Science and Engineering Scholarships and Fellowships Blog

Fellowship announcements have been sent to applicants of the NSF graduate research fellowship, NDSEG fellowship and SMART fellowship programs.

An aspiring ecologists’ blog posts on applying for the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship.

My bike has been the last to leave the rack outside my building several nights in the past 10 days or so. I imagine I’ll be last again tonight. I’m finally calling it a night after 13 hours at school. I’ve uploaded my essays to FastLane (NSF’s site for applications) in case its overloaded tomorrow afternoon when things are due. I’m planning to do a final proofread tomorrow afternoon, but in the worst case scenario now I’ve got something on FastLane to submit. I’m feeling pretty good about my application.
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I had a short meeting with Herb today. I have SO many questions about starting research. For example [Herb's answer]:
Should I be a TA this summer if I don’t get the NSF GRF? [I don't think you have any other options if you want to continue to pay rent.]

Related: Univ. of Delaware Engineering Student Wins NSF GRF - Geologist Wins NSF Research Fellowship

Five Students Pursue Research Careers with Gilliam Fellowships

The MIC Fellowship Program builds tomorrow’s innovation leaders today. The University of Michigan Medical Innovation Fellowship is a multidisciplinary “team” training program for post-graduate professionals with medical, dental, doctorate, or master’s degrees, who are committed to addressing real healthcare issues through innovation excellence. This program draws on the strengths of Michigan’s renowned schools and colleges to develop a new type of medical innovator with the knowledge and integrated, cross-disciplinary skills necessary to transform problems into practical solutions and discoveries into products. This intensive program provides practical training through experiential learning that allows innovation knowledge to be applied to the medical arena and beyond.

Post-graduate professionals with medical, doctorate, or master’s degrees with a background in medicine, engineering, life sciences, public health, dentistry, or relevant business experience are eligible to apply. Physicians in their residency and who are interested in medical innovation are strongly encouraged to apply.

A nice overview by Mor Harchol-Balter at Carnegie Mellon University on Applying to Ph.D. Programs in Computer Science:

A Ph.D. is a long, in depth research exploration of one topic. By long we’re typically talking about 6 years. By in depth we mean that at the end of the Ph.D. you will be the world expert or close to it in your particular area.
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In contrast, a Ph.D. program typically requires typically less than 10 courses during the entire 6 years (at CMU there are 5 required “core” courses, and 3 required “electives”). The emphasis in the Ph.D. is not on classes, but rather on research.
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If you choose to be a professor at a research university, your life will consist of the following tasks: (i) doing research on anything you like, (ii) working with graduate students, (iii) teaching classes, (iv) applying for grants, (v) flying around to work with other researchers and to give talks on your research, (vi) doing service for your department and school (like giving this talk). Note that I say “your life” rather than your job, because for new faculty, your life becomes your job. It’s a fantastic job/life for me because I love these activities, so I’m happy to work hard at all of them, but it’s not right for everyone.

The document also offers a list of fellowships including: the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship and NDSEG Graduate Fellowship (both administered by ASEE). Find more science fellowship options in our Science Scholarships and Fellowships Directory.

Related: NSF Graduate Research Fellow Profiles

Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship
Each year, the Sloan Foundation chooses 118 fellows out of over 600 nominations. To be eligible for the award, candidates must be faculty members who have received their PhDs within the last six years and in one of the following fields: physics, chemistry, mathematics, neuroscience, economics, computer science, computational and evolutionary molecular biology, or a related interdisciplinary field. The fellowship is open to faculty in both the United States and Canada. Fellows who are awarded will receive $45,000 over a two year period to be used for the fellow’s research.

Microsoft Research New Faculty Fellowship Program
Each year, five new faculty members in computing from the United States and Canada are selected for a $200,000 award which is to be used for research. Universities may only nominate one faculty member per year for the award. Nominees must be in either their first, second or third year of their faculty position. Besides the cash grant, fellows are also given access to additional Microsoft resources, which includes software and conference invitations. Microsoft Research aims to have at least two women Fellows each year.

AT&T Industrial Ecology Faculty Fellowship Program
Up to three awards are made each year to either an individual professor or a team of researchers. The award provides a grant of $25,000 to support the winning proposal. The fields which are eligible for this award are: social sciences, physical sciences, engineering, business, public policy, management science, law, economics, or a related interdisciplinary field.

Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship Program
Full time science and engineering faculty are eligible to apply for a chance at an eight to twelve week research residency at participating Air Force Research Facilities. The weekly stipends depend on professorial title, broken down as follows: $1300 for Assistant Professors, $1500 for Associate Professors, and $1700 for Professors. Fellows also receive a daily expense allowance of $50.

NASA Faculty Fellowship Program (NFFP)
The NFFP awards eligible faculty members with the chance to conduct research for ten weeks at one of its NASA Centers or Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Fellows are given a weekly stipend of $1,200 which is not to exceed $12,000 during the ten weeks. Fellows may also receive a relocation allowance. To be eligible, faculty must be either tenured (if at a four year university) or a full time faculty member (if at a two year university). The following disciplines of study are preferred: engineering, mathematics, technology development, or a science discipline that is related to NASA research.

National Academy of Engineering/Center for the Advancement of Scholarship on Engineering Education Faculty Fellow Program
Each year nine new engineering and computer science faculty are chosen to receive the fellowship, which awards fellows with a $1,000 grant for conference travel expenses. Fellows will attend the Frontiers in Education Conference, which provides them with a chance to network while learning about new developments in engineering and computer science education. Applicants for this scholarship must have less than two years of teaching experience and plan on attending the entire conference and one workshop.

Boeing Welliver Faculty Fellowship Program
Since 1995, Boeing has selected exemplary faculty members in engineering, manufacturing and information technology and business to have a chance to be a part of the industrial workplace. The program, which has selected 129 Fellows since it began, allows the selected faculty members to observe and comment on Boeing’s procedures and business practices. At the end of the program, Fellows are asked to submit a report on their observations which contains their suggestions for improvement. They are also asked to present their own personal plan for improving undergraduate education in their field.

Department of Energy Faculty and Student Teams Program (FaST)
The FaST Program provides funding for one faculty member and two or three of his or her undergraduate students. Supported disciplines include science, engineering and technology. Those from underrepresented groups, such as minorities and women, and those from universities with limited resources are especially encouraged to apply. FaST provides the winning team with summer research opportunities in Department of Energy research labs, allowing the faculty member to choose a research area that is mutually beneficial to both the faculty member and the laboratory scientist that the team will work with.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP)
$30,000 per year, renewable up to three years, divided as follows: $21,000 student stipend, $4,000 travel allowance, $1,000 for health insurance, and $4,000 university allowance. Approximately 300 graduate students are supported annually.

National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate (NDSEG) Fellowship
Includes full tuition and all required fees for three years as well as a stipend, as follows: $30,500 for first year, $31,000 for second year, and $31,500 for third year; also includes up to $1,000 for health insurance. Approximately 200 fellowships are awarded each year.

Science, Mathematics, And Research for Transformation Defense Scholarship for Research Program (SMART)
Includes all university tuition and required fees as well as the following stipends: $22,500 per year for undergraduate students, $31,000 per year for Master’s candidates, and $38,000 per year for Doctoral candidates; tenure is given up to the time typically required to complete degree studies. It also offers a $1,000 book allowance. Between 30 and 100 awards are granted each year.

Jacob K. Javits Fellowship US Department of Education
Average award size of $42,652; stipend level is determined by fellow’s financial need. This program provides fellowships to students of superior academic ability-selected on the basis of demonstrated achievement, financial need, and exceptional promise-to undertake study at the doctoral and Master of Fine Arts level in selected fields of arts, humanities, and social sciences. Approximately 65 new awards are given out annually.

Goldwater Science Scholarships
Approximately 300 scholarships are awarded annually for undergraduate students in math and science. The one and two year scholarships cover the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board up to a maximum of $7,500 per year.

Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship
$20,000 per year for three years plus $3,000 to the institution for tuition and fees and expenses paid for attending one Conference of Ford Fellows. Eligible applicants must be enrolled or plan to enroll in a research based program leading to a PhD or ScD; practice-oriented programs are not eligible for funding. The Ford Foundation seeks to increase the ethnic and racial diversity of American colleges and universities. Approximately 60 new awards are given out annually.

Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI)- National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Scholars Program
Forty two medical and dental students are selected annually to spend nine months engrossed in research at the National Institutes of Health. Those chosen receive $25,000 annually to cover their expenses, as well as receiving medical, life, accidental death and dismemberment insurance. The program will also pay the costs for one class per semester and gives $250 to cover textbook and journal expenses.

Geological Society of America Research Grants
This grant is intended for master’s and doctoral students conducting research in the geological sciences. In 2006, approximately 450 new grants were awarded. The average award was $1963. Applicants must be members of the Geological Society of America; women, minorities and the disabled are strongly encouraged to apply.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowship
$37,000 per year; up to two years for Master’s students and up to three years for Doctorate students. Applicants’ research must be in an environmentally related field. Approximately 15 new awards are given out annually.

Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship 
$31,200 per year; $1,000 academic allowance per year; up to $2,500 matching funds for computer support if requested. Seventeen fellowships were awarded for the 2007-2008 academic year.

National Science Foundation Alan T. Waterman Award
Each year one individual receives this award. The awardee receives a grant of $500,000 over a three year period for conducting scientific research. This award is open to individuals who are 35 years old or younger and are in scientific research or advanced study in one of the following fields: mathematical, physical, biological, engineering, social or other sciences.

Hertz Fellowship
Annual stipend of $28,000 (up to 5 years) or $33,000 (up to 2 years). The fellowship is awarded to approximately 15 individuals per academic year to students in the physical, biological, and engineering sciences.

Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative/Global Nuclear Energy Partnership (AFCI/GNEP) University Fellowship Program
Support is given for up to 18 months with up to $42,500 in benefits. The fellowship is open to students working towards their master’s degrees in either nuclear science or engineering studying a topic that is of interest to AFCI/GNEP. Eight fellows were chosen for the 2007-2008 academic year.

Department of Homeland Security
$2,300 per month for 12 months; tuition and mandatory, nonrefundable fees also paid. Sixty two graduate scholarships were awarded in 2006.

Joseph L. Fisher Doctoral Dissertation Fellowships -Resources for the Future (RFF)
This fellowship is awarded to applicants in the final year of their doctoral dissertation research who are studying a topic that is related to the environment, natural resources, or energy. RFF’s primary fields are economics and other social sciences, though other science fields are eligible as long as there is an obvious and immediate link in the proposal to environment policy matters. Three new awardees were selected for the 2007-2008 academic year, with each fellowship totaling $12,000.

Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Awards for Individual Predoctoral Fellowships to Promote Diversity in Health-Related Research
Applicants from disadvantaged backgrounds, from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups, and those with disabilities are especially encouraged to apply. To be eligible, an applicant must currently be enrolled in or accepted into a PhD or equivalent degree program in the biomedical, behavioral sciences, health services, or clinical sciences. Awardees are given a stipend of approximately $20,772, have up to 60% of tuition and fees paid (not exceeding $16,000 per year or $21,000 per year for combined dual degree programs) and an institutional allowance of $4,200.

Ruth L. Kirschtein National Research Service Awards for MD/PhD Fellowships
To be eligible applicants must have a baccalaureate degree and be enrolled in an accredited MD/PhD program at a medical school, accepted in a related PhD program and have at least one year of dissertation-style research training remaining. Awardees are given a stipend of approximately $20,772 per year, have up to 60% of tuition paid up to $3,000, 100% below, and an institutional allowance of $2,750 for non-profit institutions, $1,650 for for-profit institutions or Federal laboratories.

National Physical Science Consortium (NPSC) Fellowship
$21,000 per year, on average for two to three years, though it can be extended up to six years; $16,000 for student stipend, $5,000 to support NPSC operations. The eligible fields of study include astronomy, chemistry, computer science, geology, materials science, mathematical sciences, physics, and related engineering fields. The number of awards given out varies yearly.

U.S. Department of Energy Global Change Program (GREF)
GREF awards an annual stipend of $19,200, a $600 Research Education Supplementation, and also pays for tuition and fees. Awards are given out in three year appointments which can be renewed annually. Eligible applicants will have completed one year of graduate school and must be studying one of the following fields: biological sciences, biological engineering, physics, or astronomy.

Electrochemical Society Summer Fellowships
This award is given to graduate students to assist them in continuing their studies over the summer months. Applicants must be studying a topic that is of interest to the Electrochemical Society. Eligible fields include: chemistry, biochemistry, chemical engineering, computer science/engineering, and electrical engineering. Up to four fellowships are awarded each year with each award, on average, totaling $4,000.

Whitaker Foundation Graduate Fellowships in Biomedical Engineering
Whitaker awards are available to biomedical engineering/bioengineering students who wish to study abroad. Applicants cannot have received a doctorate by the time that the grant begins. The award covers round trip international airfare, a monthly stipend for living expenses, health and accident insurance, and a maximum tuition allowance of $15,000. The award is good for up to one academic year.

Association for Institutional Research/Institute of Education Sciences-National Center for Education Statistics (AIR/IES-NCES) Fellowships for Graduate Study
Both part time and full time students who are conducting or advancing institutional research are eligible for this fellowship. It awards up to $10,000 per year for three years. Students who are part time will receive up to $3,000 per year, but they may change their status to full time student and receive the larger stipend. Students must be enrolled in classes related to institutional research or plan on doing so while being supported.

Scientific Chateaubriand Fellowships
Doctorate students and post-doctorates are eligible for this fellowship. Those chosen from the sciences will have ten months of study in France, while those in the social sciences and humanities will be supported for twelve months. Besides the monthly stipend (between 1680 and 2026 Euro), Fellows will also be given health insurance and a round trip ticket to France. Applicants should either contact a French laboratory to work with through their university or from the list on the Fellowship’s website.

Marshall Scholarships
Forty individuals are selected each year to study at a graduate or, in some cases, undergraduate institution each year in the United Kingdom. Fellows are supported for two years. The fellowship award includes: university fees, living expenses, and annual book and thesis grant, grants for daily research and travel, and travel expenses to and from the United States. In some cases, where applicable, the scholarship will also pay towards supporting a dependent spouse. Applicants may be from any area of study and will need to have graduated from their institution after April 2005 for the 2008 award.

Science and Engineering Fellowships Directory

General Student Fellowships and Scholarships

Faculty Fellowships

Available Funding with Specific Applicant Requirements

Fellowships Available Through the Applicant’s University

Internships

Funding for Conference Attendance

We continue to add to our Science and Engineering Fellowships and Scholarships Directory. We have over 50 listed now: for high school, bachelors, graduate and doctoral students as well as for post doctorates and faculty. A sampling of those listed:

National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
Includes full tuition and all required fees for three years as well as a stipend of $30,000 a year and a one time International Research Travel Allowance of $1,000. Approximately 1,000 awards are given out each year.

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Graduate Student Researchers Program (GSRP)
$30,000 per year, renewable up to three years, divided as follows: $21,000 student stipend, $4,000 travel allowance, $1,000 for health insurance, and $4,000 university allowance. Approximately 300 graduate students are supported annually.

Science, Mathematics, And Research for Transformation Defense Scholarship for Research Program (SMART)
Includes all university tuition and required fees as well as the following stipends: $22,500 per year for undergraduate students, $31,000 per year for Master’s candidates, and $38,000 per year for Doctoral candidates; tenure is given up to the time typically required to complete degree studies. It also offers a $1,000 book allowance. Between 30 and 100 awards are granted each year.

Intel Foundation PhD Fellowship Program
Select US universities are partnered with Intel to award approximately 40 fellowships a year. The fellowship is available for two years and covers a cash award for tuition, fees, and a stipend, and Intel laptop, an Intel mentor, an opportunity to participate in an Intel internship, and an invitation to the Fellowship Forum at Intel. This fellowship is available to students studying engineering, computer science and other technical majors that are focused on semiconductor technologies, micro-architecture, and communications.
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The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship application deadline for some applicants is November 1st. See a list of deadlines by discipline. Other deadlines for fellowships managed by ASEE:

• SMART - December 14th
• NDSEG - January 7th, 2008
• NREIP - January 14th, 2008
• SEAP (high school students) - January 28th, 2008
• Navy Postdoctoral Fellowship - no deadline

Faculty

• Navy Summer Faculty Research Program - December 4th
• Air Force Summer Faculty Fellowship - November 30th

Related: Directory of science and engineering fellowships and scholarships