Have you ever dreamed of having the financial support to take advantage of a career development opportunity outside your current academic path? The UCSB Individualized Professional Skills (IPS) Program funds individualized professional development opportunities to support graduate students and postdoctoral scholars in their professional interests outside of the classroom.
The IPS Grant Program is now accepting applications for virtual professional development experiences for the 2020-2021 academic year at a limited capacity. Eligible graduate students and postdoctoral scholars are awarded up to $1000 to tailor their career paths by exploring professional development opportunities across different industries.
The program is a collaboration between the Professional Development Series at the Center for Science and Engineering Partnerships (CSEP); UCSB Innovation + Entrepreneurship; the Graduate Division; the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion; Career Services; UCSB's divisional deans; and external donors.
These valuable experiences help prepare participants for future career opportunities through networking and career exploration. This year, the program focuses on virtual opportunities, including certifications, workshops, training, conferences, industry trade shows, and job shadowing.
There are three critical components to the IPS Program:
- Pre- Experience: Create an Individual Development Plan (IDP) and review it with a mentor.
- Experience: Students pursue their chosen career or professional development opportunity.
- Post-Experience: Present a reflection in a written form and presentation and a quarterly IPS Info Session.
Through the IPS Experience Database, interested participants can learn more about individual experiences and valuable lessons from the students who participated in IPS-funded development programs over the years.
If interested, the IPS Program will be holding an info session on December 1 to learn more about the program and its resources. Students must have at least one quarter remaining in graduate degree or postdoc appointment to qualify for the program. Graduate students must be enrolled full-time and in good academic standing. All disciplines and students of any citizen status are encouraged to apply.