The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has issued a funding opportunity announcement for Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program. If you are interested, please read on for details.

• Purpose: The goal of the Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) program is to prepare graduate students for science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) careers critically important to the DOE Office of Science mission, by providing graduate thesis research opportunities at DOE laboratories.  The SCGSR program provides supplemental awards to outstanding U.S. graduate students to pursue part of their graduate thesis research at a DOE laboratory in areas that address scientific challenges central to the Office of Science mission. The research opportunity is expected to advance the graduate students’ overall doctoral thesis while providing access to the expertise, resources, and capabilities available at the DOE laboratories.

The SCGSR program is sponsored and managed by the DOE Office of Science’s Office of Workforce Development for Teachers and Scientists (WDTS), in collaboration with the 6 Office of Science research programs and the DOE national laboratories. Online application and awards administration support is provided by Oak Ridge Institute of Science and Education (ORISE) under Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU).

 The SCGSR program provides supplemental funds for graduate awardees to conduct part of their thesis research at a host DOE laboratory in collaboration with a DOE laboratory scientist within a defined award period. The award period for the proposed research project at DOE laboratories may range from 3 to 12 consecutive months.

• Eligibility: Graduate students currently pursuing Ph.D. degrees in areas of physics, chemistry, material sciences, biology (non-medical), mathematics, engineering, computer or computational sciences, or specific areas of environmental sciences that are aligned with the mission of the Office of Science are eligible to apply for the supplemental research awards provided by the SCGSR program. 

o   Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

• Minimum Age and U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency
• Academic Status
• Enrollment in a Qualified Graduate Program
• Graduate Research aligned with DOE Office of Science Research Programs
• Establishment of a Collaborating DOE Laboratory Scientist

o   In addition:

§  Applicants are eligible to submit only one application per award cycle. 

§  An application whose SCGSR research proposal has the same scope as that of a previously awarded SCGSR application will not be considered.

§  Individuals who meet all other eligibility requirements are eligible to receive more than one SCGSR award during the graduate education provided that the cumulative total of the award periods for all SCGSR awards do not exceed 12 months. If a current SCGSR Awardee is successful in competing for a new SCGSR award, the Awardee must successfully complete the current award and fulfill all their obligations and award terms and conditions associated with that award before the award start date of the new award to be eligible to receive that award.

• Minimum Age and U.S. Citizenship or Permanent Residency:

§  Applicants must be U.S. Citizens or Permanent Resident Aliens at the time of application and be at least 18 years of age at the time of applying.

Timetable:

• On-line Application Opens: February 16, 2016
•  Applications Due: May 11, 2016 by 5:00 PM ET
• Offer Notification Period Begins on or around: September 2016
• Earliest Start Date for Proposed Project Period: November 1, 2016
• Latest Start Date for Proposed Project: February 28, 2017

Funds Available & Anticipated Number of Awards: The Office of Science expects to make approximately 50 awards in 2016 Solicitation 1, for project periods beginning anytime between November 1, 2016 andFebruary 28, 2017.

• Benefits: http://science.energy.gov/wdts/scgsr/benefits/
• Priority Research Areas for 2016 Solicitation 1: http://science.energy.gov/wdts/scgsr/how-to-apply/priority-sc-research-areas/
• How to Apply: http://science.energy.gov/wdts/scgsr/how-to-apply/
• Program Announcement: http://science.energy.gov/wdts/scgsr/