Opportunities

MnDRIVE PhD Graduate Assistantship Program

The University of Minnesota Informatics Institute MnDRIVE Graduate Assistantship program supports UMN PhD candidates pursuing research at the intersection of informatics and any of the five MnDRIVE areas: Robotics, Sensors and Advanced Manufacturing; Global Food Ventures; Advancing Industry, Conserving Our Environment; Discoveries and Treatments for Brain Conditions; and Cancer Clinical Trials. A detailed program description of this year's program can be found on the UMII Research Funding Portal.

Application Deadline and Submission Details

The application period for this program opens in early August each year, and the deadline for completed applications is October 1 at 5:00pm CT each year. Awards are announced by the end of the calendar year. To submit an application and see detailed application instructions, see the MnDRIVE-UMII Informatics PhD Graduate Assistantship Program description on the UMII Research Funding Portal page. Note: To submit an application, you must log in with your UMN credentials (preferred) by selecting “UMN Login” from the Login dropdown, or create a SM Apply account.

Please email questions regarding the program to Sarah Landwehr at landw020@umn.edu


MnDRIVE Graduate Scholars

Apply now for several MnDRIVE (Robotics, Sensors, and Advanced Manufacturing) GRADUATE ASSISTANTSHIPS with emphasis on outreach activities (mentorship for robotics teams, technology camps, etc.).

Position Details

  • MnDRIVE's objective is to create excitement about science and engineering with an emphasis on robotics, sensing, and manufacturing. We do this through outreach to schools and other relevant groups, in order to provide broader access to STEM before post-secondary education.
  • Graduate students with energy and ideas for outreach activities are encouraged to apply. You will be assisting and guiding these outreach activities, as well as working with participants to provide the best experience possible. Priority will be given to those who will graduate after the 2022 calendar year.
  • The maximum award will be at the level of a 25% graduate assistantship and will be awarded to graduate students from the University of Minnesota.

Application Submission

  • A transcript (including overall GPA), a 2-page curriculum vitae with contact information, and a 1-page description of the applicant's outreach ideas are required. Please submit the information as a single PDF file to Char Psihos (psiho002@umn.edu). In addition, please arrange for one recommendation letter to be sent directly to the same email address. For more information, visit mndrive.umn.edu.