Fellowships & Scholarships
Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF)
  Application
Deadlines
  • Northeastern: 01/15/2026
  • Fellowship: 01/15/2026
Contact

If you meet the eligibility criteria and are interested in applying for this fellowship, please fill out a preliminary questionnaire. You may contact the office with any questions.

Award Details

Award Website

Established in 1991, the Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE CSGF) provides outstanding financial benefits and professional development opportunities to students pursuing doctoral degrees in fields that use high-performance computing to solve complex science and engineering problems.

The program fosters a community of energetic and committed Ph.D. students, alumni, DOE laboratory staff and other scientists who want to have an impact on the nation while advancing their research. Fellows come from diverse scientific and engineering disciplines but share a common interest in using computing in their research.

The Department of Energy’s Office of Science and National Nuclear Security Administration support the DOE CSGF. Its objectives are:

  • To help ensure an adequate supply of scientists and engineers appropriately trained to meet national workforce needs, including those of the DOE, in computational sciences.
  • To raise the visibility of careers in the computational sciences and to encourage talented students to pursue such careers, thus building the next generation of leaders in the field.
  • To provide practical work experiences for the fellows that allows them to encounter the cross-disciplinary, team-based, scientific research environment of the DOE national laboratories.
  • To strengthen collaborative ties between the academic community and DOE national laboratories so the fellowship’s multidisciplinary nature builds the national community of scientists.DOE CSGF Science & Engineering Track fellows use math and computers to conduct doctoral research in many fields, including:
    • Aeronautics
    • Astrophysics
    • Biological Sciences
    • Chemical Engineering
    • Chemistry
    • Electrical Engineering*
    • Environmental Science
    • Materials Sciences
    • Mechanical Engineering
    • Physics

    * Students performing research in computer science, computer engineering or electrical engineering — including development of novel hardware technology, machine learning or enabling software — without a specific science or engineering focus should apply to the Math/CS Track as these topics are considered broadly applicable research areas for the purposes of the DOE CSGF.

    DOE CSGF Mathematics & Computer Science Track recipients pursue doctoral degrees in applied mathematics, statistics, computer science, computer engineering or computational science — or their academic equivalent — with research interests that help use emerging high-performance systems more effectively. A departmental exception is made for students whose research is focused on algorithms or software for quantum information systems and who are enrolled in a science or engineering field. In all cases, research must contribute to more effective use of emerging high-performance computer systems. This track allows students to focus on issues in high-performance computing as a broadly applicable technology and not on a particular science or engineering application.

Term Length: Up to 4 years
US Citizenship Required

The following criteria will be used to determine the eligibility of those applying for DOE CSGF. Measured at the time of application, eligibility will be extended to:

  1. Undergraduate seniors
  2. Current master’s degree students
  3. MUST enroll at a different institution for Ph.D. studies to begin the fall term coincident with the start of DOE CSGF funding
  4. First-year graduate students
  5. Employed individuals
  6. Others, including those matriculating into graduate school

The following are not eligible for the DOE CSGF:

  1. Second-year or beyond graduate students
  2. Students pursuing a concurrent professional doctoral degree, (e.g., dual enrollment as a(n) M.D./Ph.D., J.D./Ph.D., D.V.M./Ph.D., etc.)

During the fellowship period, fellows are required to be enrolled as full-time graduate students at an accredited U.S. college or university and conduct research in areas of interest to the DOE. The summer should be spent conducting full-time research related to the completion of one’s degree program, enrolled in classes or on a practicum assignment at a DOE facility.

Freedom to Focus on Research: TA Policy
The DOE CSGF program’s support allows students to focus on academics and research without excessive teaching or other departmental support activities. The fellow’s department must waive any teaching requirements beyond one term.

  • It is the applicant’s responsibility to contact the Krell Institute to ensure that the application is complete and all reference letters have been received.
  • After an application is complete, it is submitted along with all other complete applications to a review panel.  The review panel is made up of university, federal laboratory, and private and government sector personnel who are directly responsible for instruction and research in the area of computational science.  The panel reviews each application and recommends award recipients to Krell.  Applications are reviewed on the basis of grades, courses taken, research statements, and references.  The Program of Study submitted with the application is carefully scrutinized for breadth and consistency with the goals of the fellowship program.
  • The number of awards given each year is dependent on the funding available.  Some applicants may be placed on a waiting list for a possible award should additional funding become available.
  • The Krell Institute will notify applicants of their award status by late April.  Once fellowships are awarded, the Krell Institute handles the administration of the fellowship for the DOE.  During the fellowship tenure, questions about stipends, payment of tuition and fees, practicum assignments, travel, etc. should be referred to the DOE CSGF Coordinator at the Krell Institute.

 

The DOE CSGF has defining benefits that set it apart from other science- and engineering-focused graduate fellowships:

  • A yearly stipend of $45,000
  • Payment of full tuition and required fees during the appointment period (at any accredited U.S. university)
  • An annual $1,000 professional development allowance
  • Up to four years of total support, depending on renewal
  • A twelve-week practicum experience at one of 21 DOE national laboratories or sites, including access to DOE supercomputers
  • A rigorous program of study that ensures fellows have solid backgrounds in a scientific or engineering discipline plus computer science and applied mathematics
  • An annual program review for fellows, alumni, university and DOE laboratory staff, held each summer in the Washington, D.C. area

The online application is composed of 13 individual sections which can be completed in any order and over multiple visits to the secure site. A check list has been incorporated for easy tracking of progress toward completion as well as a mechanism to track the status of the applicant’s reference letter submissions, transcripts, etc.

Supporting Materials Required to Complete Application

  • Transcripts: Request an official transcript from each university or college you have attended, including your current fall transcript. Have transcripts mailed directly to the Krell Institute.
  • PRA: If you are a Permanent Resident Alien (PRA), you must send a copy of the front and back of your PRA card to the Krell Institute as a requirement of the application.
  • References: We recommend that you use the link within our online system to notify references of your request for letters. The system will send your references an email with a link to our online system where they can submit a letter. Alternatively, you can download either a PDF or MSWord version of the reference form for their use.
  • Program of Study: Generate your Program of Study (POS) with your graduate advisor’s assistance. If you cannot get a graduate advisor at your preferred institution to review your POS, ask your current advisor to help you generate and approve the proposed POS. You will be required to check a box on the final submission page that confirms that both you and your advisor approve of the POS before you are able to press the “Final Submission” button. An email will be sent to your advisor, once you submit your application, with the list of submitted coursework. If you are chosen for a fellowship, you and your advisor will be asked to sign the POS and return it to the Krell Institute.

Interested? Have Questions?

If you meet the eligibility criteria and are interested in a fellowship or opportunity, please fill out a preliminary questionnaire. Contact the office with any questions: