The Falkow Award, named after pioneering microbiologist Stanley Falkow, is a departmental award from the University of Washington Department of Microbiology that supports graduate student research or research-related travel.

The award honors Dr. Falkow's legacy of using molecular methods to study bacterial pathogenesis and funds efforts to pursue innovative research on bacteria and viruses that threaten human health, as well as strategies to combat them. Applications are opened in early July with rolling acceptance throughout the year. Applicants must submit a short description of their plans, how the award will enhance their research, and estimated costs.

Only current Microbiology Graduate Students at the University of Washington are eligible.

Funding and Human Resources | UW Microbiology Funding and Human Resources Funding and Human Resources Download the complete Microbiology Graduate Student Handbook . Most graduate students are supported from Departmental funds as Research Assistants (RAs) in their first year.

Thereafter, based on funding availability, students are supported either as a RA on their advisor's research grants, as a trainee on a training grant, or as a fellow (e.g., supported by NSF, NIH, or a foundation). If a training grant or fellowship stipend provides a lower salary than the designated Departmental RA rate, the stipend will be supplemented to the standard RA rate.

Payday is the 10th and 25th of each month, with the exception that if the 10th or 25th is: a Saturday , you get paid the Friday before. a Sunday , you get paid the Monday following. a holiday falling on a Monday , you get paid the Friday before.

Hours worked from the 1st to the 15th are paid on the 25th. Hours worked from the 16th to the end of the month are paid on the 10th of the following month. All Academic Student Employees (ASEs) are eligible for the Graduate Appointee Insurance Program (GAIP) when they meet the qualifying criteria .

GAIP provides medical, dental, and vision coverage. Students are enrolled in GAIP when their employment information is entered by the Department into Workday. Fellowships and Training Grants NSF Fellowship rules now allow only one application from a graduate student, which must be submitted in the first year of graduate school.

All eligible students should apply. Shortly after joining a thesis lab at the end of the first year, rising second-year students are strongly encouraged to apply for a position on the Cell and Molecular Biology (CMB) training grant . Additional training grants solicit applications via email to faculty and students as positions become available.

Other opportunities for funding include NIH Individual Graduate Fellowships (F31) and support from foundations. A list of fellowship opportunities is also maintained by the Graduate School. Students should review for potential applications that would align with their qualifications and discuss possible applications with their faculty mentor.

There are several Departmental Awards that support graduate students, including: Supports research or research-related travel for graduate students in the UW Department of Microbiology Stanley Falkow was a Professor of Microbiology at the University of Washington from 1072 until 1981. He is widely recognized as one of the earliest contributors to the use of molecular methods to study bacterial pathogenesis.

This fellowship fund supports efforts to pursue innovative research on the bacteria and viruses that threaten human health and on strategies to combat them. Applications for this award are typically opened in early July with rolling acceptance throughout the year. Application submission requirements include: a short description of plans, how the award will enhance the applicant's research program, and estimated costs.

Only current Microbiology Graduate Students are eligible to apply. The Falkow Award Committee will review applications on a rolling basis throughout the year and will make awards as long as sufficient funds remain. Recognizes graduate student instructors for excellence in teaching This award honors the memory of Dr. Neal Groman, who was a Professor of Microbiology at the University of Washington from 1950 until his retirement in 1989.

He was recognized for his dedication to teaching and scholarship. All Microbiology Graduate Students who have been a TA in the last Academic Year are eligible and automatically submitted for consideration. The Award Committee will meet each summer and select a recipient to be announced at the Department of Microbiology Annual Retreat.

Provides financial support to deserving graduate students in the Department of Microbiology The Helen Riaboff Whiteley Fellowship was established in 1991 by UW Professor Emeritus Arthur Whiteley (deceased), and her friends to honor her academic and research achievements. Dr. Helen R. Whiteley was a distinguished member of the faculty of the Department of Microbiology in the School of Medicine for almost 40 years.

The Whiteley Award Committee is charged with identifying an outstanding Ph. D. student in Microbiology who will graduate in the next academic year.

Ph. D. students working in Microbiology labs are also eligible to be nominated.

The primary selection criterion for this award is the nominee’s research accomplishments, with preference to students in the Microbiology Graduate Program and to those who aspire to have an academic or research career in microbiology. Other factors include participation in and contributions to the Department’s various activities.

Faculty mentors should consider nominating a senior graduate student either in their lab or in another lab for this prestigious award. The nomination and complete packet of supporting materials should be submitted electronically to the GPA ( microgpa@uw. edu ).

The recipient will be announced at the Department of Microbiology Annual Retreat. Nomination Requirements : A letter stating why you are nominating the student for the Whiteley Fellowship.

This letter should include a description of their research project, the nominee’s research initiative and independence, the significance of their research accomplishment(s), and a list of publications resulting from the research The contributions that the student has made to the Department, especially in the area of teaching Additional letters of recommendation supporting the nomination The nominee’s advisor should select a member of the dissertation committee to write a letter of support.

The nominee may also solicit a third letter of support. A copy of the student’s CV and reprints of publications Student must complete graduate studies by summer quarter of the following academic year Workload, Vacation, and Leaves of Absence The Microbiology Department adheres to policies stated in the UW/UAW Union contract.

Article 35, Section 8 states, “ Workload assigned to an ASE under this article is separate from the academic expectations associated with thesis and dissertation research that is expected pursuant to 600-, 700-, and 800-level course work. This Agreement should not in any way be construed as imposing a limit on the amount of academic work necessary for a student to make satisfactory academic progress toward their degree.

” Under Article 32, 50% salaried Academic Student Employees (ASE) are entitled to four weeks (20 business days) of vacation during a 12-month academic period. Section 2 states, “Vacation time off shall be taken during academic quarter breaks, except when used as a Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) supplemental benefit, or as otherwise mutually agreed to by the ASE and a supervisor.

” Accordingly, students should discuss their vacation plans with their advisors well in advance of the proposed time off. ASEs in non-trainee positions should track and submit their leave requests via Workday . ASEs in trainee positions do not track and report leave in Workday.

They need to coordinate their leave requests via email with their faculty supervisor. Article 17 of the UW/UAW Union contract details policies for leaves resulting from personal illness or disability, for the care of a family member, or for childbirth. In brief, students may be entitled to paid leave for illnesses of up to 7 days (28 hours) per 12-month academic year and unpaid leave for up to 12 weeks for illness or childbirth.

Sick time off resulting in more than 3 consecutive workdays requires verification of absence. The student will provide verification from a medical provider (excluding any sensitive health information) of the absence to the department GPA. The verification will be stored in the student’s electronic file.

Under unusual circumstances, a student who is in good academic standing and making normal progress in research may apply for an unpaid leave of absence from graduate school, subject to approval by the student's mentor and the Microbiology GPC. Guidance for on-leave status is provided by the Graduate School and in Policy 3. 5, On-Leave, Reinstatement, and Re-Entry Policy .

During such an absence, other members of the lab may continue the student's research and upon returning the student may have to redefine their research project. Our GPA, Sadie Reitz, can be reached at microgpa@uw. edu , (206)543-3812.

Office hours are Monday 8:00-12:00 & Friday 1:00-5:00pm (SLU F508 and remote), or by appointment. Schedule a meeting with Sadie: Book time: Microbiology Graduate Program Advisor