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Undergraduate Graduate Course Syllabi Academic Awards

Fellowship Opportunities

Financial aid is normally provided to graduate students through teaching or research assistantships. In addition, several competitive fellowships are available for entering students. Fellowships may be combined with teaching or research assistanceships. All qualified applicants are automatically entered into a pool for these fellowships. Additional fellowships are awarded on the basis of a University-wide competition. The department endeavors to support each student throughout his or her entire graduate career, provided good academic standing is maintained. Detailed information may be obtained by contacting the department.

Departmental Fellowships

Alumni Fellowship

This predoctoral fellowship for entering graduate students was established by generous departmental alumni. In addition to providing a stipend, it provides a full-tuition scholarship, which covers tuition and fees for the period of the award.

Faculty Fellowships

The department offers two one-term predoctoral fellowships for entering graduate students. They provide a stipend and are supplemented by a full-tuition scholarship, which covers tuition and fees for the period of the award.

Excellence in Undergraduate Student Teaching Award

Each year, the department recognizes a graduate student who has demonstrated an outstanding effort as a Teaching Assistant.

Mary E. Warga Predoctoral Fellowship

This is a School of Arts and Sciences (A&S) fellowship offered to entering female graduate students in physics and chemistry. It was funded by alumna and former faculty member Mary E. Warga, a renowned optical spectroscopist. All qualified female applicants who are U.S. citizens are automatically entered into the pool. Applicants with exceptional promise for accomplishments in research or teaching are sought. The fellowship provides a substantial two-term stipend, with the third term supported by teaching or research, if needed. It also provides a full-tuition scholarship and supplemental funds to be used for travel, research, and other academic expenses during the first year of graduate study.

Zaccheus Daniel Fellowships

This is a program open to qualified students of astronomy (astrometry and astrophysics). Nominations are sought from the faculty in April. Awards are made on an annual basis for students in good standing. The fellowship provides a stipend and covers tuition and fees for the period of the fellowship.

University Fellowships and Scholarships

Elizabeth U. Baranger Predoctoral Fellowship

The Baranger Fellowship is available to an incoming female graduate student (foreign or domestic), in science or engineering.

The two-term stipend for 2008-09 is $17,500 and offers full tuition remission for the period of the fellowship.

E. Baranger Excellence in Teaching Award

Sponsored by the Arts & Science Graduate Student Organization (GSO)

K. Leroy Irvis Fellowship Program

The University of Pittsburgh, as an educational institution, an employer, and a good citizen of the community, values equality of opportunity, human dignity, and racial/ethnic diversity and will continue to take steps to support and advance these values consistent with the University's mission (Board of Trustees, 1996). One such step is the K. Leroy Irvis Fellowship Program that is designed to enhance the diversity of the University of Pittsburgh's graduate student population and eventually the professorate.

Qualified applicants will be recommended by the departmental graduate admission committee for consideration by the Dean of Graduate Studies in Arts and Sciences no later than February 15. Awards are announced by the end of February.

FAS/Provost’s Development Fellows Program

This program offers a number of fellowships to certain groups who continue to be underrepresented in the national pool of earned doctorate degrees, as well as within the professorate at the University. Fellows will be appointed for either one or two years as Graduate Research Assistants (GRAs). Full-tuition scholarships, plus fees, are included. No specific duties are associated with this fellowship; however, the recipient should be involved in a research project. A QPA of 3.0 must be maintained.

Provost Development Fund

This program provides financial support and development opportunities for women, minorities, and disadvantaged students pursuing the doctorate or a professional degree that would qualify them for an academic or administrative appointment. Assistance is made available on the basis of need and merit. Ideally, the candidate for the award should be in the advanced stages of the Ph.D. program so that the support for one year would complete the program. Applications are available in the Office of the Provost, 801 Cathedral of Learning, in the A&S Office of Graduate Studies, 5141 Sennott Square, and from the department Graduate Secretary. The deadline is usually February 1st.

Andrew Mellon Predoctoral Fellowships

This is an A&S fellowship program that offers financial support for highly qualified students. The fellowship provides a two-term stipend and a scholarship for full tuition and fees for the period of the appointment. Awards are made on an annual basis and may be renewed for a second year. The fellowship is supplemented by the department with a teaching or research assistantship for the third term. Applications are available from the graduate secretary in late December for the following academic year.

A&S Predoctoral Fellowships

The Department awards a substantial number of these fellowships to incoming graduate students. All US citizens or permanent residents are eligible. These fellowships are not considered payment for duties performed, but primarily financial support for students' education. The Fellows do not "work for" their respective faculty member as do other graduate students appointed as Graduate Student Research Assistants. One goal of this fellowship is to allow a student maximum flexibility in determining the direction of his or her research path. Also, as entering graduate students, the award of a fellowship should allow you to accelerate your academic career and shorten the time it takes to earn a degree. Since A&S Predoctoral Fellows will not be a TA in their first or possibly, second year, we will connect you with an advisor who can help you prepare and enhance your research experience in your initial years and also help you accelerate your course work as appropriate.

A&S Summer Fellowships

The department distributes these fellowships to first-year students who are in good academic standing.

External Fellowships

A significant number of external fellowships are available to students applying to or continuing in the Department of Physics and Astronomy. Due to the volume of outside organizations offering graduate student support, we encourage the student to research external fellowships on the Internet or by personally contacting the granting organization. Following are a few examples of organizations and programs that have supported our graduate students.

Please remember that the application deadline for National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowships is in early November, and applications should be sent directly to the NSF, and not to the University.

In addition to the list below, we also suggest that students seeking support visit the Office of Research's Funding Resources site for more information.


Additionally, the following website contains links to searchable databases of external funding sources. Users may experience difficulty if they are not logged on through the University's network.


University of Pittsburgh, Office of Research - Comprehensive Funding Search Databases
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Last updated: October 23, 2009