Weekly Digest Dec. 1

To Graduate Students, Graduate Support Staff, & Directors of Graduate Education | Week of December 1, 2025

Here are the key updates and deadlines from the Graduate College. For more details, follow the links provided.

🗓️ Action Items & Deadlines

For Spring 2026 Graduates – Upcoming Deadlines

• ALL master’s and graduate certificate students must have your academic plan fully approved in Workday no later than December 19, 2025, to schedule a final oral defense or graduate Spring 2026.  Submit your academic plan early for routing and approval to meet the December 19 deadline and remain on track for spring graduation!  Once submitted, it is your responsibility to track the routing process to confirm that your academic plan is approved by the December 19 deadline.   

For Fall 2026 Graduates – Upcoming Deadlines

• December 2

  • Students submit Graduate Student Approval form. This form is required and must be received by the Graduate College before we can review or approve your dissertation, thesis, or creative component. Students, it is your responsibility to track the routing process after you submit this form to verify that this deadline is met. You can monitor the routing process from your student profile in Workday, My Tasks Archive. 

  • All incompletes, non-reports, and F grades from past terms must be resolved. Students, check your transcripts and work with your instructors to resolve any issues with grades!
  • The student’s major professor must notify the Graduate College that conditions have been met, if a student had received a conditional pass on the final oral exam.

• December 4

  • Upload and submit your final dissertation or thesis to ProQuest. Before uploading and submitting to ProQuest, review the Format Self-Check Checklist.
  • Upload and submit your final creative component to the ISU Digital Repository. Follow the instructions to upload and submit.

• Final clearance of academic requirements will be made after fall semester grades have been posted to transcripts, reviewed, and evaluated by the Graduate College.

🧰 Resources & Reminders

• Graduate Engagement and Leadership Committee (GELC) Nomination is now open through December 31, 2025. Graduate students seeking a leadership opportunity can request any faculty, staff, or postdoc to nominate them. ➡️ Nomination Link

• Career Conversations: Join us on Tuesday, December 2, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. for an engaging workshop "Interview Preparation & Etiquette" where you will learn how to confidently navigate interviews, from answering challenging questions to demonstrating professionalism and proper etiquette. This workshop will help you make a strong, lasting impression on potential employers. ➡️ Webex Link

• Individual Career Consultations: Graduate students are encouraged to schedule an appointment with the Graduate Career Coaches for personalized support. Whether you're exploring career options, crafting your resume or CV, preparing other job application materials, or seeking guidance on job search strategies, our team is here to help. Visit the Graduate Career Services website to learn more and book your appointment.

🤝 Partners

• Styled For Success: December 5, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. 140 Parks Library. Stop by to get FREE haircuts, resume reviews, business attire, headshots, campus employment support, Career Fair and job search readiness, and much more. ➡️ More Info

• Careers in Patents for Engineers and Scientists: December 5, 11 a.m. - noon. Students with a degree in engineering, computer sciences, or the hard sciences can take the US Patent Office’s registration exam to become a patent agent. Join Practicing Law Institute (PLI) for a presentation about careers for patent agents, the degrees, qualities and skills employers look for, and the latest info on the Patent Office’s registration exam. ➡️ Register Here

• 2026 Food Resilience Fellows Program – Apply by Jan. 16
  Applications are open for the 2026 Food Resilience Fellows Program, a one-year fellowship supporting graduate students, postdocs, and early–mid career professionals interested in sustainable and resilient food systems. Fellows receive up to $1,200 in financial support, collaborate with USDA-NIFA project teams, and gain skills in leadership, team science, and proposal development. ➡️ Learn more and apply

• Sun Grant Program – Funding Opportunity for Graduate Students & Postdocs: The Sun Grant Program (North Central Region) is accepting applications for its 2026 Competitive Grants Program, supporting graduate students and postdoctoral researchers conducting work in biofuels, bioenergy, and biobased products under faculty mentorship.

  • Approximately $420,000 in total funding available

  • Up to $60,000 per project (7 projects anticipated)

  • Proposals due January 7, 2026

  • Project period: March 1 – September 30, 2026

• ➡️ View the full RFA and apply via InfoReady

• ➡️ Learn more about the Sun Grant Program

• I-RAISE (Iowa Research Administration Internship Student Experience): Applications are now open for the third cohort of I-RAISE, a year-long internship and career exploration program in research administration. The program is open to ISU graduate and undergraduate students from any major and includes a classroom bootcamp, a Summer 2026 internship at ISU research units/centers, and additional rotations through the 2026–27 academic year.

• Research administration is a fast-growing career pathway supporting research across higher education, government, and non-profits.

• ➡️ Applications due January 30, 2026 at 5 p.m.

• ➡️ Learn more, view info sessions (Dec. 5, Jan. 14, Jan. 21), and apply here

🏛 Graduate and Professional Student Senate (GPSS)

• GPSS is now accepting nominations for its annual awards, which recognize excellence in graduate teaching, research, and service, as well as the Dissertation Study Support Award for dissertation-related research expenses. The deadline for nominations is December 1, 2025.

• GPSS is also accepting funding requests from registered graduate student organizations, and graduate and professional students can apply for Professional Advancement Grants (PAG) to support conference travel on a monthly basis.

• For more information, please visit: Awards Information | Allocations | PAG Program

Questions? Contact the Graduate College at grad_college@iastate.edu or visit us at www.grad-college.iastate.edu