Awards and Fellowships

Awards and Fellowships

Snoeyenbos AwardSnoeyenbos awarded to Darya Tourzani

The prize was established in 1994 in honor of Professor Glenn Snoeyenbos who had been a member of the Department of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, by his family. The Snoeyenbos Award is to be awarded annually to honor an outstanding ABBS graduate student based upon the student’s grade point average, research progress, presentations at meetings and faculty recommendations. The recipient is selected by a faculty vote from nominated candidates. To nominate a candidate a letter is written by the student’s Major Professor and a copy of the student’s CV is circulated along with the nomination letter. All graduate faculty vote on the award recipient.

Frances and Chou-Chu Hong Fellowship

The Frances and Chou-Chu Hong Graduate Student Award in the Veterinary and Animal Sciences Department was established in 2014 by the Hongs' sons. The monetary award is for the academic year and will be awarded once a year.  Major Professors may nominate their students by sending an email with materials attached to the ABBS Administrative Assistant. The following is the criteria for judging by a selection committee:

  • A letter of recommendation from the Major Professor.
  • The student's CV that includes all authorships and meeting presentations as well as attendance and completion of specific technical or methodological trainings related to their studies.
  • A statement (1 paragraph) from the student about how they feel they have demonstrated ‘good citizenship' by participating in the Veterinary and Animal Science department and ABBS Graduate Program activities' which could include, among other activities, specific training of other graduate or undergraduates in the labs (for example for a specific technique or machine operation), organization of retreats, workshops, poster sessions, stewardship of a particular shared instrument/equipment, acting as a judge at undergraduate events, etc.

BTP Training Program

The objectives of the UMass Biotechnology Training Program are to:

  • Create a scholarly and social infrastructure to facilitate new and strengthen existing interdisciplinary networks at UMass, particularly those at the interface of engineering and the life sciences;
  • Educate students in the fundamentals of quantitative biotechnology through new lecture and laboratory courses;
  • Train students to appreciate the impact of biotechnology commercially through a tailored industrial internship and regular interactions with industrial personnel;
  • Provide students with opportunities to improve interdisciplinary communication, expand career opportunities, and sharpen professional skills; and
  • Increase the number of students, particularly those from underrepresented minority groups groups, who pursue careers in biotechnology.

Phi Kappa Phi Honor Society

Graduate students must have completed at least 18 graduate hours or the equivalent at their institution and rank in the top 10 percent of their class. Difficulty of courses taken is also considered. The selection is made by the GPD.

Travel Grant

Students planning to present a poster or give a talk at a conference or workshop are awarded a travel grant based on seniority. 

Office of National Scholarship Advisement

The Office of National Scholarship Advisement (ONSA) helps eligible students—including UMass Amherst undergraduates, graduate students, and alumni not currently attending another graduate school—find and apply for nationally competitive scholarships and fellowships. ONSA provides free advice and professional guidance throughout the application process and offers informational events, writing workshops, and other assistance during the year.

A graduate student may transfer to another lab within the graduate program contingent on another faculty member within the program taking over mentorship of, and economic responsibility for, the graduate student; all data collected by that graduate student prior to the move would remain the property of the lab from which the student is transferring.

Graduate Fellowship Award Notification Form

If you have received a fellowship for 2022-23, congratulations! If your fellowship comes from an external (non-UMass) source you must notify the Graduate School. Completing this form is a necessary first step in order to ensure you do not lose access to adobe software and for you to be considered for supplemental support for fees or health insurance costs your fellowship may not cover.

Please submit this form as soon as possible after you accept an external fellowship. If you have received more than one external fellowship for 2022-23 please complete one form for each fellowship.

If you have questions on this form please contact hbauerclapp [at] umass.edu (Heidi Bauer-Clapp) in the Graduate School.