The MDTP recognizes that students have rich, full lives outside of their academic work. We stand in support of students who serve as caregivers during their time in MDTP, and are committed to providing the accommodations necessary to ensure that all students can further their academic careers while maintaining their family obligations.
To assist students as they navigate obtaining leave for family or medical purposes, we have compiled the information below. These general resources are available to all graduate students, and cannot be overruled by policies within individual labs.
In the case of family leave, contact your departmental payroll contact or HR representative. A list of HR reps by department can be found on the student administrative resources page. If you don’t see your department listed, see this page for more information.
UW-Madison provides six weeks’ of paid parental leave for employees, including graduate assistants. See this page for details.
Childcare Services Information | Grant Funding for Childcare (Note: You must have already secured a spot at a UW-sponsored childcare facility to be eligible for grant funding. Space is limited, so it is advised to get on numerous waitlists as early as possible!)
Campus Lactation Rooms | Diaper Distribution Program | Wisconsin Student Parents Organization | Radiation Safety Pregnancy Surveillance Program
In the case of medical leave, contact your Divisional Disability Representative (DDR). A list of DDR by school and college is found on this page. While it is advised that you inform your PI about extended leaves of absence, you are not required to disclose specific reasons for medical leave to your PI.
Most MDTP students are eligible for unpaid leave under the Federal or Wisconsin Family and Medical Leave Act. If your HR representative directs you to this, you can find more information here.
For faculty curious about the graduate student leave policy, reach out to your department HR representative (see above). A graduate student and trainee leave policy may exist for your grant. Some examples are listed below.
- NRSA Funded Students: Trainees and fellows may receive stipends for up to 60 calendar days (equivalent to 8 work weeks) of parental leave per year for the adoption or the birth of a child. Either parent is eligible for parental leave. See this page for more info.
- Students on a NIH PI funded grant: Per NIH “NIH grant awards allow for reimbursement of actual, allowable costs incurred for child care, parental leave, or additional technical support provided such costs are incurred under formally-established institutional policies that are consistently applied regardless of the source of support”. See this page for more info.
- NSF GRFP: For currently funded students with an NSF GRFP with an NSF-approved Medical Deferral, there is a limited paid leave option: (1) If the GRFP Institution’s graduate student leave policies allow for paid leave, those leave policies apply; or (2) In the absence of paid graduate student leave policies at the GRFP Institution, Fellows may continue to receive stipend payments for a period not to exceed three months total during the three Tenure Years. See this page for more info.
Learn more about current policies about sick and vacation leave through Graduate Assistantship Policies and Procedures.
We understand that navigating current policies may be confusing. If you’d like an ally or cheerleader, please feel free to reach out to the MDTP coordinator, director or vice-director.
Terra Theim, MDTP Program Coordinator: coordinator@microbiology.wisc.edu