Four Ph.D. students from across the United States will join the Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE NNSA SSGF) community in fall 2026.
The DOE NNSA established the program in 2006 to meet a demand for scientists with deep training in areas of interest to nuclear stockpile science. It supports the education of doctoral students researching materials under extreme conditions, nuclear science and high energy density physics. The new class will become part of a community of 111 fellows and alumni representing 45 academic institutions.
Students joining the DOE NNSA SSGF for its 21st (2026-2027) academic year are:
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Katherine Austin, Michigan State University (nuclear chemistry)
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Levi Hancock, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (physics)
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Megan Ikeya, Princeton University (high energy density physics)
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Brendan McCluskey, Princeton University (plasma physics)
Fellows receive support that includes a $45,000 yearly stipend, tuition and fees, and an annual academic allowance. Renewable for up to four years, the program affords recipients the opportunity to conduct a three-month research practicum at one of four DOE national defense sites: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Los Alamos National Laboratory or Sandia National Laboratories (California or New Mexico). Fellows also collaborate with other specialists and present their research at an annual summer meeting attended by advisors, DOE NNSA and national 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.