Graduate Pathway for Scholars

About the Graduate Pathway for Scholars Program

The Graduate Pathway for Scholars (GPS) program aims to recruit and retain exceptional UAlbany graduate students as faculty members at the University.

The program was spearheaded in 2024 by three College of Arts & Sciences faculty members associated with the RNA Institute — Distinguished Professor Marlene Belfort, Associate Professor Cara Pager and Professor Emerita Rabi Ann Musah — to accomplish two important goals:

Fill open faculty positions with talented candidates
Provide mentorship and other support to early career scholars

The Graduate Pathway for Scholars program aims to bring scholars who receive their PhDs at UAlbany back as faculty members after completing their postdoctoral training at other institutions.

A researcher in a gray surgical mask, purple nitrile gloves and a navy blue lab coat works with samples inside a biology lab.

How the GPS Program Works

Every fall semester, current UAlbany PhD candidates in the Department of Biological Sciences, the Department of Chemistry, and the Department of Atmospheric and Environmental Sciences are invited to apply to the GPS program.

Efforts are currently underway to open the program to all science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) departments at UAlbany in 2027.

Applicants must provide a letter of support from their graduate advisor, endorsed by their department chair, explaining their potential and commitment to becoming a faculty member after completing postdoctoral training.

A committee reviews all applications and selects that year’s GPS Fellows, as well as Honorary Mentions.

Each member of the cohort receives a monetary award, mentorship, networking and experiential learning opportunities, and other development support to help them prepare for postdoctoral training.

They also present their research at a UAlbany seminar focusing on how to strengthen the academic workforce through collaboration, mentorship and innovation.

Note: Fellows receive a larger monetary award than Honorary Mentions, and the cohort size is based on that year’s funding availability. Applicants selected as Honorary Mentions are eligible to reapply for the full fellowship again next year.

After graduation, past GPS Fellows are invited back to UAlbany for networking opportunities with the current cohort and faculty to foster a sense of community and strengthen their connections with the University.