Dear Colleagues, Opportunities are currently available at The University of Alabama (UA)<https://www.ua.edu/> <https://www.ua.edu/> and the Alabama Materials Institute (AMI)<https://ami.ua.edu/> <https://ami.ua.edu/> for students applying to the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP)<https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/grfp-nsf-graduate-research-fellowship-program>. *UA is eligible to award this fellowship to submitters that earn honorable mention in the GRFP competition who are selected by a UA committee. Students will come to UA for their graduate degree through the EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program. This gives students up to two opportunities to win this fellowship! If you apply to the NSF GRFP and aren't selected, but you receive an honorable mention, you can still apply to UA to conduct research.* The National Science Foundation (NSF) EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program (EGFP) supports EGFP-designated institutions and programs in EPSCoR jurisdictions by providing funding for graduate fellowships for new or continuing EGFP-eligible applicants. EGFP awards support a total of three years of stipend and associated cost-of-education (COE) allowance for each NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellow. This award at the University of Alabama Tuscaloosa provides support for 10 EPSCoR Graduate Fellows whose research will align with the unique goals and programs supported by the Directorate for Engineering (ENG) and Directorate for Mathematical and Physical Sciences (MPS). The central theme of the project revolves around engineering and materials science addressing both experimental as well as computational research. Through this fellowship program, student participants will have multiple opportunities for research and educational interactions that will strengthen each Fellow's scientific impact. Apart from an intensive research experience, Fellows will have the opportunity to network and interact with partners from industry and national laboratories. Fellows will be recruited nationally and mentored by a team of well-qualified and dedicated faculty affiliated with the Alabama Materials Institute (AMI) at the University of Alabama. This project has the potential to increase the number of skilled scientists and engineers in areas of relevance to energy, defense, transportation, and human health. Several Geology faculty are currently working on relevant projects focused on analyses of Earth materials, including volcanic deposits, biomaterials, and critical resources. Please see the relevant faculty e-mail information as follows: Dr. Kimberly Genareau<https://geo.ua.edu/people/kimberly-genareau/> (kdg@ua.edu), Dr. Alberto Perez-Huerta<https://geo.ua.edu/people/alberto-perez-huerta/> (aphuerta@ua.edu), and Dr. Nicolas Saintilan<https://geo.ua.edu/people/nicolas-saintilan/> (njsaintilan@ua.edu). Core Eligibility Criteria * Citizenship: Must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident (green card holder). [1<https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/grfp/eligibility>] * Degree Program: Must intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in a research-based master's or doctoral degree program in an eligible STEM field<https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/grfp/fields-of-study>. [1<https://www.nsf.gov/funding/opportunities/grfp-nsf-graduate-research-fellowship-program>, 2<https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/grfp/eligibility>] * Academic Level: Must have completed less than one academic year in a graduate degree program at the time of application. This includes undergraduate seniors, bachelor's degree holders with no prior graduate enrollment, joint degree students, and first-year graduate students. [1<https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/grfp/eligibility>] * Prior History: Must never have accepted an NSF GRFP award previously, nor hold a master's, doctoral, or terminal degree in any field. [1<https://www.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/grfp/eligibility>] Ineligible Criteria * Foreign nationals on student visas or those awaiting green cards. * Students enrolled in practice-oriented professional degrees (such as MBA, MPH, MD, JD, DVM, or DDS) or joint science-professional degrees (like MD/Ph.D.). * Current NSF employee Award information Per award (Fellowship), pending the availability of funds. Each Fellowship provides three years of support over a five-year Fellowship period. For each of the three years of support, NSF provides a $37,000 stipend and a $16,000 Cost of Education allowance provided to the institution of higher education (IHE) in lieu of all tuition and mandatory fees for each Fellow using the support in a Fellowship year. [Image] There are many projects available through the UA Department of Geological Sciences faculty l, so you should contact one of the faculty listed above before applying to the NSF GRFP. Even if you are not selected for the GRFP, but instead receive an honorable mention, you can still be admitted to UA to conduct your research through EPSCoR. Therefore, UA offers two opportunities for funding through NSF! Sincerely, Alberto Perez-Huerta