Ph.D. Student Awards

Fellowships, Scholarships, and Awards

Incoming and continuing graduate students are eligible for special awards, fellowships, and scholarships offered on a competitive basis. No applications are necessary for any of the incoming graduate student awards. All graduate program applications are considered by the Chemistry PhD Admissions and Recruiting Committee for incoming student awards including the Dalton and ARCS Fellowships.

Excellence in Chemistry Graduate Awards

Fellowships for incoming students are granted by the Chemistry PhD Admissions and Recruiting Committee based a holistic review of the application to the Ph.D. program, including considerations of academic and research achievements. These departmental fellowships augment a graduate student’s salary and are made possible through the generosity of our donors, many of whom are alumni. Current students may be selected to receive merit-based awards on an ad hoc basis, typically with the support of endowment-derived funds.

ARCS Fellowships

The Seattle Chapter of ARCS Foundation (Achievement Rewards for College Scientists) provides financial awards to the nation’s most outstanding graduate students in the fields of medicine, science and engineeringMore information on the ARCS Fellowship is available from the UW Graduate School.

Larry R. Dalton Term Ph.D. Fellowship in Chemistry

The Dalton Fellowship recognizes incoming students who have demonstrated outstanding scholarship and will enhance the diversity of our graduate student population. The award provides financial support across multiple years of graduate study, including: 1) funding for summer research prior to graduate enrollment, 2) an unrestricted supplementary stipend awarded during the first year of graduate study, and 3) four quarters of departmental research assistantship funding beginning their second year. This fellowship program is made possible by a generous gift from Professor Emeritus Larry Dalton and Dr. Nicole A. Boand through the PhD Fellowship Initiative of 2019.

Summer Research Acceleration Fellowship

Departmental fellowships are available to fund research during the summer quarter immediately preceding graduate enrollment. If you are a domestic student interested in carrying out summer research, please contact the specific faculty member with whom you would like to work to see if funding is available.

Chemistry Husky Awards

Incoming PhD students are eligible for a $1,000 award paid in their first quarter of study, funded by donor support through endowed student support funds. This stipend was established in 2022 by the Department of Chemistry PhD Admissions and Recruiting Committee. There is no separate application process for these awards, as all graduate program applications are considered by the Admissions Committee. 

External Fellowships

Highly-qualified undergraduate students are encouraged to apply for pre-doctoral fellowships through the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the Hertz Foundation at the beginning of their senior year of college.

UW Funding Opportunities

Chemistry graduate students are eligible for Molecular Biophysics Traineeships. These usually are awarded to second-year students and are renewable for up to three years.

The Grants and Funding Information Service (GFIS) is a resource for finding funding opportunities.

Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award

The Department of Chemistry sponsors an Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award. Chemistry Teaching Assistants and Teaching Associates are eligible to be nominated for this award of $500 which will be recognized at the Department of Chemistry's annual Awards Dinner in the spring.

Nominations are due on March 1 annually. TAs from Winter 2022, Spring 2022, Summer 2022, and Autumn 2022 will be considered in March 2023. Nominations are accepted from students and other faculty, instructors, staff, and grad students who have worked with the TA. Submit your nomination via this nomination form (UW NetID required). 

In the nomination application, provide specific reasons and cite examples in support of why the Selection Committee should consider your TA for this award. How has the TA impacted your learning? How has the TA impacted your ability to succeed in the class? Has the TA had an impact on your educational experience beyond this class (study habits, etc.)? 

Alma Mater Travel Awards

Students who are selected for this opportunity will receive reimbursements to cover domestic travel expenses to the institution where they received their undergraduate degree to present a seminar on their Ph.D. research. The purpose of this award is two-fold: it provides our graduate students with a professional development opportunity, and it contributes to our graduate program recruitment efforts. 

Applications are reviewed by the PhD Admissions and Recruiting Committee. Competition for these travel awards is open to all UW Chemistry graduate students that have passed the second year exam and are in Good Academic Standing.

The Travel Award will be provided to selected students only for reimbursement of travel and accommodation expenses including:

  • Airfare (depart Seattle the day before the talk, return to Seattle the day after your talk or on a red-eye flight the night of your talk)
  • Ground transportation (public transit or Uber/Lyft) to and from Sea-Tac or parking/mileage
  • Lodging (maximum 2 nights)
  • Ground transportation to and from hotel in destination city
  • Meal per diem

Reimbursements will follow standard UW travel procedures. Documentation is required.

Awards for Conference Travel 

Details are forthcoming.

Graduate Student Merit Awards

Thanks to the generosity of several alumni and others interested in supporting chemistry graduate students, the Department of Chemistry offers merit awards to provide our graduate students with an opportunity for appreciation and recognition of their outstanding contributions to research or service:

  • Excellence in Graduate Research Award
  • Excellence in Graduate Leadership and Service Award

PhD students who are selected for these awards will receive a one-time prize of $1000 and departmental recognition including an announcement in our news and an invitation to the Chemistry Awards Dinner (spring 2024). The department expects to make eight awards, two per division (analytical, inorganic, organic, and physical). All UW Chemistry Ph.D. students that have completed their General Examination, are in Good Academic Standing, and have not yet received a merit award are eligible to apply. Students who have recently defended their thesis should apply instead to the Chemistry PhD Research Thesis Award.

Application Process
  • The application deadline is March 1, 2024, 11:59 pm.
  • Students may submit their application here [forms.office.com].
  • The form requires a summary (1 page max) of your research accomplishments and a CV that includes publications, presentations, and any service activities.
  • In addition to the nomination form, the student should request a letter of support from their faculty mentor describing their contributions to research and/or service. Letters should be submitted by email to chmgprog@uw.edu with the subject line “merit award reference letter for <name or names>” and the student name in the filename.
  • Each research group can submit no more than TWO nominations.

The PhD Training and Mentoring Committee selects awardees and will notify students no later than Friday March 29, 2024. 

If you have any questions, reach out to the Chemistry graduate program coordinators at chmgprog@uw.edu. We look forward to reviewing your applications!

Thank you to our many generous alumni and friends who support the education of chemistry Ph.D. students with contributions to departmental fellowships and student support funds.

PhD Research Thesis Awards

Thanks to the generosity of several alumni and others interested in supporting chemistry graduate students, the Department of Chemistry offers PhD Research Thesis Awards:

  • B. Seymour Rabinovitch Prize for Best Thesis in Physical Chemistry
  • Niels H. Andersen Prize for Best Thesis in Organic Chemistry
  • George H. Cady Prize for Best Thesis in Inorganic Chemistry
  • Gary and Sue Christian Prize for Best Thesis in Analytical Chemistry

For the current application cycle (in academic year 2023-24), students who complete their PhD thesis in Academic Year 2023-24 (with defense dates scheduled by the end of spring quarter) are eligible to be considered. Recipients of this award will receive a one-time prize of $1000 and departmental recognition including an announcement in our news and an invitation to the Chemistry Awards Dinner (spring 2024).

Application Process
  • The application deadline is March 1, 2024, 11:59 pm.
  • Students may submit their application here [forms.office.com].
  • The form requires your thesis abstract and a CV that includes publications, presentations, and any service activities.
  • In addition to the nomination form, the student should request a letter of support from their faculty mentor describing their research accomplishments. Letters should be submitted by email to chmgprog@uw.edu with the subject line “thesis award reference letter for <name>” and the student name in the filename.

The PhD Training and Mentoring Committee selects awardees and will notify them no later than Friday March 29, 2024.

If you have any questions, reach out to the Chemistry graduate program coordinators at chmgprog@uw.edu. We look forward to reviewing your applications!

Thank you to our many generous alumni and friends who support the education of chemistry Ph.D. students with contributions to departmental fellowships and student support funds.

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