• Open to new doctoral students or those who have completed no more than 2 years of doctoral studies by the start of fall 2026 semester. 
• The primary focus is to attract new doctoral students; however, continuing students may be considered when appropriate.
• All domestic and international doctoral students are eligible.
• All academic disciplines are eligible. 

The Doctoral Research Excellence Assistantship provides three years of funding for eligible doctoral students. Additional years beyond the 3-year commitment may be granted at the discretion of the department/program/faculty PI and must be funded from sources other than this program.

• Stipend

o    TAMU System funds a $40,000 annual assistantship stipend.

o    Funding is awarded to the student and follows the student to the program in which they enroll.

• Tuition and Fees

o    Payment of tuition and required fees at full-time enrollment (9-9-6).

• Health Insurance

o    In a 50% FTE assistantship, awardees are eligible to participate in a Texas A&M University System insurance program. As with any Texas A&M University employee, there will be a 60-day waiting period for the employer contribution. During employee onboarding, awardees will review their options with benefit services.

The Grad School will provide an account for the employing department to set up the costing allocation for the DREA recipients and will post the tuition and fee payments. The department is responsible for providing an Assistantship offer letter to awardees. If the awardee is not a Texas Resident, the department is also responsible for processing the Assistantship Non-Resident Tuition Waiver each term of employment.

If a student has been nominated and selected for multiple funding awards, they must choose which to accept by April 15, 2026. Awardees may not accept other financial support or awards (assistantship, fellowship, scholarship, employment, etc.) providing duplicate benefits from any other source. 

• Awardees may not be enrolled in another academic degree program at Texas A&M University or elsewhere during their award tenure. 
• Awardees must obtain approval from their department and the Graduate and Professional School before seeking outside employment beyond their associated graduate assistantship or scholarship. Receipt of this award does not assure admittance to the university nor to the program of the recipient’s choice. This award will be forfeited if a student is not admitted into a doctoral program or is released from a program. 

• Awardees must remain in good standing in their doctoral programs and demonstrate consistent progress toward degree completion. They are also expected to uphold the highest standards of academic excellence, integrity, and productivity throughout their tenure. 
• To remain eligible, awardees must maintain satisfactory academic progress (3.0 graduate GPA each semester of the first year and a 3.25 cumulative GPA for subsequent years of the award) and submit annual reporting requests. Awardees must maintain full-time enrollment for both the fall and spring semesters (9-9-6) and maintain employment as a graduate assistant for the duration of the award. Summer enrollment requirements are based on the awardee’s assistantship duration.

Doctoral Student Expectations:

Doctoral students receiving a DREA assistantship are highly encouraged to participate in professional development opportunities, as these activities enhance scholarly growth, strengthen research and teaching competencies, and prepare fellows for a broad range of academic and professional careers.  These activities may include those offered across campus, within their college/department, or within the community. The Graduate and Professional School offers the professional development activities listed below. Fellows are encouraged to consult with their faculty advisor when selecting activities to pursue.  

• Graduate Resources and Development for Aggies (GRAD Aggies) 
• CIRTL Associate and/or Practitioner Level Certificates 
• Graduate Mentoring Academy (GMA) 
• Aggie Collaborate 

Faculty/ Research Advisor Expectations:

• Faculty / Research advisors will be strongly encouraged to participate in the TAMU Graduate Mentoring Academy or the TAMU Faculty Mentoring Academy program. 

Each College/School and Interdisciplinary Degree Program (IDP) with doctoral programs are invited to submit nominations via InfoReady. The table below indicates the number of nominations that can be submitted to the Graduate and Professional School. 

Each nomination must include the following nomination materials: 

1. One (1) Letter of Nomination (no more than 2 pages) 
   • From college/school/department/program outlining the exceptional qualifications of the applicant, identified faculty member to advise and mentor research activities, as well as the applicant’s potential to achieve research excellence (measurable by discipline). 
2. One (1) Letter of Support (no more than 2 pages) 
   • [For new doctoral student]: A letter of support included in GraduateCAS, EngineeringCAS, or BusinessCAS application materials is sufficient. 
   • [For continuing doctoral student]: A letter of support from the nominee’s faculty advisor/faculty mentor. 
3. Nominee’s current resume or CV (no more than 5 pages)
4. Nominee’s transcripts from all colleges or universities attended (excluding community colleges)

Reviewers will consider all aspects of each nominee’s experiences. The evaluation will focus on academic excellence and the nominee’s qualifications for eligibility. The review elements noted below may be gauged in multiple parts of the nomination application. 

• Demonstrated Academic Excellence: Reviewers should prioritize candidates who exhibit robust academic achievement, including impressive GPAs, a record of earning honors and awards, and other tangible indicators of scholarly distinction.
• Relevant Experiences Beyond the Classroom: Prospective participants should possess a diverse array of experiences outside traditional academic settings that align with the objectives of the initiative. This may encompass involvement in extracurricular activities closely related to their field of study, demonstrated leadership capacities, relevant work or military experiences, internships in pertinent domains, engagement in research projects (both within and outside their home institution), and contributions to scholarly publications or presentations.
• Research Potential: Central to the selection process is a critical assessment of the participant’s research potential. This may encompass an assessment of their research interests, goals, and potential contributions to their fields, letters of recommendation highlighting their potential, creativity, and dedication, potential for contribution to the program’s research community and scholarly endeavors.

• Nomination link will be available on the DREA website by mid-January 2026.

• February 17, 2026, 5 p.m. CST: Deadline for GOC Deans to submit nominations via InfoReady.

• Number of Awards: Four (4) new awards with a three (3) year commitment.

Nomination link can be found at InfoReady.