Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: May 1, 2025 (next application deadline)
Funding Amounts: Base stipend approximately $95,000 plus $5,000 travel allowance; supplements based on experience; typical fellowship duration 2-3 years.
Summary: Fellowship funding for research on fundamental combustion kinetics using advanced laser diagnostics at the US Air Force Academy, focusing on improving liquid fuel combustion efficiency and exploring sustainable alternatives.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens at postdoctoral and senior researcher levels; requires contacting a research adviser prior to application; relocation and health insurance benefits included.
Description
This fellowship opportunity supports research on fundamental combustion kinetics using advanced laser diagnostics at the US Air Force Academy's Aeronautical Research Center. The research focuses on liquid hydrocarbon fuel combustion, which is critical for aerospace and Air Force propulsion systems. The work addresses challenges related to reducing liquid fuel consumption and transitioning to sustainable or alternative fuels under cost, regulatory, and environmental pressures.
The research involves studying complex interactions among fluid dynamics, heat transfer, thermodynamics, and chemical kinetics in heterogeneous fuel-oxidizer mixtures at short timescales. Experimental goals include quantifying fuel ignition properties, identifying rate-limiting intermediate reactions, and determining rate coefficients for computational modeling.
Facilities include a shock tube capable of up to 60 atm test pressure, instrumented for absorption spectroscopy, chemiluminescence, and pressure measurements to study ignition delay and intermediate hydrocarbons. Additional experimental setups include two full-scale jet engines, a detonation combustor, and a liquid fuel spray burner. Laser-based diagnostics such as Laser-Induced Fluorescence and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy are available. Computational combustion research, including scramjet and shock tube modeling, is supported by the High Performance Computing Research Center (HPCRC).
Applicants with interests in advanced laser diagnostics, combustion computational fluid dynamics (CFD), kinetic mechanism development, or experimental kinetics using shock tubes are encouraged to apply.
Due Dates
- Next application deadline: May 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- Review finalized: Early June 2025
- Subsequent deadlines occur quarterly (August 1, November 1, February 1, etc.)
Funding Amount
- Base stipend: Approximately $95,000 per year
- Travel allowance: $5,000 annually
- Experience-based stipend supplements available for postdoctoral and senior researchers
- Typical fellowship duration: 2-3 years
- Additional benefits: relocation assistance for those living more than 50 miles from the host lab, group health insurance for awardees and dependents
Eligibility
- Citizenship: Open to U.S. citizens only
- Applicant level: Postdoctoral researchers (within 5 years of PhD) and senior researchers (5+ years post-PhD or permanent academic/government/industry appointment with significant research record)
- Must not have current or recent prior affiliation with the sponsoring agency that disqualifies eligibility (e.g., current employment or previous postdoctoral fellowship at the agency)
- Applicants must have completed all doctoral degree requirements before starting tenure
- Applicants must contact the proposed Research Adviser before applying to discuss research plans and funding availability
Application Process
Steps to Apply
- Review eligibility criteria on the NRC RAP website and specific agency requirements.
- Identify this Research Opportunity (Opportunity Number: 13.04.01.C0497) and contact the Research Adviser, Mitchell D. Hageman (mitchell.hageman@afacademy.af.edu), to discuss your research proposal.
- Prepare application materials including:
- Research proposal (max 10 pages) with clear problem statement, background, methodology, expected results, and significance
- Curriculum vitae, education history, transcripts (postdocs only), and list of publications/presentations
- Letters of recommendation (minimum 3, including dissertation adviser for postdocs) uploaded by letter writers via the online system
- Register and submit your application through the NRC RAP online portal before the deadline.
- Monitor application status and ensure all letters of recommendation are submitted on time.
Review and Selection
- Applications are reviewed by expert panels in chemistry, engineering, and related fields.
- The Research Adviser and Laboratory Program Representative provide initial approval and evaluation.
- Applicants are scored on academic record, research proposal quality, letters of recommendation, and relevance to the host laboratory’s mission.
- Scores above 70 are recommended for awards; funding depends on rank and availability.
- Feedback is provided approximately one week after review completion.
Additional Information
- Awardees receive relocation assistance if moving more than 50 miles to the host lab and remain for at least six months.
- Health insurance coverage is available for awardees and qualifying dependents.
- The fellowship provides access to state-of-the-art experimental and computational facilities at the US Air Force Academy.
- Research outcomes are expected to contribute to improved combustion efficiency and alternative fuel development for aerospace propulsion.
- Applicants with expertise or interest in laser diagnostics, combustion kinetics, CFD modeling, and experimental shock tube studies are especially encouraged to apply.
External Links
Contact Information
For application questions or eligibility clarifications, contact the NRC RAP office at rap@nas.edu.