The selection of this year's recipients of NASA Earth System Science Graduate Student Fellowships is complete. A total of 323 applications were received by the Office of Mission to Planet Earth at NASA Headquarters in response to the announcement released in December, 1996. In all, over 94 universities and educational institutions from 41 states were represented. The applicants represent 27 countries, however, they are all currently accepted/enrolled as full-time M.S. and Ph.D. graduate students at one of the 94 universities in the United States.
The applications were evaluated through a two-step peer review process: first through mail/panel review, and then by evaluation of a panel composed of members of professional scientific societies, academic institutions, and the Educational Affairs Office and the Office of Mission to Planet Earth at NASA Headquarters.
A total of 50 new candidates from 20 states representing 32 academic institutions and 7 other countries were identified to receive the fellowships this year. The new fellowships, added to the pool of students whose support continues from last year, brings a total of 148 students being funded by this program during this academic year. This educational program is intended to support graduate students involved in Earth system science research as part of NASA's contribution to the U.S. Global Change Research Program.
The purpose of the Fellowship program is to train a pool of highly qualified scientists to help analyze and interpret the wealth of data generated by the Mission to Planet Earth programs. NASA understands that the future of Earth science rests with today's students, who will be tomorrowÍs scientists. The financial wherewithal to pursue an advanced education obviously plays a vital role in securing the necessary talent to further Earth system science objectives.
Fellowships are given for an initial 1-year term and may be renewed annually for up to 3 years, based on satisfactory progress as reflected in academic performance and evaluations made by faculty advisors. The amount of award is $20,000 per annum, which may be used to defray living expenses, tuition, fees, and other educational expenses. An additional $2,000 may be requested by the faculty advisor to support the student's research. Students receiving these stipends must not receive other Federal funding.
An announcement for the 1997-98 Fellowships will be released in December 1997 and the deadline for submission of new applications to NASA is March 15, 1998. To obtain a list of this year's recipients and additional information on this program you may check the NASA Mission to Planet Earth (MTPE) home page: www.hq.nasa.gov/office/mtpe/ under the "Education and Outreach" or "Research Announcements" links, or contact Dr. Ghassem Asrar, Mail Code YS, NASA Headquarters, Washington, DC 20546.