The Nevada DRIVE Program

The Nevada DRIVE program is the only campus-wide funding initiative where doctoral programs apply for one of 20 Graduate Research Assistantship (GRA) lines through the Graduate School. These assistantships are awarded to programs—not individuals—and are provided for two years. DRIVE stands for Doctoral Research in Innovation, Vision, and Excellence. Programs awarded a Nevada DRIVE GRA can allocate it as they see fit.

Programs may use these GRA lines to attract top applicants or support continuing doctoral students. They have flexibility in structuring the awards:

• A single student can be funded at 0.50 FTE for two years.
• Funding can be split between multiple students across semesters or years. For example:
  • Year 1: Student A (Fall & Spring).
  • Year 2: Student B (Fall), Student C (Spring).
• GRAs can also be divided so that two students receive 0.25 FTE support in the same semester.

The Graduate School trusts programs to deploy these GRAs for maximum benefit.

Graduate programs and their administrative staff handle hiring. The Graduate School provides a worktag for cost allocation. For interdisciplinary graduate programs (IGPs), the Graduate School can assist with hiring.

Yes, the following restrictions apply:

• Only doctoral students are eligible.
• Monthly stipends must be $2,900 (0.50 FTE) or $1,450 (0.25 FTE)—regardless of the student’s field.
• Each Nevada DRIVE GRA must hold 0.50 FTE in GA positions overall. This means they must either:
  • Hold a 0.50 FTE GRA funded by Nevada DRIVE, or
  • Hold a 0.25 FTE GRA from Nevada DRIVE plus a 0.25 FTE GA position from another source.
• Nevada DRIVE GRAs cannot take on overload assignments.
• Hiring decisions should prioritize:
  • The qualifications and merit of the student.
  • The student’s and advisor’s willingness to meet program requirements.

The Graduate School formally notifies students via letter, outlining their funding and requirements. Graduate directors may also communicate details informally.

Yes. The program director or administrator must record the hired graduate student’s name in the designated Nevada Box spreadsheet.

For Nevada DRIVE Scholars (students):

• Attend an orientation in September or October 2026 (JCSU 4th floor).
• Submit an Individual Development Plan (IDP) by Fall 2026 (submit through WebCampus/Canvas).
• Participate in seminars and professional development modules.
• Engage in at least one of the following: GradFIT, Gradventure, GSA Poster Symposium, or 3MT.
• Meet with peer mentor on a regular basis
• Establish additional mentorship with a University faculty member other than their doctoral advisor.
• These requirements apply to all students funded through the Nevada DRIVE program regardless of the number of semesters (Fall and/or Spring) or funding level (.25 vs. .50 FTE).

For Nevada DRIVE Faculty Advisors:

• Attend an orientation in September or October 2026 (JCSU 4th floor).
• Complete the Graduate School’s Mentoring Mentor series (if not completed previously). If faculty advisors have not attended any Mentoring Mentors workshops in the past, the expectation is that they start doing so in the first semester in which their advisee receives any Nevada DRIVE funding.
• Submit an annual progress evaluation by May 2027 for each student funded through Nevada DRIVE
• These requirements apply for all advisors of students funded through the Nevada DRIVE program regardless the number of semesters (Fall and/or Spring) or level at which they were funded (.25 vs. .50 FTE)

For Graduate Programs:

• Assign a peer mentor, an experienced doctoral student from the same program.
• Provide additional faculty mentorship beyond the student’s advisor.

No. Fellowships provide scholarships with no work obligations. In contrast, graduate assistantships are employment-based and require work. Nevada DRIVE GRAs must work:

• 0.50 FTE → 20 hours per week.
• 0.25 FTE → 10 hours per week.

The work is supervised by the student’s doctoral advisor.

If a Nevada DRIVE scholar or faculty advisor fails to meet program obligations, the graduate program will be ineligible for future Nevada DRIVE funding. Programs supporting multiple students are responsible for ensuring compliance.