plan ii thesis grant

Thesis Grants

Thesis grants are available to Plan II students who are   currently enrolled in a two-semester honors thesis course (TC 660HA and 660HB, or a two-semester departmental honors thesis course) . Grants are to support travel for thesis research or related research costs. Students must have a faculty supervisor who is directly overseeing their thesis research.

If you are seeking financial assistance for academic travel NOT related to your senior thesis, you should apply for a  Plan II Travel Grant  instead. Any travel that IS directly related to your thesis project should be submitted as a Thesis Grant application.  Please do not submit both applications for the same travel proposal.

When requesting a thesis grant please be specific, concrete, and as detailed as possible. You need to give us a clear idea what you are going to do and how the money will contribute to the success of your project in a measurable way. If you need to go to a specific library in France, for example, please let us know which books are there that you cannot find here, which library holds them, and what difference to your project they will make. If you need money to produce a video or follow through with a laboratory project, give us a clear indication of costs. If you are traveling to various places to conduct interviews, let us understand why you cannot simply interview people over the phone.

Moreover, you need to be clear about what you can actually accomplish. If you are thinking of going to a specific library to consult a collection, for example, you need to consider what you can reasonably expect to get done in the time you have. Our aim is simply to help you succeed in the project. Your application should show us how we can do that.

NOTE:  A statement of support (no more than a short paragraph is necessary) from your thesis supervisor is required with your Plan II Thesis Grant Application if you are requesting $500 or more . The statement is intended to verify that your supervisor believes your proposed research/travel plans are necessary to complete your thesis project.  An email statement of support from your supervisor sent to  [email protected]  is perfectly acceptable. Faculty statements of support must be received by the thesis grant application deadline.

WHEN TO APPLY:    Students should apply when enrolled in the fall semester of the Plan II Honors or departmental honors thesis course.   Students enrolled in a spring-fall thesis course may apply in the spring semester.

NOTE:  Thesis Grants are not intended to cover the entire cost of your proposed travel or project. Only one type of grant will be awarded per student, per travel program or project.

SPECIAL NOTE - RESTRICTED TRAVEL:  The University of Texas System requires all travel to countries with U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings to be reviewed and approved by the University's International Oversight Committee (IOC).  Students wanting to travel to restricted regions category 1-4  must complete a Student  Request toTravel to Restricted Regions form . We  strongly  advise students to complete this form  during  the program application process.  Waiting  to complete the petition process  could result  in a student not receiving a travel clearance or  denial  in time for departure.

AMOUNT:   Awards typically range from $250 to $1,500.

In most cases, Plan II will pay only part of the costs of your research. You must therefore seek funds from other sources as well, but your Plan II application must show all of your expenses for your project.

HOW TO APPLY:   Apply using the College of Liberal Arts  Online Scholarship Portal . 

• If you have not used the system before, you will have to complete a one-time profile.  Then you will see a list of scholarships for which you are eligible to apply.
• Look for the scholarship titled, "Plan II Thesis Grant"

Thesis Grants

Thesis grant application.

The Spring 2024 application for thesis grants is open and will close on March 31st. Thesis grants are available to Plan II students who are future-registered for or  currently enrolled in an honors thesis course (T C 660HA, 660HB, or 359T, or a departmental honors thesis course) . Grants are meant to support travel for thesis research or other research-related costs, which can take place the summer or winter break prior to taking T C 660HA. Applicants must have a confirmed faculty supervisor who will directly oversee their thesis research .  Please note these funds will be processed in April and May. PLEASE NOTE: Thesis awards involving travel will be subject to any University COVID-19 travel restrictions.

• APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS
• WHEN TO APPLY
• ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

HOW TO APPLY

Apply using the College of Liberal Arts Online Scholarship Portal . 

• If you have not used the system before, you will have to complete a one-time profile. After that, you will see a list of scholarships for which you are eligible to apply.
• Look for the scholarship titled, " Plan II Thesis Grant - Spring 2024 "
• Submit your application by 11:59 PM on March 31, 2024.

ADDITIONAL GUIDELINES ( please read before submitting an application)

 In your thesis grant application:

• Be as specific, concrete, and as detailed as possible .
• For example:  If you need to go to a specific library abroad, let us know which materials or sources you will examine, which archive or collection holds them, and how they are vital to your project. If you need money to produce a video or follow through with a laboratory project, give us a clear indication of costs. If you are traveling to various places to conduct interviews, help us understand why in-person interviews are necessary or ideal.
• Be clear about what you can actually accomplish. If you are thinking of going to a specific collection, for example, consider what you can reasonably expect to get done in the time you have. 

Requests over $500 require a statement of support from your primary thesis supervisor . The statement should verify that your proposed research/travel plans are vital to your thesis project. An emailed statement of support from your supervisor should be sent to  [email protected] . A hard copy can also be submitted to the Plan II Office. Faculty statements of support must be received by the thesis grant application deadline. 

Our aim is to help you succeed in the project while supporting as many Plan II students on their research as possible. Your application should show us how we can make a concrete difference for you. 

Thesis grants are intended to support students currently completing thesis research. Grants can support research-related travel, materials (e.g., for a creative or laboratory project), and other costs directly related to the completion of your thesis project. 

If you are seeking financial assistance for academic travel NOT related to your senior thesis, please apply for a  Plan II Travel Grant  instead. Any travel that IS directly related to your thesis project should be submitted as a Thesis Grant application.  Please do not submit both applications for the same travel proposal. 

NOTE: Thesis Grants are not intended to cover the entire cost of your proposed travel or project. Only one type of grant will be awarded per student, travel program, or project.

WHEN TO APPLY:

Students should apply when they have registered for or are enrolled in the first or second semester of the Plan II Honors or departmental honors thesis sequence. Please note: grants can be awarded for thesis research or thesis-related travel to be completed the summer or winter  before  beginning a thesis course sequence. Please reach out to [email protected] for any questions.

AMOUNT: 

Awards typically range from $250 to $1,000, depending on financial need and total research costs.

In most cases, Plan II will pay only part of the costs of your research, but your Plan II application should outline all of your expenses for the project. Be sure to seek funds from other sources as well.

RESTRICTED TRAVEL:

The University of Texas System requires all travel to countries with U.S. Department of State Travel Warnings to be reviewed and approved by the University's International Oversight Committee (IOC). Students wanting to travel to restricted regions  must obtain Restricted Region Travel Approval to receive funding. We strongly advise students to complete this form during the program application process. Waiting to complete the petition process could result in a student not receiving a travel clearance or denial in time for departure. 

INDEPENDENT TRAVEL:

Students who are traveling abroad independently will be required to register their travel with the International Office to receive funding.

Plan II Thesis Team

Contact the Plan II Directors (Dr Faria and Osbakken) regarding thesis topic approval ("part one" of pre-registration), research & writing guidance, and any thesis committee concerns.

Contact your Thesis Course Instructor (Dominica Whitesell) regarding course assignments and attendance.

Contact your Plan II Academic Advising Coordinators regarding course registration, graduation, incompletes, and other thesis concerns. 

Dr. Stephanie Osbakken, Associate Director

Meet to discuss your thesis ideas and gain topic approval.

Dr. Caroline Faria, Associate Director

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Dominica Whitesell Course Instructor

Once you are in TC 660 HA or HB, reach out to Dominica with any course-related questions.

Plan II Advising

Contact by email: [email protected] Reach out if you have questions about registering for the thesis classes TC 660 HA or HB.

Thesis Resources

Thesis preparation process: .

The registration process for T C 660HA begins  THE SEMESTER BEFORE  you intend to start working on your thesis. In order to register, you MUST secure topic approval in the semester prior. 

To complete a non-Plan II Departmental Thesis, you will go through a different process. Read more about that below.

  Step 1: Planning ahead

• Read through the Plan II Thesis Manual and begin to formulate a general idea for your thesis topic.
• Meet with Drs Osbakken or Faria to talk over your ideas and to receive topic approval.

Step 2: Submitting your thesis approval form

• Secure a full thesis committee. This includes a first reader/supervisor + second reader. 
• Complete this Plan II Thesis Form . 
• Your advising team will receive an email notification that they have committed to work with you on your project. Plan II will pre-approve you for registration in TC 660 HA.

Thesis Resources:

• Plan II Thesis Manual
• Plan II Thesis Library Guide
• Texas ScholarWorks Collections
• Past Thesis Symposia
• Ask a Librarian (UT Libraries)
• Liaison Librarians at UT  (find the Plan II specialist here)
• Stats support  (from the SDS - primarily staff and faculty but may have useful resources)
• Geospatial/ GIS, quantitative and Spatial Coding support  (from the PCL)

Advising in Plan II

Advisors for Plan II students are supported by a comprehensive two-course thesis sequence known as TC 660 HA and HB. This is a three-credit class that meets most weeks, and across two semesters. The classes integrate a series of mini-assignments, which are designed to support students ongoing and low stakes writing and research. They cover the full scope of the research design, implementation, and write-up process. Given the wide range of student disciplinary foci and research topics, this class sequence provides a strong overview of the undergrad research process. However, faculty advisors will provide the specialist advising expertise tied to specific disciplinary norms, research practice, and/or the relevant creative process (for creative thesis students).  For potential first readers/ supervisors, please see the Plan II thesis manual (above) for a detailed overview of the thesis form, process, and expectations.

Briefly, you can expect the scope of labor for an advising role in Plan II to look like the following:

• The period of advising is two full semesters (Fall-Spring or Spring-Fall). The first reader will be the "instructor of record" for the TC 660 HA and HB sequence (i.e they will see these classes on their grade submission pages). However, the courses are designed, administered, and taught by Plan II thesis directors and the course instructor. 
• The first and second readers receive about four substantive emails a semester from Plan II, sharing updates on the thesis process and important upcoming deadlines and requirements.
• Students typically meet with their first reader/ supervisor about once every 2 weeks. They may meet at a time and place of their convenience. Second readers usually meet about once/ month. This kind of meeting schedule may vary, depending on the advising teams preference. However, there should be some sustained measure of ongoing engagement, dialog and revising work between the advisors and students over both semesters. Meetings may be in person or over Zoom.
• While advisees usually meet separately with their advisors, we recommend that first and second readers meet together, along with their advisee, at least once each semester.
• Advisors (and to a lesser degree) second readers will read and provide feedback on draft writing about 2-3 times during the semester.
• Advisors may need to act as the P.I. on IRB applications (requiring CITI training).
• Advisors and second readers are invited (but not required) to attend a coffee/ breakfast informational and appreciation session over the two-semester period.
• Advisors and second readers will collaborate to determine a grade recommendation  in each semester. Plan II thesis team makes any necessary amendments to the grade, based on course attendance and participation. Once the final grade has been determined by the Plan II team, Plan II submits the final grade to UT.
• In the second semester, advisors and second readers must conduct an advisee's "oral showcase" (formerly "oral defense") by the required deadline.
• Advisors and second readers are warmly encouraged, but not required, to attend their advisee's thesis symposium.
• Once the final thesis is complete, advisors and second readers will collaborate in determining recommendation for awards/ model thesis etc.
• In many cases advisors and second readers will sustain a relationship with advisees that continues long after the thesis project, and may include mentorship, letter of recomemndation writing, and sponsorship/ advocacy in future careers, graduate education/ training etc.

The Plan II Honors Thesis Database

Plan II began to digitize theses in 2007. The database is publically available via the Texas ScholarWorks repository from 2017. 

A selection of earlier theses have been scanned and added. It's searchable by author, title, keyword, etc. If you are a Plan II alum and you would like your thesis moved into the "Openly Available" Collection, please contact a Plan II Advisor. 

Research Funding & Awards

• Plan II Thesis Grant
• Liberal Arts Undergraduate Research Awards
• University Co-op/George H. Mitchell Undergraduate Student Awards
• Office of Undergraduate Research

IRB Guidance

• Walk-In Wednesday Virtual Advising: Zoom Link
• General Questions: [email protected]  
• Phone: 512.232.1543
• Website: IRB (Human Subjects Research)

*Departmental Thesis (non Plan II) Planning Forms

You may be interested in pursuing a departmental senior thesis instead of a Plan II thesis. We warmly welcome and encourage students to do so. This can be particularly useful if students are considering graduate level research in a particular field, or are already working with faculty advisors in their labs.

If you would like to consider this option, please:

1. Meet with one of the Plan II Associate Directors (see above). Together we can determine whether your chosen thesis program is equivalent to the Plan II thesis and approved as an alternative.

2. Once Plan II approves, please complete the departmental form below. Please do so, ideally, in the semester prior to the commencement of your thesis. At the latest, you must submit this by the 4th class day of your thesis course.

• Departmental Thesis Registation Form

Once you are approved to take the departmental thesis you need not take the Plan II thesis course sequence (TC 660 HA and HB). You will substitute these for your departmental thesis sequence.

3. Note that you are required to present in the Plan II symposium held during the semester you finish your thesis. You must also submit your final thesis to the Plan II thesis repository. Once you have completed your departmental thesis forms, you will receive information about each of these processes. 

Plan II Honors Theses

Permanent URI for this community https://hdl.handle.net/2152/62788

If you are a current UT Austin student, faculty, or staff and are looking for the Plan II Honors Theses that are restricted access, please login to the repository (top right). Once you are logged in, you should see the Plan II Honors Theses restricted collection. If you have any questions, please contact [email protected].

If you are looking for an honors thesis that isn't from the Plan II program, please see the Honors Theses collection.

Browsing Plan II Honors Theses by Author

• Ablon, Haley   1
• Abraham, Sarah   2
• Abzug, Robert H.   1
• Ackermann, Avi   1
• Adams, Paul   2
• Adams, Paul C.   1
• Adamson, Jake   1
• Aguilar, Karla   1
• Aiken, Abigail   7
• Aiken, Abigail R. A.   1
• Aiyer, Meera   1
• Albrecht, Annie F.   1
• Aldama, Frederick Luis   1
• Aldea, Abigail   1
• Aldis, Abigail V.   1
• Ali, Austin   1
• Allen, Alexis   1
• Allen, Katherine   1
• Allen, Taylor Burke   1
• Alley, Ellen   1
• 1 (current)

CREEES Professional Resources Forum

Center for Russian, East European and Eurasian Studies at The University of Texas at Austin

Alumni Liason/Event Coordinator (University of Texas at Austin)

Deadline: open until filled.

Job Description: Perform advanced program administration, development and coordination of resource development, gift management, alumni programs and outreach, travel/thesis grants, special events, program communications and website/social media presence for the Plan II Honors Program.

Job Details:

A successful candidate will be an excellent communicator (both speaking and writing); comfortable in a public facing position; detail oriented; a creative thinker; a team player; able to connect well with people; able to take initiative; highly organized and motivated.

The university offers an impressive benefits package. For more details on benefits, please see:  https://hr.utexas.edu/prospective/benefits  and  https://hr.utexas.edu/current/services/my-total-rewards

This position is eligible for a hybrid Flexible Work Arrangement (FWA) (on-campus and remote work). FWA arrangements are subject to manager approval and may shift due to changes in business needs.  The remote location must have a reliable internet connection to support working remotely. UT policies on Flexible Work Arrangements are available at  https://hr.utexas.edu/current/fwa .

For more information about the College of Liberal Arts, please visit:  https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/

Our college seeks to build a supportive, growth-minded community and cultivate outstanding and courageous leaders. For more information on the college staff leadership academy, please visit:

https://liberalarts.utexas.edu/resources-for-faculty-staff/staff-leadership-academy/

For more information on college staff professional development, please visit:

https://wikis.utexas.edu/display/larc/Staff+Professional+Development+Fund

Responsibilities

Alumni Programs and Communication: Maintain frequent interaction with donors and alumni. Develop programs to engage alumni with the program and facilitate alumni and student interaction. Act as liaison between alumni and current students. Coordinate annual meeting of Alumni Board of Visitors. Compose and disseminate a bi-annual newsletter for alumni, parents, and friends of the program. Coordinate Alumni-student mentoring program and moderate alumni groups on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and HookedIn.

Development: Discuss potential gifts and negotiate gift agreements with donors. Cultivate relationships between the program and potential donors, including current students. Create, develop and administer long-term resource development plans, especially for major anniversaries of the program. Maintain donor and alumni information, and evaluate reports in VIP for development purposes. Ensure the proper stewardship of endowments. Maintain accounts on each endowment and ensure that funds are distributed each year in accordance with donor wishes. Maintain databases of donors/principals contact information & coordinate annual endowment letters project with College Development office. Coordinate with University and College development officers as appropriate, and coordinate Program’s participation in Forty for 40 fundraising campaigns.

Event Coordination: Plan, coordinate and market on- and off-campus events for students, parents, alumni, and the public, including the annual Carpenter and Glickman Lectureships, Plan II Family Day, Career Week alumni panels, and Plan II Commencement. This includes, but is not limited to, contract creation & negotiation with speakers/agents and UT’s Office of the Sr. VP & CFO, as well as steps for creating purchase orders and travel arrangements for guest speakers when necessary.

Website/Social Media/Communications/Plan II Newsletter: Responsible for program website maintenance and social media presence, including but not limited to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, HookedIn and LinkedIn accounts in accordance to CoLA specifications and with CoLA Public Affairs staff. Coordinate weekly Plan II student email newsletter and oversight and training of the student newsletter editor.

Student Grants: Administer and coordinate Plan II travel and thesis grant funding applications and fund distribution through the CoLA Scholarship Administration system. Manage the Rowe-Koehl Travel Grant and Worthington essay contest submissions and awards. Coordinate distribution of thank you letters from students to donors for all scholarships issued, including yearly continuing scholarships & those issued by CoLA.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in a related field.

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s Degree in a related field.

Salary Range

$50,000+ depending on qualifications

Working Conditions

• Typical office environment
• Special events may require extended standing or periods of mobility
• Typical M-F, 8am – 5pm, however, flexible shifts coordinated with team members available
• Some evening and weekend work required for special events

Required Materials

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important   for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers:  You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure that ALL Required Materials have been uploaded.  Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers:  As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questions presented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

Employment Eligibility: Regular staff who have been employed in their current position for the last six continuous months are eligible for openings being recruited for through University-Wide or Open Recruiting, to include both promotional opportunities and lateral transfers. Staff who are promotion/transfer eligible may apply for positions without supervisor approval.

Retirement Plan Eligibility: The retirement plan for this position is Teacher Retirement System of Texas (TRS), subject to the position being at least 20 hours per week and at least 135 days in length.

Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer , complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.

Thesis Symposia

Every November and April, seniors in the Plan II Honors Program present their original thesis research in a series of oral presentations. The Senior Thesis Symposium is comprised of sessions covering a wide range of interdisciplinary topics, including literature, science, history, creative writing, music, healthcare, engineering, philosophy, business, and politics. The complete program will be published here one week prior to the event.

Spring 2024 Symposium: Monday, April 15 and Tuesday, April 16

We are proud to announce our Spring 2024 Plan II Thesis Symposium on April 15 and April 16 ,  10:00 in the Glickman Conference Center. Complimentary refreshments will be provided for attendees. A program of the event is available to view here .

Each symposium is open to the public. All Plan II students, faculty, and family members are especially encouraged to attend. We hope to see you there!

Please direct any questions about the Plan II Spring 2024 Symposium to [email protected] .

Fall 2023 Symposium

Congratulations to the 27 students who shared their work at the Fall 2023 Thesis Symposium on November 14! Plan II faculty and staff could not be prouder of your accomplishments!

• Fall 2023 The Program
• Spring 2023 The Program
• Fall 2022 The Program
• Spring 2022 The Program
• Fall 2021 The Program
• Spring 2021 Virtual Presentations
• Fall 2020  Virtual Presentations
• Spring 2020 Virtual Presentations
• Fall 2019 The Program
• Spring 2019 The Program
• Fall 2018 The Program
• Spring 2018  The Program
• Fall 2017  The Program
• Spring 2017 The Program
• Fall 2016 The Program
• Spring 2016 The Program
• Fall 2015 The Program
• Spring 2015  The Program
• Spring 2014 The Program
• Fall 2013 The Program
• Spring 2013 The Program
• Fall 2012   The Program
• Spring 2012 The Program
• Fall 2011  The Program
• Spring 2011  The Program
• Fall 2010  The Program
• Spring 2010  The Program
• Fall 2009  The Program

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