ECE PhD Funding & Financial Information

The Distinguished ECE Fellowship is awarded to most PhD students for their first academic year. It fully covers tuition, BU’s basic individual health insurance, the student services fee, and a monthly stipend at the pre-candidacy level. It is not renewable for the years to follow. For the remainder of the PhD program, the student is typically funded on a Research Assistantship (RA) by their research advisor.

The Dean’s Fellowship is awarded to a PhD student of exceptional academic promise for the period of their first academic year. It covers their full tuition, BU’s basic individual health insurance, student services fee, and a monthly stipend at the pre-candidacy level. It is not renewable for the academic years to follow. For the remainder of the PhD program, the student is funded on a Research Assistantship (RA) by their research advisor.The Dean’s Fellowship is not renewable, but each recipient can expect continued support in the subsequent years provided that he/she makes good progress toward completion of the doctoral degree. No specific teaching or research service is required of Dean’s Fellows, but recipients are expected to establish research goals with a research advisor during the first year of study.All applicants to the PhD program are automatically considered for the Dean’s Fellowship award, and no special application is required. Potential recipients are nominated by each department.

A first-year PhD student with a standard BU fellowship (Dean’s, ECE, etc.) should secure a funded Research Assistantship no later than the end of their first academic year (April 30). Research Assistantships and academic obligations constitute a full-time commitment. In exchange for the stipend provided, the student agrees to work a minimum of 20 hours/week during the academic year, and 39 hours/week during the summer term. Because this appointment is considered employment, the student should be aware that taxes may be deducted from the stipend portion of their award. The student must have prior written approval from their research advisor and the Associate Division Chair before undertaking any other employment, either inside or outside the University. The student must also sign the University’s standard patent agreement form.

As an RA, the student will receive a tuition scholarship for credits leading toward their degree during the period of employment. They must obtain written approval from their advisor if they wish to register for coursework in excess of 10 credit hours per semester. The student is required to register for each semester in a timely manner and complete required payroll forms as requested. PhD students may only work under one Research Assistantship at a time.

Research Assistants are paid weekly; this breaks down to 17 weeks in the Fall and Spring and 18 weeks in the summer. Fall semester paychecks are issued from September through December, Spring semester paychecks are issued from January through April, Summer paychecks are issued from May through August.

It is in the best interests of PhD students and their advisors for students to seek independent funding. Granting agencies and the outside world consider such funding a critical sign of a strong department. Many of our competitors incentivize Ph.D. students to write independent proposals via financial incentives. To remain competitive, and to increase the number of NIH and NSF fellowship holders in the department, ECE will provide a $3000 annual bonus to students for every year they are funded by the external source. Students must reapply each year to receive the bonus.

ECE PhD Bonus Policy for an external funding source.

Graduate Students have external funding opportunities to help support their graduate education and research at Boston University. The external funding opportunities are organized based on their application deadline. Please read each entry carefully to determine eligibility and application requirements. ENG Funding Opportunities.

The following databases are maintained by other institutions but are publicly searchable:
Cornell University
Duke University
Harvard University
UCLA

There are several BU Fellowships an ECE PhD student is eligible to apply or be nominated for. Some fellowships give extra support for a student, e.g. for travel or supplies, while others are full graduate fellowships covering the stipend, tuition, etc. The deadlines change each year but the historical dates are noted below. Check the program websites below for up-to-date information.
Hariri Fellowship Deadline ~ March
Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship Deadline ~March
BUnano Fellowship Deadline ~May

The ECE Department has set aside a limited amount of money for the academic year to support PhD student travel for those who have achieved PhD candidacy. Travel must be to a conference that provides recognition to the PhD student, the ECE department, and to Boston University. Awards are made on a first-come, first-served basis and should be requested at least two weeks in advance of the travel date. Only one award is given to a student for the duration of their PhD program.

If approved, the department will provide an initial $250. In addition, the department will match the student’s advisor’s contribution up to $250 (i.e., the maximum award from the ECE is $500). Requests may be made by filling out the PhD Travel Award Request Form. Please note that you need the following documents to submit in the form:

• The letter/email of your presentation acceptance
• Copy of your abstract
• Anticipated amount of financial support to be provided by faculty (if applicable)
• The grant source number to be charged.

A student is expected to have a bank account in the United States. Direct Deposit payments to your bank account is the norm for most students. (Please note that a Social Security Number (SSN) is required for Direct Deposit: international students should apply for one as early as possible.) If you elect not to use direct deposit, or while you are waiting for your SSN, paychecks can be picked up at the “Paycheck Express” counter located in the First Point Lobby, 881 Commonwealth Ave, 2nd Floor. Paychecks are issued on the Friday following each week of work.There are two types of stipend payments to students.

• Non-service stipends (Distinguished Department Fellows) are paid monthly on the fourth Friday of each month for a total of 12 payments in the year. This is typically what students receive in their first year in the PhD program.
• Service Stipends (DRFs, GTFs) are paid weekly once students find their research home. Once students have transitioned to receive weekly payments, there are 52 pay periods. For tax purposes, service stipends are considered earned income and taxes are withheld, which changes the amount per IRS guidelines These payments are processed through Student Employment Office, who can answer specific tax questions.

PhD student funding has three levels that increase with progression through the program. Stipend increases will be implemented no later than the beginning of the next semester (spring, fall, or summer) following eligibility.

1. Pre-candidacy Base pay: All incoming PhD students on a fellowship will receive the same monthly stipend at the base rate.
2. Pre-prospectus Base pay: +5% PhD candidates will receive a stipend increase of 5% above the current base rates upon fully passing the Oral Qualifier Exam and submitting an PhD Candidacy application with a copy of their transcript listing TPC courses.
3. Post-prospectus Base pay: +10% PhD candidates will receive an additional 5% increase once 1) they fully pass the Prospectus Defense and 2) complete the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) training.

Tax Information for Non-Service Stipend Recipients
You will not receive a W-2 for your non-service stipend, which includes the Dean’s Fellowship, Clare Boothe Luce Fellowship, or Non-Service Fellowships. This will apply to your Fall and Spring earnings, so keep this in mind for your taxes for both years. Click here for further information and click again on “4) Financial Activities and Services Training (FAST) sheets”.

International Students
International Students understand that their visa and work-permission status must be up to date before they can begin work. They further understand US visa regulations prohibit any additional work, either on or off-campus, during the duration of the appointment. Students will find information about Direct Deposit, International, U.S. Citizen, and Permanent Resident, and Student Employment forms under Student Resources.

US Citizens and Permanent Residents
US Citizens and Permanent Residents understand that the Doctoral Research Fellowship is a form of financial aid and it may affect eligibility for certain need-based funds, including but not limited to: Direct Loans, Federal Work-Study, and Perkins Loans. Students also understand that if they have already received need-based funds prior to the DRF appointment, terms of their financial aid package may be adjusted. Students will find information about Direct Deposit, International, U.S. Citizen, and Permanent Resident, and Student Employment forms under Student Resources.

The Academic Programs Manager will coordinate with the ECE Finance Manager to make sure that student funding is set up each semester prior to the account settlement date. In order to be set up on Payroll, students must register according to the Student Payroll-Related Deadlines Student Payroll-Related Deadlines. First-Year PhD students must notify the Academic Programs Manager when a research advisor and summer funding is confirmed. If the information is not communicated, the student will not be set up on Student Payroll.

• Fall Payroll: Continuing students must be registered and have a DRF by July 1 in order to be set up for the Fall semester on time.
• Spring Payroll: Students must register by December 1 and have a DRF commitment by November 1 in order to be set up for the Spring semester on time.
• Summer Payroll: All students must register for Fall by April 1 and have a DRF commitment in order to be set up for Summer Payroll on time.(PhD students graduating in September must register for 2 credits of research in SUM1.) First-Year Students must have a research advisor and funding secured by April 30.

Summer Stipends and Tax Withholding
PhD students must be registered for EC900S or EC991S for the Summer I term (2 credits) prior to the start of the summer session. International students must also pre-register for the fall semester, prior to the start of the summer term.

Students funded on fellowships other than NIH will have FICA taxes withheld from their paychecks during the summer (May, June, July, and August).

Students will find information about Direct Deposit, International, U.S. Citizen, and Permanent Resident, and Student Employment forms under Student Resources.