Applications for the 2026-2027 academic year are now open! Applicants must submit complete applications by January 15th, 2026, to be considered.
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.
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, 2026, to June 30, 2027. For University of Vermont graduate fellowship recipients, the projected 12-month stipend is $35,880. The award also includes up to $13,200* for tuition costs and $2,322 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 here.
- 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 8.5-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 once the submission date has passed.
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 Call for Applications 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rachael Chertok | MS | Computer Science | Implementation of a Robot Made from Computational Granular Metamaterials for Exploration of the Surface of Venus |
| Christopher Foley | PhD | Mechanical Engineering | Sustainable Alternative Proteins for Astronauts During Extended Missions |
| Gabriel Johnson | MS | Mechanical Engineering | Characterization of Priming Transients in Spacecraft Propulsion Systems |
| Chris Kombo | MS | Mechanical Engineering | Microstructural Design of a High-Entropy Refractory Alloy for Ultrahigh Temperature Structural Applications |
| Stephen Paige | PhD | Electrical & Biomedical Engineering | Radiation treatment and diagnosis in a single drug delivery nanoparticle system |
| Cooper Petrie | MS | Civil & Environmental Engineering | A continued investigation in the mitigation of planktonic bacteria in water recovery systems using magnetic nanoparticles |
| Nicole Roode | PhD | Electrical and Biomedical Engineering | Size-specific nanoparticles as treatment for vascular disease in low resource environments |
| Annabelle Stanley | PhD | Natural Resources | Modeling the arrival of chronic wasting disease to the State of Vermont using remote sensing data |