COGS Awards

2008 Travel Award Recipients (in no particular order):
Zhen Wang (Political Science)
Catherine Kelly (Education)
Debarchana Ghosh (Geography)
Lynne Baker (Conservation Biology)
Fernando Herrera Calderón (History)
William Daddario (Theatre)
Leah Domine (Ecology, Evolution & Behaviour)
Julia Rauchfuss (Geography)

2008 Leadership Award Recipients:
Noelle Noonan - Winner (Music)
Isaac Kamola - Honorable Mention (Political Science)
Robyn Skrebes - Honorable Mention (Public Policy)

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Travel Awards
Leadership Awards

There are two kinds of COGS awards for graduate students, Travel & Education Awards and the Leadership Awards. Last spring there were over 100 applications for the travel awards. Awards are for travel between September 1, 2007-August 31, 2008 only. For travel before the applications are due, save your expense receipts and apply for the Travel Award as a reimbursement in the spring. The travel award application is due on Friday, February 29, 2008. The travel award recipients will be announced to the applicant by Tuesday, April 1, 2008 and will be presented at the COGS General Assembly meeting on April 24, 2008.

The leadership award application due date has been extended, applications are due by Friday, March 28, 2008. The Leadership AwardWinner will be announced to the nominee by Monday April 21st and will be presented at the COGS General Assembly meeting on April 24, 2008.

Travel & Education Awards

Applications due date: 5:00 pm, Friday, February 29, 2008 (Leap Day)
Download the application in PDF or Word format.

COGS gives Travel & Education awards every year to graduate students at the University of Minnesota. In order to qualify, an applicant must satisfy the following requirements:

• Students must be enrolled in a Ph.D. or Masters program and be registered for at least one (1) credit at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities campus
• Students must be in good standing with their university department at the time of application
• For travel, students must travel a minimum of 1.5 hours and a minimum of one night's stay at their destination.
• Conference travel assistance: student must have a signed letter from their advisor or DGS stating that they will be participating in the meeting/workshop via submission of a poster, or oral presentation, or present their work in any form acceptable by their department.
• Educational programs: These programs may include field research sites, language or artifact/archival research, or any research or education courses not offered at the twin cities campus required for their degree program. Student must have a signed letter from their advisor or DGS stating that their research requires them to travel to the location and will be participating in research applicable to their degree program.
• Applications and all supporting documents, including the letter from your advisor/DGS, must be submitted together as a single packet to the COGS email or office. Incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Awards are for travel between September 1, 2007 - August 31, 2008 only.
• Applications are generally judged by the persuasiveness of the writing (emphasis on writing, consideration of additional supporting documents), impact of the trip on their personal goals, preparation for the experience, uniqueness and importance of this particular experience, and a reasonable justification of expenses, including an effort to obtain other funding. Click here for a sample rubric.

Any questions or comments about the awards can be emailed to cogs@umn.edu.

Nominees will receive consideration without discrimination of race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, marital status, public assistance status, or sexual orientation.

Leadership Awards

*DUE DATE HAS BEEN EXTENDED*
Nominations due date: 5:00 pm, Friday, March 28, 2008
Download the application in PDF or Word format.

Since 1996, COGS has presented an annual student leadership award recognizing the recipient's leadership and service on behalf of their fellow graduate students, the University and broader communities. Students may (and are encouraged to) nominate themselves. The recipient receives a $250 award check, a COGS water bottle, and Certificate of Award. These items of recognition will be presented to the award recipients at the COGS General Assembly meeting on April 24, 2008.

Eligibility Requirements

• Candidates must be graduate students at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Campus and be in good standing in their program.
• Candidates cannot be current COGS Executive Officers; including the immediate Past President.

Evaluation of Nominees

• Nominees will be judged on the quality of their leadership and the extent to which they have made significant contributions to the University Community in the current academic year, 2007-2008. This information must be identified and explained in the nomination letter. Consideration of personal knowledge of the nominee's contributions is permitted in deliberations of the selection committee.
• All nomination letters must conform to the Nomination Letter Rules (see below) or they will be returned to the nominator.
• The selection committee shall consist of no less than three current COGS Executive Officers.

Nomination Letter Rules

• To be considered, the nomination letter must be received by the COGS Office, by 5:00 pm, Friday, March 28, 2008.
• Nomination letters may be submitted via email, campus mail, US mail, or in person (see address below)
• The nomination letter must not exceed three (3) single spaced pages.
• All nomination letters must be type written. No hand written nominations will be accepted.
• The name of the nominee and nominator must appear on every page of the letter.
• Students may (and are encouraged to) nominate themselves.
• If a nominator submits more than one nomination letter, each nomination letter must be unique to the individual nominee.

Due date for 2007-08 school year:
Friday, March 28, 2008, 5:00 pm

Nomination letters are to be sent to:

Council of Graduate Students
Attention: Leadership Award
405 Johnston Hall
101 Pleasant Street SE
Minneapolis, MN. 55455
Phone: 612-626-1612
Or Email: cogs@umn.edu

Any questions or comments about the awards can be emailed to cogs@umn.edu.

Nominees will receive consideration without discrimination of race, creed, color, sex, age, national origin, disability, veteran status, marital status, public assistance status, or sexual orientation.