Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | November 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: Stipend approximately $99,200 per year plus $3,000 travel allowance; relocation assistance available for eligible awardees. Typical tenure 2-3 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral and early career research on experimental and theoretical low-temperature plasma physics, including applications in materials processing and space physics.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents; requires contacting a Research Adviser prior to application; health insurance provided; interdisciplinary and collaborative research environment.
Description
This fellowship program, offered through the NRC Research Associateship Programs at the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL), supports experimental and theoretical investigations of low-temperature plasmas. The research covers a broad range of plasma types, including thermodynamic equilibrium and nonequilibrium plasmas. Emphasis is placed on real-world applications involving multiple gases and particulates, which generate numerous ion and radical species.
Research areas include plasmas relevant to materials processing, space physics, afterglow plasmas, dusty plasmas, and negative ion plasmas. Experimentalists employ a variety of in situ laboratory diagnostics ranging from highly sophisticated to elegantly simple methods to identify critical plasma parameters. Theorists focus on interpreting experimental results and developing predictive models for plasma behavior in regimes not easily accessible experimentally.
The program is interdisciplinary and collaborative, encouraging integration of experimental and theoretical approaches to advance understanding and applications of low-temperature plasmas.
Due Dates
- February 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- May 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- August 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
- November 1, 2025 (5 PM ET)
If a deadline falls on a weekend or federal holiday, it is moved to the next business day.
Funding Amount
- Base stipend: Approximately $99,200 per year
- Travel allowance: $3,000 annually
- Relocation assistance available for awardees living more than 50 miles from the host laboratory who remain for at least six months
- Health insurance available for awardees and qualifying dependents in the U.S.
Typical award duration is 2-3 years, supporting full-time research at the Naval Research Laboratory in Washington, DC.
Eligibility
- Citizenship: Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents only
- Education: Applicants must have earned a Ph.D. or equivalent research doctorate before beginning tenure
- Career stage: Primarily for postdoctoral researchers (doctoral degree held less than five years at application deadline); early career professors may also be eligible depending on agency specifics
- Prior affiliation: Applicants with current or recent prior employment or postdoctoral fellowships at the sponsoring agency may be ineligible; research collaborations are generally allowed unless continuing the same project with the same adviser
- Security clearance: May be required depending on agency; foreign nationals should consult with advisers regarding clearance and residency requirements
Application Process
Steps to Apply
- Review eligibility criteria on the NRC RAP website and specific agency pages.
- Identify research opportunities of interest, such as this low-temperature plasma research at NRL.
- Contact the listed Research Adviser(s) to discuss your research proposal and funding availability. For this opportunity, advisers are:
- William E. Amatucci (william.e.amatucci.civ@us.navy.mil, 202-538-5513)
- Scott G. Walton (scott.g.walton.civ@us.navy.mil, 202-767-7531)
- Prepare application materials including:
- Research proposal (max 10 pages)
- Previous and current research description (max 4 pages)
- List of publications and presentations (max 2 pages)
- Letters of recommendation (minimum 3, including dissertation adviser for postdocs)
- Transcripts (required for postdocs)
- Register and submit your application via the NRC RAP online portal before the deadline.
- Notify and monitor your letter writers to ensure timely submission of recommendation letters.
Application Materials
- Research proposal must clearly state the problem, background, methodology, expected results, and significance.
- Letters of recommendation must be uploaded by letter writers via the online system by the deadline.
- Transcripts must be current and include all coursework; unofficial transcripts are acceptable for application but official transcripts required upon award.
Review and Selection
- Applications are reviewed by expert panels in relevant disciplines.
- Review includes evaluation of academic record, letters, scientific merit, and host laboratory support.
- Scores are assigned on a 100-point scale; scores above 70 typically recommended for award.
- Final funding decisions depend on ranking and available slots.
Additional Information
- Awardees receive mentorship, access to state-of-the-art facilities, and opportunities to collaborate with leading scientists.
- Health insurance coverage is provided, with costs shared between awardee and sponsoring agency.
- Relocation expenses are reimbursed for eligible awardees.
- Applicants who do not receive awards may reapply; those recommended but unfunded may reapply without waiting period.
- Previous NRC Research Associateship holders may apply again after a two-year gap.
External Links
Contact Information
For general questions about the NRC Research Associateship Programs, contact the Fellowships Office at rap@nas.edu or call 202-334-2760.