Newsletter (Dec 2025): Apply for 2026 Alumni Grants and Awards!
|
Greetings, Sloan Scholar alumni! If you’re a recent graduate receiving the SSMN newsletter for the first time, welcome! We’re thrilled to have you in the community. This month, in addition to launching the 2026 competition year for SSMN Grants and Awards, we're offering a new training opportunity for early-career faculty: the Academic Leadership Management Institute (ALMI), presented in special sessions to a cohort of Sloan Scholar alumni in 2026. Applications are due Thursday, 12/18. Find more info below and on this flyer. We're sending each of you our best wishes for a smooth end to 2025 and a strong start to 2026. Sincerely, SSMN Program Staff: Veronica Zepeda, Camille Baptista, Malu Napuelua, and Chace White •••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• In this quarter’s newsletter: |
Apply for 2026 SSMN Grants and Awards!The Sloan Scholars Mentoring Network is pleased to open the call for applications for 2026 Alumni Grants and Awards. Read on to learn about these two annual programs and note their distinct application deadlines and requirements. Sloan Scholar Alumni GrantsApplication deadline: March 13, 2026 The SSMN's annual grants program is designed to support the research, career, and professional development of all Sloan Scholar Legacy, UCEM, and SIGP graduates across career fields. SSMN Grants are once again available in three categories:
All Sloan Scholar alumni, including Legacy, UCEM, and SIGP graduates (M.S. and PhD), are eligible for grants, and do not need to hold an academic position. Find complete guidance and application instructions on the grants page of our website. |
Sloan Scholar Alumni AwardsNomination deadline: March 13, 2026 Application deadline: April 10, 2026 The Sloan Scholar Alumni Awards recognize the dedication, impact, and accomplishments of exemplary Sloan Scholar alumni in five categories:
Read more about each award category on our website. All Sloan Scholar alumni — including Legacy, UCEM, and SIGP graduates (M.S. and PhD) — are eligible and encouraged to apply for awards. Nomination by a third party is not necessary. You can nominate another Sloan Scholar alum to apply for an award by writing to Veronica Zepeda, SSMN Program Director, at [email protected], by March 13, 2026. The SSMN will contact the nominee to request their full application by the application deadline. |
Opportunity: Faculty leadership instituteDeadline extended to Thursday, December 18 The SSMN will host a cohort of Sloan Scholar alumni to participate in the NCPRE Academic Leadership Management Institute (ALMI) in 2026. All alumni in faculty roles are eligible. Apply by 12/18! ALMI is a practical, evidence-based curriculum designed to support faculty success and that of their students. A cohort of early career faculty—all Sloan Scholar alumni—will meet for two hours once a month in the spring and fall 2026 semesters in sessions guided by seasoned academic leadership experts. The program is built around the skills faculty need most, with participants developing supportive networks across institutions that last well beyond the program. |
| Learn more about ALMI |
| Apply to participate |
Poll: What conferences are you attending in 2026?
Professional and academic conferences are great opportunities to bring the Sloan Scholar community together for informal dinners or networking receptions.
As we consider locations for spring networking events, we want to know where you'll be! ACS? NSBE? SACNAS? Wildlife Society? Let us know. And thank you!
 |
When you ask Victor Udoewa how he describes his work, his answer is simple: he designs better experiences for the public. As a principal service designer and chief experience officer, he focuses on improving both how people interact with government services and how federal employees deliver them. “We design on both sides,” he explains, “to improve the public experience and the employee experience.” In our latest spotlight, Udoewa tells SSMN Program Assistant Chace White about the career path that led him through experiences at USAID, Google, NASA, CDC, and more. Continue reading → |
Recap: SSMN Research Symposium
Back in October, Sloan Scholar alumni gathered in Atlanta to share their research, career reflections, and passion projects at our biennial SSMN Research Symposium at the Institute on Teaching and Mentoring.
Graduates from various disciplines not only presented research findings and career insights, but also built connections across the Sloan community. We’d like to thank everyone who attended for making the symposium such a memorable experience!
The SSMN hosts a Sloan Scholar alumni program at the Institute every year, alternating between the symposium and the academic job market boot camp. In 2026, the boot camp will return — so mark your calendars for May and check our website for the application!
The 2026 Institute will take place in Arlington, Virginia.
 |
 
|
Sloan Alumni Highlights |
|
|
If you enjoy reading these highlights, your fellow Sloan Scholars want to read about you, too! Send us a note at [email protected] when you have news, or tag us in your LinkedIn and Bluesky posts. |
| Explore the Sloan Alumni Directory |
|
Contact Us Veronica Zepeda, Malu Napuelua, Camille Baptista, and Chace White Staff, Sloan Scholars Mentoring Network [email protected] | LinkedIn | Twitter | Website Social Science Research Council Ancestral homelands of the Lenape people 300 Cadman Plaza West, 15th Fl, Brooklyn, NY 11201 |