FAQs

A. All graduate students accepted into the UM BRIDGES program are considered "trainees" and participate in the traineeship. All trainees will be eligible for funds to support travel to research sites, professional meetings, and internships, including for international travel. Travel funds will also be available to support participation in retreats and field trips and for research-related supplies. 

Many graduate programs at UM seek to provide some form of cost-of-living support for graduate students, and all prospective graduate students are encouraged to contact potential faculty advisors early and discuss graduate funding resources and opportunities. Some trainees will be offered one of the limited number of fellowships from the UM BRIDGES program to support their graduate studies. 

A.No. Trainees are not required to have a UM BRIDGES faculty member as their graduate advisor. Their advisor must support their application to UM BRIDGES, however. 

Only faculty affiliated with the UM BRIDGES program have the potential to offer trainees one of the limited number of fellowships that provides cost-of-living and tuition support. Non-BRIDGES faculty may also offer trainees funding to support their graduate studies. All prospective graduate students are encouraged to contact potential faculty advisors early and discuss graduate funding resources and opportunities.

A.No. Trainees are not required to have a UM BRIDGES faculty member as their graduate advisor. However, only faculty affiliated with the UM BRIDGES program have the potential to offer trainees one of the limited number of fellowships that provides cost-of-living and tuition support.

UM Faculty in STEM disciplines interested in becoming affiliated with UM BRIDGES should contact the Program Coordinator.

A. No. All graduate students in a STEM discipline are welcome to apply. However, only US citizens can be offered one of the limited number of fellowships that provide stipend support for trainees. See the Admissions Page for more information.

A. Yes, if you are applying to start the traineeship in the fall and by the second year of your graduate studies. However, only incoming masters students are eligible for one of the limited number of fellowships that provide stipend support for trainees. Second year masters students new to the BRIDGES program are not eligible for a fellowship. See the Admissions Page for more information.

A. No. UM BRIDGES is a traineeship, not a degree-granting program. All trainees must be enrolled in a home department, and they must meet all requirements of their home department in addition to participating in the UM BRIDGES training program, although the UM BRIDGES program is designed to not substantially extend time to graduation.

Students interested in the UM BRIDGES traineeship must first apply to a specific graduate degree program through the UM Graduate School application process. Generally, this begins by contacting a specific UM department or faculty member with whom you are interested in studying.

See the Admissions Page for more information.

A. STEM stands for "Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math" and includes biological, physical, social, and computer sciences, as well as economics, engineering, and math. STEM graduate programs at UM include Geosciences, Economics, Resource Conservation, Wildlife Biology, Environmental Studies, Systems Ecology, Forest and Conservation Sciences, Forestry, Computer Science, Biology, Geography, and Parks, Tourism, and Recreation Management, among others.

A. Yes. All trainees are eligible for support to help cover some costs, such as travel and research.

Some trainees may be awarded fellowships that provide a cost-of-living stipend and tuition waiver (support for one year for M.S. trainees, two years for Ph.D. trainees). However, different faculty advisors will have differing resources to offer their graduate students, and may be able to fund students outside, or beyond, the fellowship. All prospective graduate students are encouraged to contact potential faculty advisors early and discuss graduate funding resources and opportunities.

A. Native American, Alaskan Native, and Native Hawaiian students are eligible for additional support through the Sloan Indigenous Graduate Partnership. Many UM BRIDGES faculty are part of the indigenous mentoring program developed by PNW-COSMOS. The University of Montana was recently identified as a top university for Native students.

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