Frank B. Martin CUMREC Graduate Fellowship

About the Fellowship

The Frank B. Martin CUMREC Graduate Fellowship, established in 2005 by the CUMREC Board of Directors, aims to promote the development of higher education professionals and the transformation of education through information technologies. It is intended to benefit candidates from a broad range of graduate education paths that offer areas of specialization, focus, and concentration in information and computing technologies. The goal of the CUMREC fellowship is to increase the number of graduate students pursuing careers in Information Technology, preferably in higher education administrative computing. CUMREC recipients are nominated by the college.

Eligibility & Nomination

• Open to students enrolled in all graduate colleges and departments at Michigan State University.
• Departments, programs, and colleges may nominate students whom they have admitted for a doctoral program for 2026, whom they are also nominating for a University Distinguished Fellowship.
• Students with career goals of working as information technology builders, infrastructure support specialists, IT managers, and administrative process functional leaders are encouraged, regardless of educational path.
• The Graduate School solicits nominations not only from Information Technology (IT)-related colleges, but also from 'non-IT' colleges that offer IT-related courses of study.
• Ideal candidates will have career plans in higher education.
• Students who are nominated for University Distinguished Fellowship can also be nominated for the CUMREC, and students may accept the awards concurrently.

Nomination Process

• Colleges will nominate doctoral students for the CUMREC within Slate at the same time they are nominated for the University Distinguished Fellowships.
• Follow the University Distinguished Fellowship nomination format when submitting materials.
• One CUMREC award will be made by the Graduate School.
• Before the award letter is sent to the student, the Graduate School will require a copy of the college/department fellowship award letter or TA, RA or TE offer.

Selection Criteria

• Demonstrate excellent academic accomplishments, especially considering their life experiences and available educational and professional opportunities.
• Exhibit impactful leadership within their disciplines, communities of practice, volunteer efforts, or professional activities.
• May have overcome significant obstacles such as financial hardship and other challenges.
• Show the potential to contribute positively to a diverse educational community, as evidenced in research goals, scholarship, professional experience, and/or outreach and engagement activities.

Pay

• Frank B. Martin CUMREC Fellowship recipient(s) beginning study in 2026-2027 will receive a one-time fellowship award in the fall semester of $3000-$5000, depending on the anticipated availability of funds in the endowment spending account.
• To receive the award, students must also receive a college or department fellowship or an equivalent teaching or research assistantship.