The National Science Foundation recently announced the winners of the 2014 Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP), with eleven current Notre Dame students winning the prestigious award and another five earning honorable mention. This year’s number is up from last year’s nine awardees, which was previously the highest number ever received by Notre Dame students.
The NSF GRFP recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and social science disciplines who are pursuing research-based degrees. The award provides a stipend, tuition support, and research funds for three years.
Students create a research plan for the fellowship program in conjunction with their adviser. The rise in awards won by Notre Dame students corresponds to an increased effort from the Graduate School to both provide one-on-one consultations and group support for students throughout the external funding process, including finding opportunities, writing and revising proposals, and submitting formal applications.
As part of this increased effort, Mike Westrate, Associate Program Director for Grants and Fellowships, conducts a GRFP summer support program, a fall GRFP workshop series, and an intensive application writing “boot camp” each fall break. 100% of this year’s winners participated in at least one of these specialized events last year.
The eleven winners are:
- Kevin Andreassi, Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering
- Katie Condit, Sociology
- Charlotte Cunningham, Psychology (Quantitative)
- Danielle Fulmer, Sociology (Peace Studies)
- Bonnie Huge, Chemistry (Analytical)
- Elizabeth Loughran, Integrated Biomedical Sciences (Developmental)
- Triet Nguyen, Chemistry (Theory, Models and Methods)
- Nicole Perez, Sociology
- Carolyn Shirey, Chemistry (Biochemistry)
- Jake Zwart, Biology (Ecology)
- Cheyenne Tait, Biology (Evolutionary)
Earning Honorable Mention were:
- Patrick Conry, Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Science (Civil Engineering)
- Brittany Hanraham, Biology (Ecology)
- Michelle Pillers, Chemistry (Materials)
- Nicole Sund, Civil & Environmental Engineering & Earth Science (Hydrology)
- Pedro Sztybel, Psychology (Cognitive)