The Fellowships Office administers predoctoral, postdoctoral, and senior fellowship awards on behalf of government and private/foundation sponsors. These fellowship awards play an important role in the career development of doctoral and postdoctoral researchers and scholars for the academic, federal, industrial and international workforce. Current opportunities are as follows:
NRC Research Associateship Programs (RAP)
The NRC Research Associateship Programs, established in 1954, have supported the research of over 14,000 scientists and engineers. The goal of these programs is to provide advanced training and collaborative research opportunities for highly qualified graduate postdoctoral and visiting scientists, while enhancing the research conducted in federal laboratories and affiliated institutions. A wide variety of research opportunities, covering in all fields of science and engineering, are available at top research laboratories across the U.S. and in select foreign locations. These awards are open to U.S. citizens, permanent residents, and with some limitations, foreign nationals.
Air Force Science & Technology Fellowship Program
The Air Force Science & Technology Fellowship Program offers nationally competitive fellowship awards to postdoctoral and senior scientists to perform collaborative research at U.S. Air Force research facilities across the country. Since 1966, the Air Force S&T Enterprise has hosted over 1,000 fellows under the NRC Research Associateship Programs and many of these researchers have gone on to successful careers in government laboratories. The Air Force Science & Technology Fellowship Program continues this tradition of providing high quality research opportunities with Air Force scientists and engineers at Air Force Research Laboratory, the Air Force Institute of Technology, and the U.S. Air Force Academy.
ARL Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships Program
The Army Research Laboratory (ARL) is currently offering postdoctoral fellowships to provide the opportunity for recipients to pursue independent research of their own choosing that supports the mission of ARL.
Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs
Through its Fellowship Programs, the Ford Foundation seeks to increase the diversity of the nation’s college and university faculties. Administered by the Academies since 1979, these programs provide fellowship support at the predoctoral, dissertation and postdoctoral levels. Eligibility is limited to U.S. citizens, permanent residents and individuals granted deferred action status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Program who can demonstrate superior academic achievement, are committed to a career in teaching and research at the college or university level, show promise of future achievement as scholars and teachers, and are well prepared to use diversity as a resource for enriching the education of all students. The Ford Foundation Fellowship Programs offer approximately 70 predoctoral awards, 36 awards for dissertation research and 20 postdoctoral awards each year.
Ford Foundation Senior Fellowship
The Ford Foundation Senior Fellowship award was established to further engage Ford Fellows in the important work of the Foundation. The goal of the Ford Foundation Senior Fellowship award is to support innovative research that addresses the overall goals and mission of “moving the Ford Foundation forward.”
Jefferson Science Fellows Program
Recognizing that knowledge of state-of-the-art science, technology, and engineering (STE) is essential to the formulation and implementation of U.S. government policy, the Secretary of State began the Jefferson Science Fellows (JSF) program in 2003. Eligibility is limited to tenured, or similarly appointed, academic scientists, engineers, and physicians from U.S. institutions of higher learning. Fellows spend one year at the U.S. Department of State or the U.S. Agency for International Development in Washington, D.C. Following the fellowship year, the Jefferson Science Fellow returns to his/her academic career, but remains available to the U.S. government as an experienced consultant for short-term projects. In its 13 year history, over 114 Jefferson Science Fellows have worked in various Department of State and USAID offices and regional bureaus, providing valuable insights in policy-making decisions.
NETL Methane Hydrates Fellowship Program
The NETL Methane Hydrates Program is a Research Fellowship Program designed to support the development of Methane Hydrate science and enable highly qualified graduate and postgraduate students to pursue advanced degrees and training in an area of increasing national interest. With respect to the energy production potential of gas hydrates, interest is in projects that will provide improved tools, methods, and information relative to the remote detection, characterization, and appraisal of production potential of Methane Hydrates. With respect to gas hydrates as a part of the global environment, interest is in projects that provide an improved understanding of the processes that control the distribution, occurrence, and stability of gas hydrates in marine and permafrost settings.
The Optical Society, Foundation Fellowships
The Optical Society of America Foundation inspires future optics innovators, supports career development for optics students, recent graduates, and young professionals and recognizes distinguished achievement in the field through the presentation of awards and honors. OSAF Fellowships are intended to provide career enhancing experiences to recent PhDs through postdoctoral research at an OSAF sponsoring company.
In addition to making a variety of fellowship awards, the Fellowships Office organizes annual conferences and symposia for the various fellowship programs and facilitates a bi-annual Fellowship Roundtable for administrators of fellowship programs, both public and private.
