longer required, to submit an annual IDP to the Graduate College.

Fellows must maintain a cumulative 3.0 GPA and must register for at least 12 graduate credit hours in the fall and spring semester to maintain their funding.