Funder: NRC Research Associateship Programs
Due Dates: February 1, 2025 | May 1, 2025 | August 1, 2025 | November 1, 2025
Funding Amounts: Stipends vary by sponsoring agency and location; awards typically last 1 year with possible renewals up to 3 years.
Summary: Supports postdoctoral research on spin-dependent carrier properties in graphene and group IV materials to advance magnetoelectric phenomena and novel device concepts.
Key Information: Open to U.S. citizens and permanent residents holding a doctorate within the last 5 years; research conducted onsite at Naval Research Laboratory (NRL); requires contacting a Research Adviser prior to application.
Description
This fellowship opportunity under the NRC Research Associateship Programs focuses on fundamental research into spin-dependent carrier properties in group IV materials such as graphene, silicon, and germanium. The goal is to deepen understanding of magnetoelectric phenomena in nanostructures to enable advanced sensing, information storage, and processing technologies beyond Moore’s law.
Research areas include:
- Investigating spin lifetimes and scattering mechanisms in graphene and Si-Ge heterostructures.
- Developing novel phenomena like the inverse spin Hall effect for spin control.
- Exploring functionalized graphene as a tunnel barrier and spin-injecting/detecting contact.
- Demonstrating prototype devices such as magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ), spin-LEDs, and spin-resonant tunneling diodes (spin-RTDs).
- Utilizing transport, optical, and magnetic measurement techniques.
The Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) provides extensive facilities for epitaxial growth, transport and magneto-optical studies, structural and magnetic characterization, and advanced sample fabrication.
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
- Stipends vary by sponsoring agency and location.
- Awards are typically for one year with the possibility of renewal for up to two additional years (total up to 3 years).
- Additional benefits include health insurance, relocation assistance (if relocating more than 50 miles), and an annual travel allowance.
Eligibility
- Applicants must have earned a Ph.D., Sc.D., M.D., D.V.M., or equivalent research doctorate before beginning tenure.
- Postdoctoral applicants must have held their doctorate for less than five years as of the application deadline.
- Must be U.S. citizens or permanent residents.
- Research must be conducted onsite at the Naval Research Laboratory.
- Individuals with current or recent prior affiliation with NRL (e.g., employment or previous NRC fellowship) may be ineligible.
- Applicants must contact the proposed Research Adviser before applying.
- Letter writers cannot be employed by NRL unless they have served as mentors or collaborators during the applicant’s prior academic or research training.
Application Process
Steps to Apply
- Review eligibility criteria on the NRC RAP for Applicants page.
- Identify this specific Research Opportunity at NRL: Spin-Injection, Transport, and Localization in Graphene and Group IV Materials.
- Contact the Research Adviser listed for this opportunity to discuss your research proposal and funding availability.
- Prepare application materials including:
- Profile information (contact, education, transcripts, employment, honors).
- Research proposal (max 10 pages) detailing problem statement, background, methodology, expected results, and significance.
- 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).
- Submit application via the NRC RAP online system before the deadline.
- Notify letter writers to upload their letters through the online system by the deadline.
Important Notes
- Only one application per sponsoring federal agency is allowed per cycle.
- Applications with incomplete or missing materials will not be reviewed.
- Reviewers evaluate applications on academic record, research merit, letters, and host laboratory support.
- Applicants receive reviewer feedback approximately one week after review finalization.
Additional Information
- Awards are made based on merit and availability of funds.
- Renewals require mutual agreement among the Laboratory Program Representative, Research Adviser, and Associate.
- Health insurance coverage is mandatory throughout the tenure.
- Relocation and travel allowances are provided according to agency policies.
- Applicants who previously held an NRC Research Associateship must wait at least two years before applying again.
External Links
Contact Information