Graduate Program
Future Professionals Program
A two-year professional development and support program for graduate women in STEM and their allies.
Started in 2007, the WiSE Future Professionals Program (WiSE-FPP) is a two-year professional development and support program for women in STEM and their allies of any race, sex, or gender at the graduate level. The program is collaborative, interdisciplinary, and self-directed, with participants (WiSE-FPP Associates) taking a proactive role in designing the terms of their own academic and professional success.
WiSE-FPP supports graduate women pursuing careers in the sciences, mathematics, engineering, and other STEM fields. It is designed to support persistence to degree at Syracuse University, help Associates advance to their next career goal, and prepare them to thrive professionally in academia or industry.
What you get
Key elements of the program
In action
The FPP community
Objectives
What associates develop
- Build relational leadership skills in professional and scientific settings.
- Learn how to build a strong professional and community network, with opportunities to practice and implement those skills.
- Develop academic and career planning and preparation.
- Understand the variety of challenges specific to women and other gender minorities in STEM, such as work/life balance and gender bias.
Eligibility
Who can participate
Faculty and current WiSE-FPP Associates nominate prospective Associates at the beginning of their second year of their academic program, or in the fall of any year afterward. Faculty may also nominate master’s students who are likely to matriculate to the Ph.D. Nominees of any sex or gender who meet the degree requirements are eligible to become FPP Associates.
Applicants in a degree program within one of the following STEM schools and departments will have priority. Eligible students from other departments will be considered on a case-by-case basis as capacity allows.
Architecture • Biology • Biomedical & Chemical Engineering • Chemistry • Civil & Environmental Engineering • Communication Sciences & Disorders • Earth & Environmental Sciences • Electrical Engineering & Computer Science • Exercise Science • Forensic Sciences • Information Studies • Mathematics • Mathematics Education • Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering • Nutrition Science • Physics • Psychology • Public Health
How to apply
Submit a nomination
FPP is a nomination-based program, so students cannot nominate themselves. A nomination must come from a faculty member, advisor, or a current or former FPP Associate, who provides a nominator’s letter. The form itself can be completed either by the nominator, or by the student on their nominator’s behalf, as long as the nominator’s letter is ready to upload.
Nominations for 2026-27 are open now and reviewed on a rolling basis through Friday, September 4, 2026.
What you’ll need to submit:
- Personal statement (about 250 words) covering why the student wants to join FPP, their commitment to including women in STEM, and a brief note on coursework, research, and availability for activities.
- Resume (the student’s current CV or resume).
- Nominator’s letter from the faculty member, advisor, or FPP Associate making the nomination.
Submit a nomination Download the flyer
Current Associates
Already an FPP Associate?
Find everything you need for your participation summary and annual portfolio.
Background
About WiSE-FPP
WiSE-FPP supports Syracuse University’s vision of being a pre-eminent and inclusive student-focused research university. Associates contribute to interdisciplinary research, a healthy and sustainable community, and engaged citizenship. The program helps women faculty and their allies support one another while nurturing and encouraging the next generation of students in STEM.