Funding
Understanding the challenges that funding your education presents, we work with you to make your program as affordable as possible. Our students are typically supported by a combination of research assistantships (RAs), teaching assistantships (TAs), as well as fellowships, student loans, and outside employment. To identify the best sources of financial support, we encourage you to review each funding source below.
Research assistantships (RAs) provide funding for a significant number of both new and continuing students. As is the case with funding in general, a higher percentage of PhD students will be supported through RA positions than Master’s students. Most students who secure RA positions find them through faculty within the Department of Epidemiology. However, some of our students have had success securing RA positions in other departments at the School of Public Health. For instance, the START Center, housed in the Department of Global Health, hires 3-5 new Epi students as RA’s each year. Some students find positions across the University outside of the School of Public Health, and outside the UW at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children’s Hospital. We encourage you to explore those possibilities and are happy to help you make those connections if possible.
Teaching Assistantships, particularly those associated with graduate level courses, are matched primarily to PhD students in their second year or beyond. The growing number of undergraduate courses being offered in the Department of Epidemiology have begun to expand TA opportunities for all our students. All open-hire opportunities for TA positions in the department are broadcast to students on a quarterly basis, and will also be posted at the “Find a TA Position” link below as they become available. Some students have had success finding TA positions in non-SPH departments such as Biology and Statistics. We encourage you to explore those possibilities and are happy to help you make those connections if possible.
The Epidemiology Department houses several training grants that offer fellowship positions for PhD students and postdoctoral students. Additionally, the School of Public Health job listings include fellowship opportunities available across the university as well as opportunities outside the UW.
The UW Graduate Funding Information Service (GFIS) will work with you once you officially enroll at the UW, helping you to identify and locate funding opportunities for graduate school-related expenses including tuition, research, conference, and research travel. You can visit GFIS during drop-in advising hours, schedule individual appointments, or request information by email.
Visit the GFIS Funding Resources Guide and blog to learn more.
The goal of NIH Diversity Supplements is to increase diversity in the research workforce by providing training, mentorship and career development opportunities to individuals who are underrepresented in biomedical, behavioral, clinical, social and basic sciences research. The UW School of Public Health (SPH) Diversity Supplement page contains resources to help you be successful in applying for these supplements.