ARPA-E is looking for the next generation of scientific leaders to help solve the most pressing and exciting challenges in energy. The Fellows assist the agency in identifying possible breakthrough energy technologies through technical and economic analyses. During their two-year tenure, ARPA-E Fellows influence the direction of American energy innovation, engaging with world-class researchers in academia and industry, entrepreneurs, and government officials. Prior experience in energy and/or commercialization is not necessary.

Responsibilities:

Independent energy technology development

• Perform primary technical and economic analyses to identify high‑impact technologies and white spaces for the agency.
• Learn from and brainstorm with experts in a variety of fields.
• Publish original research papers and reviews.
• Attend and present at conferences.

Program Director support

• Help develop future programs through technical analysis, discussions, debate, and workshops.
• Support existing programs through technical and economic analyses and on-site visits to current project teams.

Organizational support

• Develop technical content for the ARPA-E Energy Innovation Summit.
• Contribute to the strategic direction and vision of the agency.
• Review proposals for funding opportunities.

ARPA-E Fellows do not perform laboratory research or directly engage in policymaking.

Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in science or engineering. Students who expect to complete their Ph.D. within the next year are also encouraged to apply.
• Strong analytical, research, and communication skills.
• Ability to initiate independent projects and work across disciplines.
• Passion to change the world through energy technology research and development.
• U.S. citizenship.

Employment details:

• Fellows typically have a 2-year term at ARPA-E.
• Duty station is ARPA-E headquarters in Washington, D.C.
• Fellows receive a budget for professional development and travel.
• Fellows are full-time federal employees, are paid a competitive salary, and receive full benefits.

The Application Portal is now open.

Science Mathematics and Research for Transformation (SMART)

The SMART Scholarship-for-Service Program was established as a concentrated effort to enhance the Department of Defense (DoD) workforce with talented, innovative and brilliant scientists, engineers and researchers. For over a decade, SMART Scholars have been working within labs and agencies of the Army, Navy, Air Force and Additional DoD to support the warfighter and create an impact to secure our nation. 

SMART Scholars enter the program to pursue their education in some of the leading STEM fields currently in high demand by the United States Government. The program offers scholarships for bachelors, masters and PhD students pursuing STEM. While in school, students will receive full tuition, monthly stipends, health insurance and book allowances, as well as summer internships that range from 8 to 12 weeks. Upon degree completion, scholars begin working in a civilian position with their sponsoring facility. The internships and work experience allow scholars the opportunity to learn from the greatest minds in STEM and defense. Not only do scholars pursue their passions in their respective field during their educational phase, but they begin a journey towards an empowering career to protect national security. Learn More >

Click here to learn more about the SMART Scholarship Program from SMART Scholars and DoD Personnel.

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The basics

The GRFP is a prestigious, nationally competitive fellowship offered by the National Science Foundation. It provides three years of financial support for beginning graduate study leading to a research-based master’s or doctoral degree in the STEM disciplines.

Financial support

The fellowship includes a $34,000-per-year stipend for three years. Additionally, each Fellow receives a tuition waiver via a $12,000 annual cost-of-education allowance that is awarded to the graduate institution. After one year of graduate study, Fellows become eligible to apply for international research funding support through Graduate Research Opportunities Worldwide (GROW) and Graduate Research Internship Program (GRIP). Fellows may request access to cyberinfrastructure resources, including supercomputing time, through the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE). Supplemental funding for researchers with disabilities and a leave provision for dependent care issues are also offered.

Eligibility requirements*

Citizenship: Must be a United States citizen, US national, or a permanent US resident by the application deadline. Refer to the GRFP solicitation.

1. Degree requirement: Individuals are typically eligible to apply…
   • as an undergraduate senior or post-baccalaureate, before beginning graduate training;
   •  in the final year of a joint baccalaureate-master’s (BS/MS) program;
   •  having completed a joint baccalaureate-master’s (BS/MS) program and have not completed any further graduate study outside the joint program unless the graduate coursework was required to establish or maintain credentials in a profession such as teaching;
   • after having an interruption in graduate study of at least two consecutive years prior to November 1 of the year the application is submitted and have completed no additional graduate study as of August 1 of the year the application is submitted.;
   • NEW: Effective as of the 2017 competition (Fall 2016 deadlines), NSF will limit graduate students to only one application to the GRFP, submitted either in the first year or in the second year of graduate school. Source/learn more
   • Exception for the 2017 competition only: First-year graduate students in Fall 2015 who applied to the 2016 GRFP competition will be allowed to apply a second time in Fall 2016, if they are otherwise eligible. Source/learn more
2. Broad Fields of study (disciplines): Life Sciences, Geosciences; Computer and Information Science and Engineering;  Engineering; Materials Research; Psychology, Social Sciences, STEM Education and Learning; Chemistry; Mathematical Sciences; Physics and Astronomy.. Interdisciplinary research is also possible. Not eligible: professional practice degrees View sub-disciplines in the current GRFP solicitation.

*Always refer to the current NSF-GRFP Solicitation for official eligibility information.

Award cycle

The GRFP competition opens in late summer with submission deadlines in late October. Awards are offered the following spring. Fellows must commence graduate study in the summer or fall after accepting the award. About 2,000 fellowships will be offered.

Special Note

Whereas the National Science Foundation awards grants to investigators to fund their research, the Graduate Research Fellowship Program funds students who are training to become well-rounded researchers. It’s a fine distinction, but an important one.

https://web.archive.org/web/20181012114409/http://grfpessayinsights.missouri.edu/

For the tenth consecutive year, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) seeks to sponsor U.S. citizen, U.S. national and permanent resident graduate student research that has significant potential to contribute to NASA’s goal of creating innovative new space technologies for our Nation’s science, exploration, and economic future. NASA Headquarters has released a solicitation, titled NASA Space Technology Graduate Research Opportunities – Fall 2020 (NSTGRO20), on September 5, 2019. The solicitation is available by visiting the following URL: https://tinyurl.com/NSTGRO20.  Please note that this solicitation replaces the NASA Space Technology Research Fellowships (NSTRF) solicitation. This call for graduate student-developed space technology research proposals solicits proposals on behalf of individuals pursuing or planning to pursue master’s or doctoral (Ph.D.) degrees in relevant space technology disciplines at accredited U.S. universities (see solicitation for complete eligibility requirements). Proposals in response to NSTGRO20 must be submitted electronically through NSPIRES and are due on November 5, 2019, by 6 PM ET/3 PM PT. NSTGRO20 requires university submission of proposals;  students must coordinate with both a faculty advisor (who will serve as Principal Investigator on the grant) and an Authorized Organizational Representative of the submitting university. Please see Section 4 – Eligibility Requirements in the solicitation for special instructions for undergraduate students and those not currently in graduate school (i.e., who do not yet know the university where they will be pursuing their graduate studies in fall of 2020). Awards resulting from this competitive selection will be made in the form of grants to accredited U.S. universities with the designated faculty advisor as the Principal Investigator (PI). The financial and programmatic support for NSTGRO20 comes from STMD. These awards are a component of the Space Technology Research Grants Program which engages the entire spectrum of academic researchers, including graduate students. Awards resulting from this solicitation are planned to coincide with the start of the 2020 academic year and are subject to the availability of appropriated funds. Comments and questions may be addressed by e-mail to the Space Technology Research Grants Program, at HQ-NSTGRO-Call@mail.nasa.gov.  Responses to inquiries will be answered by e-mail and may also be included in the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) document located on the NSPIRES page associated with the solicitation; anonymity of individuals/institutions who submit questions will be preserved.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine administers awards forpostdoctoral and senior researchers at the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL), the U.S. Air Force Institute of Technology (AFIT), and the U.S. Air Force Academy (USAFA) under the Air Force Science & Technology Fellowship Program (STFP). These awards include a generous stipend, starting at $76,542 per year for recent Ph.D. recipients, and higher foradditional experience. The STFP provides the opportunity for selected Fellows to conduct independent research in some of the best-equipped laboratories in the U.S., in collaboration with highly qualified scientists and engineers. Research opportunities in the STFP are open to U.S.citizens only.

The STFP receives applications in four annual review cycles:

•  November: Opens September 1; Closes November 1
•  February: Opens December 1; Closes February 1
•  May: Opens March 1; Closes May 1
•  August: Opens June 1; Closes August 1

Applicants should contact prospective AFRL, AFIT and USAFA Research Adviser(s) at thelab(s) prior to the application deadline to discuss their research interests and fundingopportunities.

Thank you for your assistance in promoting these opportunities. For more information:

Phone: 202-334-2760

Email: rap@nas.edu

Web: www.nas.edu/afrl

Sincerely yours,

1. RayGamble
   Director, Fellowships Office
   500 5th Street NW
   Washington, DC 20001

There is still time to put together a competitive application to an award opportunity that is a good fit for you. Submit an online application, and a three to five page proposal by September 16, 2019 to become a part of this life-changing experience! There are many options for awards focusing on engineering including the following: •Australia – Fulbright Scholar Award in Resources & Energy•Burkina Faso – Engineering and Environmental Sciences•Cote d’Ivoire – Mechanical Engineering and Technology Instruction•Ireland – Material Science and Engineering•Italy: Fulbright Lectureship in Computer Science & Engineering•Spain: Aerospace or Mechanical Engineering at Universidad Europea de Madrid

For the full list of related awards with similar discipline, click here. To view the entire list of awards, visit the Catalog of Awards. We look forward to receiving your application! Please contact us with questions. Best, Fulbright U.S. Scholar Program Team Contact: scholars@iie.org

A Grant Program of The Cosmos Club Foundation In Support of Graduate Students At Washington Area Universities 2019-2020 Purpose The program provides grants to meet specific research needs not covered by other supporting funds, including but not limited to special supplies, travel, unanticipated expenses that would enhance the work, etc. Specifically excluded are general financial support, tuition, and living expenses (except in connection with supported travel). Scope of Program There is no restriction as to academic field, but the project should be focused on objective scholarly research rather than commercial or political activity, social activism, or other non-academic goals. The number of grants to be awarded is not rigidly fixed, but is expected to be at least fifteen. Amounts of awards will be determined individually, but are contemplated to be in the range of $500 to $5,000. Eligibility Applicants must be enrolled, on a full-time or part-time basis, in a program leading to a graduate degree (Masters or Doctoral) at one of the local institutions listed below under “Eligible Institutions”. Budget Grants will not exceed $5,000. Every research proposal must include (in the space provided on the application form) a brief budget statement that lists clearly the funds requested and explains how the money will be allocated. The budget must also state what other support has been sought or received for the work proposed. Items of equipment and special supplies are eligible, but the equipment should be expendable. Items that the institution ought to provide or that graduate students can be expected to own are not eligible. Items and services that will outlive the project are not considered expendable and are generally not eligible. Travel for field research or to research facilities to consult documents or to study artifacts in situ or to conduct cultural exploration is generally eligible. Travel to consult with an expert practitioner may be considered. Guidelines The major criterion for selection is the excellence of the research proposal. No specific format or organization is required. The proposal should include a research question (hypothesis) and clearly explain how it will be tested or investigated. It is important to describe how and when the research will be performed, and why the results will be important or useful. Our preference is for topics not anticipated when the overall research program was proposed and therefore not covered by support originally planned. It is essential to make the project description understandable to scholars in other fields, while retaining enough detail to satisfy a specialist in the field of the proposal. Pay attention to the stated limits on length. The CV must be limited to one page. The proposal statement must not exceed one page; space for the required brief budget statement is provided on the application form. Do not request support for work that will be conducted prior to the announced date of awards, or so soon thereafter that the funds, if awarded, could not be applied to it. Funds for tuition or related expenses for personal professional education will not be provided. Generally funds will not be provided to support remuneration to participants in studies or stipends for research assistants. If the proposal is for part of a group or team effort, the proposer’s role and level of individual participation must be clearly described. All Cosmos Scholar grants are made directly to individual graduate students, not to their host or sponsoring institution. Any restrictions or conditions the institution may impose on the Scholar’s use of granted funds must be clearly described. Before submitting your proposal, please make sure you have abided by the guidelines as follows: I have not asked for funds to be provided for any expenses identified as ineligible. I have developed a modest and appropriate budget (e.g. seek out less expensive modes of travel) I have written the proposal in language that can easily be understood by scholars in other fields while retaining enough detail to satisfy a specialist in the field. (Avoid cutting and pasting from a dissertation or thesis proposal.) I have adhered to the page limits. Exceeding them makes your proposal ineligible. If knowledge of a foreign language is necessary for the research to be accomplished, indicate your degree of proficiency in the language. Obtain your advisor’s approval and carefully complete your application well in advance of the Nov. 1 deadline to avoid hasty mistakes that often disqualify applications. APPLICATION PROCEDURES The entire 2019-20 application must be submitted online. The Deadline for receipt of applications is Friday, November 1, 2019 at 12 midnight. Questions and other messages may be sent by email to grants@cosmosclubfoundation.org. Evaluation and Selection Successful proposals will be selected by the Cosmos Club Foundation Trustees after evaluation and recommendation by panels chosen by the Foundation. Proposals will be judged on both substance and clarity. Failure to conform to the guidelines and budget requirements will disqualify the proposal; please review the proposal carefully before submitting. The Foundation may make awards in amounts different from those requested. Decisions of the Foundation are final and not subject to review. Winners’ names will be posted below, no later than the 1st of February 2020, and recipients of grants also receive a letter requiring a reply to the Foundation before funds are disbursed. The process is very selective; only about 10% of the proposals submitted are funded. Recipients who are designated Cosmos Scholars receive recognition and support at a critical stage of their careers. The program thus has a two-fold public benefit— graduate-student assistance and an increase in knowledge. Conditions of Award Cosmos Scholars are expected to provide a summary report of the results of the project in support of which they have received awards, and to indicate how the award contributed to the project. This report is expected within one year of the date of the award, and the Foundation may post the report on its website. About a year after receipt of their grant, grantees are invited to present the results of their research at an event hosted by the Foundation at the Club. Publications resulting from supported research must acknowledge the Cosmos Club Foundation’s support.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine is accepting applications for the 2020 Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs. Eligibility and online application information are available on the Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs website.

Through its Fellowship Programs, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties by increasing their ethnic and racial diversity, to maximize the educational benefits of diversity, and to increase the number of professors who can and will use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students.

Eligibility Requirements:

• U. S. citizens, U.S. nationals, U.S. permanent residents (holders of a Permanent Resident Card), as well as individuals granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program (DACA) program, political asylees, and refugees, regardless of race, national origin, religion, gender, age, disability, or sexual orientation
• Individuals with evidence of superior academic achievement (such as grade point average, class rank, honors or other designations), and
• Individuals committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level in a research-based field of science, social science, or humanities

Eligibility includes individuals with current status under the DACA Program, as well as individuals whose status may have lapsed but who continue to meet all the USCIS guidelines for DACA available here.

Stipends:

• Predoctoral–$24,000 per year for three years
• Dissertation–$25,000 for one year
• Postdoctoral–$45,000 for one year

Awardees will have expenses paid to attend at least one Conference of Ford Fellows. Approximately 70 predoctoral, 36 dissertation, and 24 postdoctoral fellowships will be awarded.

Application Deadline Dates:

• Predoctoral: December 17, 2019 (5:00 PM EST)
• Dissertation: December 10, 2019 (5:00 PM EST)
• Postdoctoral: December 10, 2019 (5:00 PM EST)

Supplementary Materials receipt deadline for submitted applications is January 7, 2020 (5:00 PM EST)

Thank you for your assistance.

Sincerely yours,
H. Ray Gamble
Director, Fellowships Office
500 5th Street NW, Keck 531
Washington, DC 20001

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine sponsors awards for postdoctoral and senior researchers at participating federal laboratories andaffiliated institutions. These awards include generous stipends ranging from $45,000 – $80,000 per year for recent Ph.D. recipients, and higher for additional experience.Limited graduate level awards are also available. These awards provide the opportunity for recipients to do independent research in some of the best-equipped andstaffed laboratories in the U.S. Research opportunities are open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and for some of the laboratories, foreign nationals.

Four annual review cycles:

• November:Opens September 1; Closes November 1
• February:Opens December 1; Closes February 1
• May:Opens March 1; Closes May 1
•  August: Opens June 1; Closes August 1

Applicants should contact prospective Research Adviser(s) at the lab(s) prior to the application deadline to discuss their research interests and funding opportunities.

Thank you for your assistance. For more information:

Phone: 202-334-2760

Email: rap@nas.edu

Web: www.nas.edu/rap

Sincerely yours,

H. Ray Gamble
Director, Fellowships Office
500 5th Street NW
Washington, DC 20001