Graduate Computing Scholars

2026–2027 School of Computing Graduate Scholars Program 

Overview 

The University of Wyoming School of Computing (SoC) is pleased to invite applications for the 2026 – 2027 Graduate Scholars Program. This program supports graduate students from across the university whose research, creative activity, or professional development incorporates computing, artificial intelligence, data science, digital humanities, informatics, modeling and simulation, digital scholarship, or other computing-related approaches. 

The School of Computing's mission is to serve as a computational hub for the University of Wyoming by supporting computing research, learning, and engagement across disciplines. Graduate Scholars are students who demonstrate strong potential to advance computing within their fields and to strengthen interdisciplinary connections across campus. 

Up to nine Graduate Scholar awards of $5,000 each will be awarded. 

Award 

Award recipients will receive $5,000 in supplemental funding, administered through their GRA stipend and paid in equal amounts during the academic year. This will be processed through payroll and is subject to federal, state, and employment tax withholding. 

Funds are intended to be used to support a wide variety of research-related needs, including conference travel, publication fees, equipment purchases, software, summer support, data collection, training opportunities, and other activities that advance the scholar's work. 

Eligibility 

Applicants must: 

• Be enrolled and in good standing in a University of Wyoming master's or doctoral program. 

• Be pursuing research, scholarship, creative activity, or professional development that aligns with the interests and mission of the School of Computing to equip students, faculty, and staff with computational tools and approaches to drive discovery and economic development.  

• Demonstrate either: 

• a meaningful computing component within their current work, or 

• a clear plan to develop computing skills that will advance their research, scholarship, or professional goals. 

Students from all academic disciplines outside the School of Computing are encouraged to apply. Applications are welcomed from students with advanced computing expertise as well as students who are beginning to integrate computing into their work. 

To ensure broad participation across campus, awards will be distributed across both STEM and non-STEM disciplines. Final award distributions will depend on the applicant pool and proposal quality. 

Scholar Expectations 

Graduate Scholars are expected to: 

• Use the award to advance the project, activity, or skill development described in their application. 

• Acknowledge support from the University of Wyoming School of Computing in presentations, conference proceedings, publications, exhibits, performances, or other scholarly products that result from the funded work. 

• Submit a one-page final report describing how the funds were used and the outcomes supported by the award. 

No regular meetings or service commitments are required. 

Application Requirements 

Applications must include: 

Project Statement (maximum two pages) 

The proposal should describe: 

• The applicant's project, research area, or professional development goal. 

• The role of computing in the work, or how the applicant plans to develop computing-related skills. 

• The anticipated outcomes or impacts of the proposed activities. 

• How the Graduate Scholar award would support progress toward those goals. 

Proposals should be written for a broad interdisciplinary audience and avoid excessive discipline-specific jargon. 

Curriculum Vitae 

Upload a current CV highlighting academic achievements, research experience, publications, presentations, creative activities, and other relevant accomplishments. 

Faculty Reference 

Provide the name and contact information of one University of Wyoming faculty member who can comment on the applicant's potential for success. 

Selection Criteria 

Applications will be evaluated by an interdisciplinary review committee using the following criteria: 

• Quality and clarity of the proposed activities. 

• Relevance to computing, computational thinking, or computing skill development. 

• Potential impact on the applicant's research, scholarship, creative work, or professional growth. 

• Contribution to disciplinary diversity and the School of Computing's mission of supporting computing across campus. 

Funding decisions will also consider disciplinary representation and the goal of supporting scholars from a broad range of STEM and non-STEM fields. 

Important Dates 

• Call for Proposals: June 2026 

• Proposal Deadline: August 14, 2026 

• Award Notification: August 28, 2026 

• Deadline for Expenditure of Funds: June 30, 2027 

Questions 

Please direct questions to the Raya Hegeman-Davis at Rhegema1@uwyo.edu.