PROMISE & Professional Development

promise_nsfPROMISE is the hub of professional development for all graduate students and postdocs at UMBC and throughout the University System of Maryland. PROMISE provides a community of learning and support from the time you arrive on campus to the proud day that you depart for the next stage of your career.  In your time here, we hope you come to rely on PROMISE for seminars on preparing job application materials, building teaching skills, enhancing your writing and writing productivity, and learning to effectively network to build a community of peers and mentors. You can find out about the latest offerings and workshops from the PROMISE website as well as the PROMISE myUMBC page. Besides monthly workshops, some of PROMISE’s signature events include:

  • Dissertation House, a multi-day intensive writing workshop with one-on-one coaching to help you make significant progress on your proposal, thesis, or dissertation.
  • An Annual PROMISE Research Symposium, an event that honors the work of underrepresented graduate scholars throughout the University System of Maryland.
  • Fall Harvest Dinner, a community building event that brings the whole PROMISE group together for a warm meal.

PROMISE has a long history of supporting graduate students, starting back in 2003 when UMBC first received funding from the National Science Foundation’s Alliances for Graduate Education and the Professoriate (AGEP). This program, which continued to receive funding through 2018, is intended to increase significantly the number of domestic students receiving doctoral degrees in the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), with special emphasis on those population groups underrepresented in these fields (i.e., African-Americans, Hispanics, American Indians, Alaska Natives, Native Hawaiians or other Pacific Islanders). To get additional history on the 2003-2018 programming, visit the PROMISE: Maryland’s AGEP  website.

In 2018, PROMISE at UMBC received AGEP funding directed at diversifying postdoctoral scholars and transitioning them into tenure-track faculty positions. We are thrilled to offer a community as well as career support, skill building and inspiration in this important part of their academic journey. You can learn more about this new program at the AGEP PROMISE Academy Alliance website.

Back to Top