Fellowship Information

Number of Awards:

Varies yearly

Type:

Fellowship

Duration

In the traditional fellowship, initial support may be for two or three years, or for a full six years, depending on the employer-sponsor. If the initial support is for the shorter period, it may be extended up to six years at the discretion of the employer. Students typically apply while seniors in college..

The Dissertation Support Program covers the period of dissertation research and defense, up to a maximum of four years.

Amount:

The charge to the employer for each student supported is $21,000, of which $16,000 is the stipend to the student and $5,000 goes to NPSC to support its operations. The charge is subject to change at the discretion of the NPSC Board of Directors.

Fields of Study:

Though the fields supported can vary annually depending on employer needs, in general NPSC covers the following: Astronomy, Chemistry, Computer Science, Geology, Materials Science, Mathematical Sciences, Physics, and their subdisciplines, and related engineering fields: Chemical, Computer, Electrical, Environmental, Mechanical.

Location or Type of Institution:

Any participating NPSC Member University or College

Eligibility:

NPSC welcomes applications from any qualified U.S. citizen who has the ability to pursue graduate work at an NPSC member institution. NPSC attempts to recruit a broad pool of applicants with special emphasis on underrepresented minorities and women. Applicants should be in one of the following categories:

For the Traditional Program:

• Be in your senior year with at least a 3.0/4.0 GPA
• Be in your first year of a graduate program.
• Be in a terminal master's program (your university offers no Ph.D. in your discipline).
• Be returning from the workforce with no more than a master's degree

For the Dissertation Support Program, be near the point at which your research will begin.

Employers may nominate NPSC fellows directly, obviating the selection process. These fellows may enroll for either a Master's or a PhD degree.

Persons who already possess a doctoral degree in any field are ineligible.

Selection

Selection is a two-step process. First, NPSC's Academic Screening Committee ranks applicants on the basis of likelihood that the applicant will earn a Ph.D. degree with distinction. The following factors, not in order, enter into the ASC's deliberations:

• Academic standing (GPA)
• Undergraduate and graduate course work and grades
• Research experience at University or Industry
• Letters of recommendation from professors and employers. The most effective letters are from someone who has supervised or observed the applicant's participation in research.
• The GRE General tests are required; the Subject test is suggested and may be required by your university.

Next, employers review the pool of applicants recommended by the ASC and advise NPSC of which students, if any, the employer wishes to support. NPSC then makes the award. Note that employers use criteria such as academic discipline and intended field of research in addition to academic merit.

© Copyright 2004, National Physical Science Consortium.