Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity

National Physical Science Consortium

The Graduate Fellowships for STEM Diversity is a partnership between government agencies and laboratories, industry, and higher education. GFSD's goal is to increase the number of American citizens with graduate degrees in the physical sciences and related engineering fields, emphasizing recruitment of a diverse applicant pool.

Since inception in 1989, GFSD has awarded 467 graduate fellowships. Of those fellows, 204 have received a PhD and 92 have received an MS. Sixty-six students are currently enrolled. Ninety-five percent of GFSD fellows have been minority, female, or both, those historically underrepresented in science. Recent alumni have received PhD's from Caltech, Cornell, Duke, George Washington, North Carolina State, Stanford, Texas A & M, UC Berkeley, University of Chicago, University of Illinois, University of Maryland – CP, University of Michigan, University of Missouri, and University of Wisconsin.

By helping to provide a continuous source of scientists who are U. S. citizens, employers and universities can achieve diversity and balance in our nation's scientific community. In turn, GFSD can help today's promising young scientists — tomorrow's science leaders — to realize their dreams.

The GFSD Graduate Fellowship is unique in being: open to all American citizens; lasting for up to six years; providing a $20,000 annual stipend; covering tuition; allowing a fellow also to hold a research or teaching assistantship; including one or two paid summer internships with a government agency; providing a mentor and the opportunity for a lasting relationship with the sponsor.