AAU Partners With 8 Universities to Expand PhD Students’ Career Prospects

The Association of American Universities has launched a pilot program that will change the established culture surrounding Ph.D. education at its member institutions.

Under the AAU Ph.D. Education Initiative, the association has selected eight universities to increase diversity among doctoral students and prepare them for diverse career pathways both within and outside of academia.

Over a period of four years, the initiative will be funded by a $300,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and $50,000 grant from the Charles Koch Foundation.

“This effort by AAU will encourage diversity in career paths for PhD students and ensure not only that more PhD students benefit fully from their education, but that those in industries outside academia will benefit from their deep knowledge and expertise,” said AAU President Mary Sue Coleman.

The cohort of universities will focus on encouraging data transparency about employment trends for Ph.D. graduates; changing institutional attitudes toward non-academic careers; and implementing effective strategies across universities.

The eight universities in the pilot are Boston University; University of Virginia; Duke University; Indiana University, Bloomington; the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; the University of Iowa; the University of Missouri; and the University of Texas, Austin.