Category: Funding Opportunities

Opportunities for funding graduate education.

Collegiate Inventors Competition

The invention, a reduced-to-practice idea or working prototype, must be the work of a student or team of students with his or her university advisor. If it is a machine, it must be operable. If it is a chemical, it must be complete with evidence of successful application of the idea. If it is a new plant, color photographs or slides must be included in the submission. If a new or original ornamental design for an article of manufacture is submitted, the entire design must be included in the application. In addition, the invention should be capable of being reproduced.
$15,000 top prize (graduate student); $12,500 prize (undergraduate); The student’s advisor wins a cash prize as well.
Deadline: June 15, 2012
http://www.invent.org/collegiate/index.html
To view additional requirements and to enter: http://www.invent.org/collegiate/enter.html

DOE and EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards

The DOE-EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards support innovative research in energy efficiency and renewable energy by offering recent Ph.D. recipients the opportunity to conduct applied research at universities, national laboratories, and other research facilities. The objective of these awards is to create the next generation of scientific leaders in energy efficiency and renewable energy by attracting the best scientists and engineers to pursue breakthrough technologies. The research programs supporting these awards include:

  • Energy Efficiency
    • Buildings Technologies Program
    • Vehicles Technologies Program
  • Renewable Energy
    • Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Program
    • Geothermal Technologies Program
    • SunShot Initiative
    • Water Power Program

Each award will provide an annual stipend, allowances for health insurance and research-related expenses, and limited reimbursement for relocation expenses. An Annual Research Meeting for participants will be organized and hosted by EERE. The application deadline is May 1, 2012.  More information and application materials can be found at http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/postdoctoral/

Student Employees Sought at Process Improvement

The Office of Process Improvement is hiring two student process improvement coordinators. Direct your undergraduate and graduate students to this opportunity.

The start date for the year-round position is April. The hours are flexible but the students must be available for the summer.

See the details at NACElink. You must login using an ISO username and password.

For more information, contact Wendy Davis, manager of Process Improvement, at 487-3180 or at wmdavis@mtu.edu .

Published in Tech Today

Research Associateship Programs

The mission of the NRC Research Associateship Programs (RAP) is to promote excellence in scientific and technological research conducted by the U. S. government through the administration of programs offering graduate, postdoctoral, and senior level research opportunities at sponsoring federal laboratories and affiliated institutions.

In these programs, prospective applicants select a research project or projects from among the large group of opportunities listed on this website.  Prior to completing an application, prospective applicants should contact the proposed Research Adviser to assure that funding will be available if their application is recommended by NRC panels.  Once mutual interest is established between a prospective applicant and a Research Adviser, an application is submitted through the NRC WebRap system.  Reviews are conducted four times each year and review results are available approximately 6-8 weeks following the application deadline.

See their web site for more information, and note that the deadlines for the 2012 program are:

  • February 1
  • May 1
  • August 1
  • November 1

NCAA Research Committee – Research Grant Program

The NCAA Research Committee is pleased to announce the 2012 NCAA Graduate Student Research Grant Program. The program’s goals are:

  1. to stimulate research on college athletics;
  2. to foster contributions to the empirical research on college athletics;
  3. to provide financial support to graduate students interested in engaging in high-quality research related to college athletics, and
  4. to assist NCAA-member colleges and universities and the general public in gaining access to new and outstanding research and researchers in this field.

Research grants are available for graduate students only and are intended to support the student while conducting research to be used for a doctoral dissertation, master’s thesis, or external publication. Awards for these research grants are set at a maximum of $7,500 for one-year projects.

Research topics may include but are not limited to:

  • the impact of participation in intercollegiate athletics on the academic or social experiences of the student-athletes
  • best practices for academic advisement of student-athletes
  • the relationship between athletic time demands and academic success
  • student-athlete integration into the campus community
  • finances of intercollegiate athletics
  • student-athlete satisfaction with the college experience
  • diversity and inclusion issues in intercollegiate athletics
  • analytic philosophical/historical accounts of intercollegiate athletics
  • and student-athlete health and safety issues.

The deadline to submit an application is April 15, 2012.

Full details on the applications procedure are found online. Contact Tiese Roxbury, 317/917-6811 or troxbury@ncaa.org, if you have questions regarding the application or submission process.

EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards

The EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards support innovative research in energy efficiency and renewable energy by offering recent PhD recipients the opportunity to conduct applied research at universities, national laboratories, and other research facilities.  The objective of the EERE Postdoctoral Research Awards is to create the next generation of scientific leaders in energy efficiency and renewable energy by attracting the best scientists and engineers to pursue breakthrough technologies.

More information and application materials can be found at
http://www1.eere.energy.gov/education/postdoctoral

Application deadline is May 1, 2012.  Benefits include:

  • Yearly stipend
  • Research and travel allowance
  • Health insurance
  • Relocation travel
  • Two years of support

PhD Internship Opportunities with Proctor and Gamble

Procter & Gamble’s Doctoral Recruiting Program is currently accepting applications for a limited number of internship opportunities for students pursuing PhDs in most Engineering (all disciplines), Chemistry (all disciplines), Life Sciences (all disciplines), Mathematical Science, Material Science, Veterinary Science, and Nutrition.  The program is a paid, full time summer internship at our Cincinnati, OH or Boston, MA research facilities. The preferred period for the 10 to 12 week internship is June 1 to September 1. At P&G, Intern sessions are considered temporary employment, with a predicted ending point.  No full-time employment commitments are made; however, depending on satisfactory completion of certain criteria, candidates may be considered for full-time positions upon obtaining their PhD.

To Apply:

  1. Please go to www.experiencepg.com
  2. Click on Search Jobs
  3. Enter Job #RND00002218
  4. Click Apply

2012 Geothermal Student Competition

The US Department Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is pleased to announce the 2012 Geothermal Student Competition. The Competition is designed to support, inspire, and promote innovation, exploration, and entrepreneurship among the nation’s emerging young thinkers. The Competition platform focuses on developing and advancing the next generation of geothermal energy exploration technology that can potentially unleash an infusion of reliable, cost-effective, and clean geothermal energy into the US energy economy.

The Challenge

Undergraduate and graduate student teams, guided by a faculty member in the role of mentor, are challenged to conduct a professional-quality assessment of the Snake River Plain site in Idaho using innovative exploration technologies. Research should be based on the case study analysis provided using one or more of the following exploration technologies:

  1. geophysics,
  2. geochemistry,
  3. remote sensing; and
  4. geology.

Please note: faculty should be providing limited support. This is intended to be a student competition.

Who Should Apply?

The Competition is open to undergraduate and graduate students in science, engineering and business programs of study.

Where do I Apply?

The Competition application, guidelines, and copies of the case study can all be found on the Competition website http://orise.orau.gov/geothermal

How does the Competition work?

The Competition is divided into two phases:

Phase I

Student teams, comprised of up to four students with the faculty mentor serving in the capacity of project advisor and coach, will submit an application through the website detailing their project plan. The top ten competitive applicants are selected and the winning teams, their mentors, and their schools are notified and advanced into Phase II of the competition. Teams entering Phase II all receive a $10K stipend to defray the cost associated with equipment purchase, travel and other expenses incurred during the research cycle.

Phase II

The teams are required to participate in monthly review meetings and submit regular reports documenting their progress. Phase II is completed when the Teams submit the required technical paper and present their findings to the team of expert judges at the Geothermal Council Capstone event. ORISE will manage all aspects of the competition including recruitment, program promotion, conducting an application review and coordinating Capstone judging panels, for the selection and award process.

Please contact by email geothermalstudentcompetition@orise.orau.gov or Dr. Desmond Stubbs, Program Manager at (865) 603-2461.

James “Rhio” O’Connor Memorial Scholarship Fund

Undergraduate and graduate students at colleges and universities in the United States are invited to honor Rhio’s spirit of self determination and intellectual curiosity by writing an essay about cancer and our progress in preventing and treating this disease since the “War on Cancer” was announced over 41 years ago.

Are we making progress in curing cancer since 1971? If so, where? Why has the incidence rates of many cancers continued to increase? Why is cancer the leading cause of death by disease in children and of adults under the age of 85? What should be done to improve progress in curing or preventing cancer?

The cash awards are:

$5,000 First Prize
$2,000 Second Prize
$1,000 Third Prize
$500 Fourth Prize
$100 Fifth Prize
$75 Honorable Mention (there are thirty Honorable Mention awards)

For more information, please visit:  http://www.cancermonthly.com/scholarship.asp