Ph.D. Fellowships in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, and Atmospheric Science

Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need (GAANN) Program

    The Environmental Sciences Graduate Program and Atmospheric Science Graduate Program at Rutgers University have received a grant from the U.S. Department of Education that will support five new graduate fellowships for Ph.D. students. The GAANN Fellowships are for study in the areas of Environmental Physics, Environmental Biology, Environmental Chemistry, or Environmental Engineering, all broadly defined. For example, students wishing to study atmospheric science or climate change will study in the area of Environmental Physics.  Both graduate programs also offer financial assistance in the form of Graduate Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships. All applicants will be considered for these as well as the GAANN Fellowships.

Program Features:

Fellowship Stipend: Successful candidates will receive a GAANN Fellowship of $30,000/year*. They will also receive full tuition and student fees. Subject to satisfactory academic performance, students will be supported as a GAANN Fellow, Graduate Assistant, or Teaching Assistant until they receive their Ph.D., but in no case longer than five years (GAANN Fellowships are for a maximum of three years).

*This amount may be adjusted so as not to exceed the fellow's demonstrated level of financial need (as calculated for purposes of the Federal student financial aid programs under Title IV, part F of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended).

Research Experience: Fellows will conduct research in state-of-the-art research laboratories of the Environmental Sciences and Atmospheric Science Program faculty, including those of the Center for Environmental Prediction, Biotechnology Center for Agriculture and the Environment, and the Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences Institute.

Supervised Teaching Experience: Each fellow will receive instruction in pedagogy and instructional techniques through the Rutgers Teaching Assistant Project and will assist in the teaching of two undergraduate courses during one of the years of the fellowship.

Academic Standing: Fellows must maintain full-time status in the Environmental Sciences or Atmospheric Science Graduate Program. Fellows must be engaged in full-time coursework or research during the summer.

Eligibility: GAANN requires that in selecting individuals to receive fellowships, an academic department shall consider only individuals who:

  1. Are currently enrolled as graduate students or have been accepted at the grantee institution;
     
  2. Have an excellent academic record;
     
  3. Have financial need;
     
  4. Are planning to pursue the highest possible degree available in their course of study (in our case, a Ph.D.);
     
  5. Are planning a career in teaching or research;
     
  6. Are not ineligible to receive assistance under 34 CFR 75.60 (in default on a Federal loan); and
     
  7. Are citizens, nationals, or permanent residents of the United States; provide evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization Service that they are in the United States for other than a temporary purpose with the intention of becoming permanent residents; or are citizens of any one of the Freely Associated States (the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, and the Republic of Palau).

 

We particularly encourage applications from students from traditionally underrepresented groups.

Application Procedure:

To apply for a GAANN Fellowship, you must:

  1. Submit an application for graduate school at Rutgers University. Specify the Environmental Sciences or Atmospheric Science graduate program. You can obtain an application at http://gradstudy.rutgers.edu/ or write to Martha Rajaei (gradsec@envsci.rutgers.edu).
     
  2. In your personal statement, please state that you are applying for a GAANN Fellowship, describe your specific area of interest in Environmental Sciences or Atmospheric Science and your future career plans, and include any information about outstanding qualities or achievements that indicate your potential for success in your career.
     
  3. Provide evidence of financial need by submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You can complete the FAFSA online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. In step 6, enter 002629 for the Federal School Code for Rutgers. We urge you to submit this form as soon as possible to expedite your application.

The deadline for application is January 15, 2007.

For more information, please contact a member of the GAANN Fellowship Advisory Committee:

Professor Daniel Giménez, Chair (gimenez@envsci.rutgers.edu), Phone:  732-932-9477

Professor Donna Fennell, (fennell@envsci.rutgers.edu), Phone: 732-932-8750

Professor Alan Robock, (robock@envsci.rutgers.edu), Phone:  732-932-9478



Prepared by Alan Robock (robock@envsci.rutgers.edu)- Last updated on September 24, 2006