The UH Graduate School has an Ombudsperson for Graduate and Professional Students. The Ombudsperson provides a safe setting for graduate and professional students to confidentially raise and discuss their concerns about workplace and academic issues, address interpersonal difficulties, and receive assistance in identifying options for resolving the conflicts and concerns.

What an Ombudsperson Does

• Provides a confidential forum for raising issues and expressing concerns.
• Listens without judgement and offers impartial feedback.
• Assists the graduate/professional student in exploring options to address concerns.
• Identifies and refers the graduate/professional student to resources for addressing problems and concerns.
• Clarifies policies and procedures that apply to the graduate/professional student’s problem or issue.
• Provides coaching on effective communication for difficult conversations.
• Analyzes and reports trends in complaints and concerns, and provides recommendations for institutional improvements.
• Promotes highest standards of university governance and a supportive, ethical and healthy organizational culture.

UH Ombudsperson - Funda Suhin, Ph.D.
Dr. Suhin is an associate professor of supply chain management. Her teaching and research interests are in operations and supply chain management. She is passionate about the UH community and student well-being. Over her career, she has worked with graduate students in a wide variety of roles, including teaching graduate courses, directing graduate student research, and coordinating a doctoral program in Bauer College of Business. She has served on numerous committees related to graduate student education and policies, and as a graduate student mentor.

Learn More about the Office of Ombuds Services

Contact the Ombudsperson: gradombuds@uh.edu

Are you a Coog in STEM with plans to go to graduate school? On Friday, September 19 from 2–3 PM, learn the ins and outs of preparing for and applying to graduate programs in the life sciences and STEM in this free webinar featuring guest speaker Dr. Richard Meisel, Associate Professor in the Department of Biology and Biochemistry. Learn more and register here.

Meet your departmental NSM Advisory Board members, hear updates on current issues affecting graduate students, and share your questions or concerns about your studies or experience at UH.

Our new dean, Dr. Greg Dudley, will attend to listen firsthand to student feedback and connect with the outstanding graduate students of NSM.

This in-person event is open to all NSM graduate students.

Date: September 26, 2025
Time: 3 PM
Location: PGH 232

Strong presentation skills are essential for success in STEM—whether you’re defending a thesis or dissertation, presenting at a conference, interviewing for a job, or making a pitch.

Join our panel of experts for an in-person workshop covering presentation fundamentals, effective techniques, and common pitfalls to avoid.

Drinks and light snacks will be provided. Please RSVP using this form.

Date: October 10, 2025
Time: 3 PM
Location: SR1 223

Showcase your research and sharpen your presentation skills. Create a single, static slide that captures your work and present it in three minutes or less. This is an excellent way to prepare for UH’s Three-Minute Thesis competition in November—and a chance to add a strong achievement to your CV.

Prizes include $100 Amazon gift cards for the judges’ choice (one judge from each department) and the people’s choice, as voted by attendees.

Eligibility and Application
We will accept a limited number of participants from each department. Master’s and doctoral students are welcome to apply. Send your name, a draft of your slide, and your research program to me, your advisor, and your program faculty chair by Oct. 1. If applications exceed the departmental limit, the program faculty chair will select the representatives.

Not presenting?
Join us to watch your peers present their cutting-edge research and vote for your favorite. Enjoy pizza, drinks, and the opportunity to network, exchange ideas, and spark interdisciplinary collaborations.

Date: October 24, 2025
Time: 3 PM
Location: PGH 232

Planning to defend your thesis or dissertation in fall 2025, spring 2026 or summer 2026? This workshop is for you.

We will cover the submission process, timelines, and key formatting requirements. NSM College Readers will highlight the most common issues that lead to rejections—and how to avoid them.

The session will be offered in a hybrid format. Drinks and light snacks will be available for in-person attendees.

Date: September 26, 2025
Time: 12:00 – 1:30 PM
Location: SEC 104

Register with this form by September 12.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine maintain a database of more than a thousand active research opportunities and administer postdoctoral and senior research awards at participating federal laboratories and affiliated institutions at locations throughout the U.S. and abroad.

We are seeking highly qualified candidates who hold, or anticipate earning a Ph.D., Sc.D., M.D., or D.V.M. in a variety of fields of science or engineering. Senior research awards are designated for those with >5 years since earning their degree.

Application closes November 3, 2025 at 4 PM CT

Research Associates have the opportunity to:

• Design and conduct an original, independent research project in an area compatible with the interests of the sponsoring laboratory
• Enhance their visibility in their field through a nationally recognized, competitive award
• Devote full-time effort to mission-driven research that contributes to national priorities
• Access the excellent and often unique facilities of the federal research enterprise
• Collaborate with leading scientists and engineers at the sponsoring laboratories

Award benefits include:

• Competitive monthly stipend (base stipend varies by host laboratory and may be higher based on experience; refer to research opportunity description for amount)
• Health insurance (including dental and vision)
• Relocation assistance for awardees who will be on tenure for at least six months and who at the time of award reside more than 50 miles from the host laboratory
• Professional travel allowance

Qualified applicants will receive consideration without regard to race, creed, color, age, gender identity, or national origin. Citizenship eligibility varies among the sponsoring laboratories and will be indicated in the research opportunity.

Students will perform graduate theses research at U.S. Department of Energy national laboratories.

The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science is pleased to announce that the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is now accepting applications for the 2025 solicitation 2 cycle. Applications are due on Wednesday, November 5, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET.

SCGSR application assistance workshops will be held on October 9, 2025, 2:00 – 4:30 PM ET (register on Zoom). Staff members will guide attendees through the application process, answer general questions, provide guidance on proposal writing, and lead discussions with scientists and former awardees. Additionally, the program manager will host virtual office hours every Friday 1–2 PM ET starting on September 26, 2025, via this Zoom link.

The SCGSR program provides supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students for conducting part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE national laboratory in collaboration with a DOE national laboratory scientist. The goal of the program is to prepare graduate students for scientific and technical careers critically important to the mission of DOE’s Office of Science. The research opportunity will advance the graduate students’ overall graduate theses while providing access to the expertise, resources, and capabilities available at the host DOE national laboratories. In addition, SCGSR awardees may have the opportunity for short international research visits to select prestigious centers to broaden their horizons.

Since its inception in 2014, the SCGSR program has provided support to over 1,300 graduate awardees from 170 U.S. universities to conduct thesis research at all 17 DOE national laboratories across the nation. Areas of research include but are not limited to: physics, chemistry, materials science, planetary science, geosciences, biosciences (non-medical), fusion science and engineering, mathematics, computer and computational sciences, engineering, microelectronics, quantum information science, and artificial intelligence.

The SCGSR program is sponsored and managed by the Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists, in collaboration with the Office of Science’s six research program offices and the DOE isotope R&D and production office, and DOE national laboratories/facilities. Program administration support is provided by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education.

More information on the SCGSR program can be found by visiting the SCGSR program website, by emailing the SCGSR team at sc.scgsr@science.doe.gov.

UH is a member of the Gulf Coast Consortia (GCC), one of the largest inter-institutional cooperatives in the world. Are you interested in a postdoc or research position at a GCC member institution? Open positions can be found on the GCC Job Board.

This service, sponsored by the GCC and its member institutions, provides opportunities for job seekers from GCC member institutions and employers to learn more about each other. The GCC’s mission is to build interdisciplinary collaborative research teams and training programs in the biological sciences that intersect the computational, chemical, mathematical, and physical sciences.

Graduating Ph.D. students and postdocs from GCC institutions can post their resumes and search for jobs at GCC institutions. To place a resume on the Job Board, register as a Job Seeker and enter the requested information.

K-Scholastic is hiring academic tutors to work with K-12 students in the Houston area. This is an in-person position, and applicants must have a personal vehicle.

Details:

• Minimum availability: Two evenings per week
• Starting pay: $30/hour, with increases based on experience
• Location: Various in-person sites in the Houston area

How to Apply:
Email your résumé and a brief statement of interest to reports@kscholastic.com or complete this form.

What is it?

The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship is a prestigious award that supports research-oriented students in a range of STEM and social science fields during their first three years of graduate school. The award provides $53,000/year ($37,000 stipend + $16,000 Cost of Education Allowance), international research and internship opportunities, and more to support future knowledge experts with the potential to contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering.

Who can apply?

Eligible fields of study are: Chemistry, Computer and Information Science and Engineering, Engineering, Geosciences, Life Sciences, Materials Research, Mathematical Sciences, Physics and Astronomy, Psychology, Social Sciences, STEM Education and Learning Research.

To be eligible, applicants must be either rising seniors or 1st year or 2nd year graduate students, plan on a PhD/research-oriented career, and be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Residents. The NSF welcome applications from all qualified individuals. Women, minorities and people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

What’s in it for me?

• A three-year annual stipend of $37,000/year
• A $16,000 education allowance for tuition & fees, tenable at any accredited US institution
• Opportunities for international research and professional development
• The increased freedom that comes with having your own graduate funds

What are the next steps?

Attend an upcoming NSF GRFP information session and or workshop:

• July 1 at 4 PM - Introducing the Research Statement

All sessions are virtual. You can register via the Zoom link above. Please try to sign up as soon as possible.

Please contact Dr. Ben Rayder (btrayder@central.uh.edu) with any questions.

The UH Energy is excited to launch Advances of Elastomers: Science and Technology, a new online micro-credentialing course designed for professionals seeking cutting-edge knowledge in elastomer materials and applications.

Program Details

• Dates: November 10–11 & 17–18, 2025
• Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM CST
• Format: 100% Online
• Cost: $1,500 (Group discount: $1,200 per person for 5+)

Learn about the latest advancements in elastomeric materials—including sustainable rubbers, nanocomposites, and recycling strategies—taught by top industry and academic experts.

Who Should Attend
Professionals in tire/non-tire manufacturing, oil & gas, polymers, and anyone looking to build or expand a career in elastomers.

Register Now

Questions? Contact Prof. Anil K. Bhowmick at akbhowmick@uh.edu.