Susan C. Morisato IML Scholarship

Established in 2018, the Susan C. Morisato IML Scholarship is awarded annually to University of Illinois mathematics graduate students who have participated as IML team leaders for at least two semesters or summers. The scholarship provides financial support to students to help them make progress on their thesis research. The Susan C. Morisato IML Scholarship is funded by a generous donation from University of Illinois alumna Susan C. Morisato.  One or more scholarships will be awarded each summer.

Recipients must be graduate students in good standing in the Ph.D. program of the Department of Mathematics at the University of Illinois. The scholarship will last for six summer weeks. The stipend in Summer 2024 will be $4000.

In normal circumstances, Morisato IML Scholars should not hold other paid positions within the department during the time period when they are supported by the scholarship. Preference will be given to students who have completed their preliminary exam.

Decisions will be made by the IML Director in consultation with the Director of Graduate Studies.  Applicants will be asked to provide details of the proposed research and how it will assist their progress towards completion of the Ph.D. Supporting letters from the Ph.D. advisor (or from the Director of Graduate Studies, if the student does not yet have a Ph.D. advisor) and from the supervising IML project faculty mentor(s) are required.

IML Research Award

The IML Research Award is given to IML groups from the preceding calendar year whose project exemplifies the IML’s mission to facilitate vertical integration of research and expand research opportunities for undergraduate students. 

Winning projects must meet the following criteria:

The project makes a substantive contribution to mathematical knowledge and theory;
the project contributes to the professional development of participating students (both graduate and undergraduate); and
the project effectively involves participants at all levels (faculty, graduate, and undergraduate). 

The award includes a cash prize to be divided equally among all students involved in the project.  The winning team will also be recognized in the summer issue of the math department’s alumni newsletter, Math Times.  One or more runner-up awards may also be distributed.

First prize: $500 to be divided equally among the student (graduate and undergraduate) members of the project
Runner(s) up: $250 to be divided equally among the student members of the project

The committee choosing the winners consists of the IML director, the graduate student leadership team of the IML, and faculty consultants.

How to nominate a project for the IML Research Award

IML projects from the preceding calendar year may be nominated for this award by their responsible faculty mentor. Nomination letters must detail how a given project meets the criteria for the award and should be submitted via email to math-iml@illinois.edu.