Recognizing an ever-increasing demand for scientists highly trained in areas of interest to stewardship science, the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration founded the Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE NNSA SSGF) in 2006. Now in its fifth year, five new fellows were welcomed into the program. Stephanie Lyons, a second year Notre Dame graduate student, is one of these recipients. Her advisor is Freimann Professor Michael Wiescher. Stephanie received her B.S. degree from Randolph College in Lynchburg, Virginia.
The DOE NNSA SSGF provides up to four years of support to students pursuing a doctoral degree in a program of study that provides a solid background in one of three major areas: high-energy-density physics, nuclear science, or materials under extreme conditions and hydrodynamics. Students selected for this fellowship represent a b academic background in a scientific or engineering discipline – and agree to pursue studies that focus on their chosen field of study.
As part of the program, DOE NNSA SSGF recipients are provided benefits that include a yearly stipend of $36,000, payment of all tuition and fees at the accredited U.S. college or university that they choose to attend, and an annual academic and conference travel allowance. Fellows participate in a highly regarded annual fellowship conference in Washington, D.C. and are afforded the unique opportunity to complete a three-month practicum at one of the DOE’s national defense laboratories. During the practicum experience, fellows are able to use some of the nation’s largest and most sophisticated experimental and computational facilities to conduct their research.
In order to be considered for this competitive fellowship, each applicant must provide a transcript, GRE scores, written responses to essay questions and a detailed program of study. In addition, three letters of reference are required from advisors, instructors and employers familiar with the applicant’s background and capabilities. These materials undergo careful review by a committee of distinguished individuals representing academia and the DOE national laboratories. For more information on the DOE NNSA SSGF program, please contact the Krell Institute at 515-956-3696 or visit www.krellinst.org/ssgf/