April Newsletter
Message from the Dean
April marks a welcome transition into spring, bringing warmer weather and a renewed sense of energy across campus. As the semester enters its final stretch, this is a busy and exciting time, especially as we prepare to celebrate our graduating students and look ahead to summer plans for research, travel, and professional development.
The first week of April is Graduate Student Appreciation Week, and we take this opportunity to recognize the many contributions of our graduate students to the intellectual life of the university. In classrooms, laboratories, studios, and communities, graduate students advance research, support teaching, and help extend the impact of the university beyond campus. Thank you for all that you do—you are central to our mission and to the strength of our academic community.
This month also marks the administration of the biennial gradSERU survey of the graduate student experience. I encourage you to take a few minutes to complete the survey if you have not already done so. Your feedback provides valuable insight that helps us strengthen programs, improve support, and enhance the overall graduate experience.
Be sure to check out the numerous career and professional development activities scheduled for this month, from interview practice to academic job application preparation and summer internship opportunities!
As we approach the end of the semester, I would also like to congratulate those who will be graduating in May. Your hard work and perseverance have brought you to this important milestone, and we look forward to celebrating your accomplishments. And especially for finishing doctoral students, please consider submitting your dissertation for the IUB Distinguished Dissertation Award. For those continuing into the summer term, I wish you a strong finish to the semester and continued success in your studies and research.
Best Regards,
David Daleke
Dean, IUB Graduate School
Graduate Student Appreciation Week is coming up!
Since 1993, Graduate-Professional Student Appreciation Week has been celebrated nationally during the first week of April. It is an annual observance recognizing the contributions, impact, and value of graduate and professional students. In labs, classrooms, offices, and museums — everywhere — graduate students make important contributions to the teaching and research missions of our institution.
The 2026 Graduate Student Appreciation Week will take place April 6th-10th, 2026. Please see our website for details and keep an eye out for events organized by your home school. We will update our website with campus activities as they develop.
IU Graduate School Bloomington Annual Awards Ceremony
The University Graduate School Bloomington is dedicated to fostering excellence in graduate education through fellowships and awards. Each Spring, we gather to celebrate the outstanding achievements, leadership, service, and contributions to academic excellence by the recipients of those fellowships and awards. We hope that you will join us in congratulating them on Friday, May 1st, 2026, in the Frangipani Room at Indiana Memorial Union.
Graduate Career Support Workshops
April 17 (10:00-11:30 am ET): Graduate Mock Interview Practice: Strategy, Practice, and Feedback
This spring, attend an in-person workshop for support with your resume, cover letter, or CV, or to learn strategies for interview preparation.
Location: University Graduate School Conference Room, East Tower, Suite 546
Herman B Wells Library, 1320 E 10th St, Bloomington, IN 47405
Want to get ready for your interviews and practice in a supportive setting?
This interactive session is designed to help you feel more confident and prepared. We’ll start with a few practical strategies for answering common interview questions, structuring your responses, and clearly communicating your strengths. Then, you’ll participate in guided mock interview activities where you can practice your answers, receive feedback, and reflect in real time.
Bring a job description if you have one, or even just an idea of the role you’re interested in. No worries if you don’t—we’ll provide sample questions, answer frameworks, and real examples to work with.
You’ll leave with clearer talking points, stronger stories, and a concrete next step for your next interview.
Master’s and PhD students are all welcome!
Click here to register!
Academic Apps Summer Workshop Series
Summer is the prime time to tackle the academic application process with our popular workshop series, “Academic Application Preparation” or “Academic Apps.” This series brings doctoral students together with interdisciplinary peers and facilitators from the Graduate School, the Center for Innovative Teaching and Learning, and the Walter Center for Career Achievement, to focus on preparing to apply for academic positions. It aims to equip participants with the necessary skills and knowledge to prepare a suite of academic pathway application documents and explore interviewing considerations. The series is only open to IU Bloomington doctoral students. PhD candidates currently navigating the academic job market or planning to enter it by fall 2026 take priority. We’ll meet in person from 9:00 AM until 12:00 PM for four days, Monday, May 18, through Thursday, May 21st.
The workshop has been in demand for the last two years, and space is limited to 30 participants. A commitment to all 4 days is mandatory.
We will cover:
- Curriculum Vitae (CVs) & cover letters
- Teaching Statements
- Research Statements
- Considerations for Interviewing
Expect to:
- Dissect real-world examples to understand what employers look for in these documents.
- Work on your own materials in workshop fashion.
- Engage in analysis exercises, brainstorming, drafting, and peer review.
This series is a stepping stone to your future in academia. Join us in the Academic Apps workshop series and take the first step towards a successful academic career.
Apply for Academic Apps by 9:00 AM ET, Wednesday, April 22nd. You will be notified of your application acceptance or waitlist status by April 24th.
Paid Summer Internship Opportunity
IU Innovates has just announced its Summer Innovation Internship, which pays IU students (undergraduate/graduate/recent grads) to stay in Bloomington over the summer and work on an innovative business concept, creative work, or research that can be translated into a business/startup, program, or non-profit.
Students do not need to have an innovation in progress to apply; teams will be formed around selected ideas the first week of the program.
The program is 8 weeks long (May 20th-July 15th) and pays up to $3200. It is expected that students will work 20 hours per week out of the Von Lee building (517 E. Kirkwood Ave, Bloomington, IN) during that time.
Find the application here. Submissions are due by 11:59 PM, April 6th.
Students are encouraged to contact Thomas Parmer (tjparmer@iu.edu) for questions or consultations prior to submitting their application.
Beyond Graduate School & Beyond Professoriate Platforms
Have you used the new career training platforms from the Graduate School yet?
- Career training for master’s students is available on-demand with Beyond Graduate School.
- Career training for doctoral students and postdocs is available with Beyond the Professoriate.
Both platforms offer on-demand modules and live webinars for graduate student career development. Log in to Beyond platforms from the Graduate School's career resources webpage using your IU credentials at any time. Access training modules and recorded interviews (of people with advanced degrees and skills who have transitioned from school to work – including from academia to other industries). Or sign up for live webinars like
Beyond Graduate School
- April 15 (2 - 2:30 pm ET): What You Need to Know About Using AI at Work
Beyond the Professoriate
April 15 (12 – 12:45 pm ET): How to Stand Out in a Competitive Job Market, from Beyond the Professoriate
The Ombuds Office
IU Bloomington Graduate School reminds you that the ombudsperson is here to provide support through empathetic listening, resource navigation, option generation, and informal conflict management.
NISS Dissertation Grant
Internal Deadline: Monday, April 13, 2026
The National Institute of Social Sciences (NISS) invites nominations for its Dissertation Grants Program. NISS Dissertation Grants are designed to support outstanding Ph.D. students who need resources to complete doctoral work that promises to significantly advance their fields of study.
Eligibility:
Projects in the fields of Anthropology, Economics, History, Political Science, Psychology, and Sociology are eligible. Interdisciplinary projects that include one or more of these fields as a major component may also be considered.
Google Ph.D. Fellowship
Internal Deadline: Friday, April 24, 2026
From the Google PhD Fellowship Program Main Page:
“The Google PhD Fellowship Program was created to recognize outstanding graduate students doing exceptional and innovative research in areas relevant to computer science and related fields.”
If you have questions, contact the Graduate Fellowship & Awards Coordinator at ugsawrd@iu.edu.
Eligibility:
All students who have completed, or will have completed, graduate coursework by the academic award year in which the fellowship begins are eligible to apply. International students are eligible to apply.
University Distinguished PhD Dissertation Award
Deadline: Monday, April 27, 2026
Each degree-granting program of the IU Graduate School Bloomington may nominate one truly outstanding Ph.D. dissertation for consideration.
In addition to recognizing outstanding Ph.D. Dissertations, the University Distinguished Ph.D. The Dissertation Award competition is also to solicit competitive applicants for nomination to the CGS (Council of Graduate Schools)/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award.
Note: To be eligible for the CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, all nominated dissertations must be in the ProQuest database by the deadline.
The broad fields of competition are based on the CGS/ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award. For 2026, the fields are Social Sciences and Mathematics, Physical Sciences, and Engineering.
For more information about eligibility, requirements, and award details, please visit our website.
Nominate a Peer
Know someone doing meaningful, inspiring work? Nominate a peer, faculty, staff or student to be featured in an upcoming newsletter! We’re looking to highlight individuals who are making an impact, big or small, through their work, leadership, or community involvement. Help us share their story and celebrate the great things happening in our community. Submit your nomination today!
Graduation Deadlines
For many, graduation is just around the corner. Keep up with important deadlines!
