Applications for the 2025-2026 academic year are OPEN!
Applications are due by 11:59 PM on January 16, 2025.
The VTSGC Graduate Fellowship Program is open to graduate students enrolled in masters and doctoral programs in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines within the State of Vermont. The goals of this program are to (1) help prepare the next generation of researchers in STEM disciplines, and (2) provide the graduate student a research experience that strongly aligns with NASA research priorities and technology needs. The application for a VTSGC Graduate Fellowship must be prepared by the graduate student with collaborative support by a faculty mentor. Awards will be made directly to the student.
Eligibility
Graduate students funded by this competition must be U.S. citizens enrolled in a master's or PhD program within a STEM discipline at a Vermont college or university. Faculty serving as research mentors will be full-time faculty in STEM disciplines. We particularly encourage women, gender diverse, people with disabilities, first-generation students, and other underrepresented groups to apply.
Award Stipend and Amounts
Subject to the availability of NASA annual funding installments, these awards will provide the graduate student a stipend for a maximum of 12 months anticipated to span from July 1 to June 30 of the following year. For University of Vermont graduate fellowship recipients, the projected 12-month stipend is $35,000. The award also includes up to $13,200* for tuition costs and $2,222 for fees, including health insurance.+ For non-UVM graduate fellowship recipients attending another Vermont institution, the (projected) total amount of funding is $50,422.
1The availability and number of these awards are subject to future NASA funding.
*Amount is based on 18 credits at current in-state tuition rates. This amount could change.
+Health insurance costs are subject to change each year. This amount could change.
Application Packet
See the Call for Applications at the top of this page for specifics on how to prepare and submit your application. In brief, the completed application must include items listed below.
- Signed Cover Page. Use the form available in the Request for Applications.
- Project Narrative (limit of four pages, exclusive of citations).
- NASA Relevance. (limit of one page, exclusive of any external letters/emails)
- Student Resume (limit of two pages).
- Student Academic Transcript. An unofficial transcript is acceptable.
Please note that items 2–4 above must be typed and single-spaced, using at least a 12-point font size and 1-inch margins on 8-by-11-inch pages. Applications that do not adhere to this requirement will not be considered.
The application must be submitted electronically to the VTSGC Office no later than the date listed at the top of this page. The application packet must be saved as a single PDF file and emailed using the address sg.director@uvm.edu and subject line “Graduate Fellowship Application.” Applications will be acknowledged by email.
Obligations with Funding
Recipients of the fellowship, in collaboration with their faculty mentor, will be required to provide written progress updates to the Space Grant Director during the award period as needed to comply with NASA reporting requests. A final report will be due within thirty (30) days of the end of the award period. Awardees must also complete a pre- and post-award survey from the VTSGC as well as create a profile in NASA's online Gateway portal. These surveys and profile are required for the VTSGC office to provide mandated reports to the NASA Office of STEM Education.
For More Information
See the Request for Funding announcement at the top of this page for full details on how to apply for the VTSGC Graduate Research Fellowship. Direct any questions about this program and/or application to:
Bernard F. Cole, PhD
Director, Vermont Space Grant Consortium
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405
E-mail: Bernard.Cole@uvm.edu
| Student Bio | Degree Program | Department | Project Title and Final Report |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natalie Bett | MS | Mechanical Engineering | Joint Geometry’s Impact on Articular Cartilage’s Response to Loading as Measured In Vivo Using Quantitative MRI |
| Calum Buchanan | PhD | Mathematical Science | Spatial Connectivity and Reliability of Satellite Communication Networks |
| Benjamin DesRoberts | MS | Mechanical Engineering | Active Dust Mitigation via a Bounded Vortex Flow Approach |
| Ericka Griggs | PhD | Biology | Using Remote Sensing Tools to Model Malaria Parasite (genus Plasmodium) Expansion in Common Loons (Gavia immer) |
| Sarah-Catherine Paschall | PhD | Cellular, Molecular, and Biomedical Science | Molecular Mechanisms of KIFBP in Promoting Neuronal Development and Maintenance |
| Joel Pyfrom | MS | Mechanical Engineering | Vibrational Control in Space Using Topological Mechanical Metamaterials |
| Jeremy Quail | PhD | Mathematical Science | Routing Over Space Networks |
| Nicole Roode | PhD | Electrical and Biomedical Engineering | Size-Specific Nanoparticles as Treatment for Vacular Disease in Low Resource Environments |
| Greta Savitsky | PhD | Plant Biology | Using LPJ-GUESS to Simulate Boreal Fire Ecology and Carbon Dynamics |
| Keith Sullivan | PhD | Mathematical Science | Characterizing Robust Dynamic Satellite Networks via Local Communication |
| Sullivan Weston | MS | Mechanical Engineering | Planar Laser Induced Fluorescence |