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Join the community focused on national priorities in stewardship science.

The Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE NNSA SSGF) program provides outstanding benefits and opportunities to students pursuing a Ph.D. in areas of interest to stewardship science, such as high energy density physics, nuclear science, or materials under extreme conditions and hydrodynamics.

  Learn more about the fellowship

  Read about program fellows and alumni

  Access DOE NNSA SSGF application information

"Arcs and Sparks" - Z machine firing – courtesy of Sandia National Laboratories

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Germanium Array for Neutron-Induced Excitations at Los Alamos Neutron Center – courtesy of Los Alamos National Laboratory

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Interior of the National Ignition Facility target chamber – courtesy of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory

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Fellow Reflections

Dylan Spaulding

University of California, Berkeley
Discipline: Geophysics / Planetary Science
Practicum: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Hometown: Placitas, N.M.

"My personal interest in high energy-density physics and materials science is motivated by the fact that exciting new techniques are rapidly evolving that enable access to conditions in the lab that have been out of reach until now. It is a very unique opportunity to have these resources available as a graduate student and it is exciting to anticipate what will be possible in the near future as new high energy-density facilities come online."

Paul Ellison

University of California, Berkeley
Discipline: Physical Chemistry
Practicum:  Los Alamos National Laboratory
Hometown: Janesville, Wis.

"With the support of my fellowship, I have attended many scholarly conferences where I’ve presented my research to the scientific community. These conferences have been invaluable in helping me improve my communication and networking skills. "

Matthew Gomez

University of Michigan
Discipline: Plasma Physics & Fusion
Practicum: Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico
Hometown: Hillsborough, N.J.

"Aside from being fundamentally important to our nation's defense, the science behind stockpile stewardship is rather exciting. The extreme conditions observed in stewardship science are not observed in any other field, and the precision with which those conditions are measured is unparalleled."

Kristen John

California Institute of Technology
Discipline: Aerospace Engineering
Practicum: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Hometown: The Woodlands, Texas

"[The] DOE NNSA SSGF [program] has been an amazing way to meet other students, professors and DOE employees in similar fields. At the annual conference last summer in D.C., I had the chance to learn about other students’ research projects, meet many employees from the DOE and DOE labs, and get a feel for what to expect in the coming years of graduate research and beyond."

Laura Berzak

Princeton University
Discipline: Plasma Physics
Practicum: Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico
Hometown: Randolph, N.J.

"Through the program, I have met a large number of students and researchers of varying scientific backgrounds and have been able to learn a great deal regarding fields outside my own. The DOE NNSA SSGF program has most certainly broadened and enhanced my graduate education."

Anna (Nikiforova) Erickson

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Discipline: Nuclear Engineering
Practicum:  Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Hometown: Gresham, Ore.

"One of the most positive experiences about this program is how it has allowed me to meet many people who are passionate about the science and nuclear engineering in particular. During the annual DOE NNSA SSGF conferences I have made strong connections with current professionals and my fellow students, whom I will be working with for decades to come."

Paul Davis

University of California, Berkeley
Discipline: Applied Physics
Practicum: Sandia National Laboratories, New Mexico
Hometown: Abbotsford, British Columbia (Canada)

"What makes the DOE NNSA SSGF program particularly special is that beyond simply financial support, the fellows get the opportunity to network nationally and interact with other graduate students, scientists and policymakers involved with stewardship science."

Special Announcements

Five New Fellows Named

The DOE NNSA SSGF welcomes Benjamin Galloway, Fabio Iunes Sanches, Io Kleiser, Juan Manfredi and Sarah Palaich to the program with studies to begin in the fall of 2013.  Read more.

Register Today!

Online registration is now open for the 2013 DOE NNSA SSGF Annual Program Review to be held June 25-27 at the Inn and Spa at Loretto in Santa Fe, N.M. Visit the website today to view the complete agenda, make travel plans and hotel arrangements, and to register for this important meeting of scientific leaders.

Communicate Your Science

Alumna Laura Berzak Hopkins is seeking submissions for Why-Sci, a unique online forum intended to share scientific research with non-expert audiences. Visit the Why-Sci site to learn how you can communicate the importance and relevance of your work while building public excitement in the process.

DOE NNSA SSGF Fields of Study

High Energy Density Physics

Are you excited about high energy density physics with an emphasis on experimental investigations, lasers or pulsed power technology?

Nuclear Science

Are your graduate studies aimed toward the study of nuclear science or engineering, including improved particle detection, physics of fission and diagnostic techniques?

Materials Under Extreme Conditions and Hydrodynamics

Are you interested in the study of materials under extreme conditions including diagnostic and measurement techniques in various physics regimes?