CSGrad4US @ Grad Cohort for IDEALS 23'

CRA-WP and CRA-E recently celebrated the first inaugural CSGrad4US fellows at the 2023 Grad Cohort for IDEALS Workshop in Honolulu, HI. The event brought together the fellows, coaches, and program leaders, who networked and congratulated each other on their progress in their PhD programs. The 16 fellows, who had completed their first semester of graduate school, were treated to a community-building retreat aimed at enhancing their mental health and professional development.

The workshop offered a range of informative sessions that focused on helping the fellows prepare for the rigors of graduate school. Topics included how to prepare a thesis, balancing graduate school and personal life, finding an advisor and working with them effectively, and many more! By attending the workshop with their CSGrad4US cohort, the fellows had the opportunity to establish connections and get to know each other better.

The event also provided an opportunity for fellows, coaches, and program leaders, to participate in interviews about their experiences with the program. So far, the fellowship and mentoring program has transformed the lives of over 100 participants. The CSGrad4US Fellowship and Mentoring Program is working to increase the number of domestic PhDs in the U.S. by providing graduates who went to industry an opportunity to go back to graduate school. After being selected for the fellowship by the National Science Foundation, awardees are invited to participate in CRA-WP and CRA-E’s CSGrad4US Mentoring program. The Mentoring program offers guidance on how to prepare graduate school applications and materials, choose an advisor, and select the right institution. Participants are assigned a mentor who works with them one-on-one over 12 weeks to prepare their materials.

If you are an industry professional considering returning to graduate school and are worried you don’t have the research experience, don’t be discouraged! Fellow Jina Yoon stated in her interview “My mentor explained to me that the different experiences I had were actually what PhD programs were looking for and she uplifted me, gave me confidence that I could actually get into these programs.” You will not undertake this journey alone.

The 2023 fellowship application is open now until June 5, 2023. Follow the link to find out more about this amazing program: https://cra.org/csgrad4us/