Four doctoral students whose research supports the nuclear stockpile’s safety and reliability will join the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Laboratory Residency Graduate Fellowship (DOE NNSA LRGF) in fall 2026.
Launched in 2018, the DOE NNSA LRGF connects laboratory scientists with professors and students working in stewardship science fields, fostering collaboration and discovery via two 12-week residencies at DOE NNSA-approved sites. These extended research experiences afford fellows unique access to some of the country’s most powerful experimental and computing facilities at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory, the Nevada National Security Site, and Sandia National Laboratories (California and New Mexico).
The program supports hands-on experience in engineering and applied sciences, physics, and materials. Students joining the DOE NNSA LRGF for its ninth (2026-2027) academic year are:
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Brandan Buschmann, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (fusion - plasma physics)
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Erica Garcia Badaracco, University of California, Berkeley (plasma physics and fusion science)
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Georgia Hilburn, Georgia Institute of Technology (materials science)
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Caleb Redshaw, Stanford University (mechanical engineering)
Fellows receive a $45,000 yearly stipend, tuition and fees, and an annual academic allowance. In addition to the valuable connections made via the residency experience, DOE NNSA LRGF recipients highlight their research at an annual meeting attended by advisors, DOE headquarters and laboratory staff, program alumni and others.
Since its inception, the program has been managed by the Iowa-based nonprofit Krell Institute. Additional details for each incoming fellow will be available in September via the program’s online fellow directory. Meanwhile, please contact us for further information.