Assistantships, Awards, Scholarships, and Fellowships | Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences

Departmental Support

John and Willie Leone Family Department of Mineral and Energy Engineering
Financial assistance is available through fellowships, research assistantships, and teaching assistantships. The level of stipend is based on the applicant's experience, academic record, and potential for graduate work.
Department of Geography
The department supports master's and doctoral students
Department of Geosciences
The department offers graduate scholarships, fellowships, and awards
Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Most graduate students are supported by research assistantships that provide both a stipend and tuition.
Department of Meterology and Atmospheric Science
The department attempts to support all students in the department through either fellowships or assistantships.

SCIENCE ADVOCACY AND DIVERSITY AWARDS

EMS Graduate Fellows for Science Advocacy and Diversity (EMS-GFSAD)
The EMS-GFSAD program is an effort to formally support and expand the work of We Are For Science (WAFS) by supporting student leadership and establishing an administrative home in the college.
Catherine Lyons Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Graduate Student Award
Award honors graduate students  who have demonstrated exemplary leadership that manifests the ideals of diversity, equity and inclusion into practical action. (Self-nominations are not allowed - need to ask someone to nominate you).

TEACHING AWARDS

George Schenck Teaching Assistant of the Year Award
This award was created to honor and to recognize a graduate student in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences who has performed his or her responsibility as a graduate teaching assistant in an exemplary manner and has been named teaching assistant of the year in his or her department.
Harold F. Martin Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award
The Harold F. Martin Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award recognizes graduate assistants for outstanding teaching performance. This award is jointly sponsored by the Graduate School, through the Harold F. Martin Graduate Assistant Outstanding Teaching Award endowment, and the Office of the Vice President and Dean for Undergraduate Education.

TRAVEL AWARDS

EMS Centennial Graduate Research Travel Award (Not accepting applications due to COVID-19)
The Centennial Research Award is given to exceptional graduate students in recognition of their outstanding research while enrolled in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.
Global Programs Graduate Student Travel Grant
The University Office of Global Programs (UOGP) maintains a fund to support graduate travel related to the presentation of the scholarly work of Penn State graduate students at international conferences or other major professional meetings outside the United States. The goal is to promote and support global leadership in scholarship and international engagements.

COLLEGE AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Graduate students are considered for these awards based on nomination by Graduate Program Chairs. Students do not apply directly.

Anne C. Wilson Graduate Fellowship
Fellowship is given to select highly-ranked incoming graduate students. This award has evolved over the years, but has been used for the same purpose overall--to recognize outstanding students enrolled in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences. Consideration for this fellowship shall be given to all full-time graduate students exhibiting academic excellence. Preference will be given to students who receive honorable mention in the NSF Fellowship competition.
Arnulf I. Muan Graduate Fellowship in Earth and Mineral Sciences
Fellowship is given to select students who exhibit academic excellence and who are currently enrolled full-time within the college.
Carl H. and Helen H. Chelius Graduate Fellowship in Earth Sciences
Fellowship is given in recognition and support of outstanding graduate students enrolled or planning to enroll in the college who exhibit academic excellence in the area of Earth sciences.
Marathon Alumni Centennial Graduate Fellowship in the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences
Fellowship recognizes and supports outstanding U.S. citizens who have been admitted as candidates for a graduate degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering, geology, geophysics or similar disciplines vital to a strong oil and gas industry in the United States, and who have exhibited academic excellence.

UNIVERSITY AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE

Alumni Association Dissertation Award
Award provides funding and recognition to outstanding full-time doctoral students who have passed their comprehensive exams and have received approval of the dissertation topic. This award is considered to be among the most prestigious available to Penn State graduate students and recognizes outstanding achievement in scholarship and professional accomplishment. Nominations for this award must be submitted from the student's academic program to the Office of the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research no later than the third week of October.
Academic Computing Fellowship
In 1987, Penn State established an innovative fellowship program in computing applications. The Academic Computing Fellowship Program is for doctoral students who are U.S. Citizens or permanent residents and who have a background and strong interest in computing applications within their disciplines. Through participation in the program and the use of computers, students will help develop and disseminate new methods for problem solving within their disciplines. Nominations for this award must be submitted from the student's academic program to the Office of the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research no later than the third week of October.
AT&T Graduate Fellowship
The AT&T Wireless Graduate Fellowship is designed to recognize and provide financial assistance to outstanding graduate students who are conducting research in wireless data applications and have been admitted to Penn State as graduate degree candidates. Nominations for this award must be submitted from the student's academic program to the Office of the Associate Dean for Graduate Education and Research no later than the third week of October.for one $5,000 scholarship to be disbursed the following fall semester.
Bunton Waller Graduate Awards Program
Bunton-Waller Graduate Awards are assistantships granted to incoming students as part of the University's comprehensive educational opportunity program. The graduate admission application serves as the Bunton-Waller Graduate Awards application. Students must be nominated by their program. The Bunton-Waller Graduate Awards Program competition is open to incoming graduate degree candidates who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents. Awards from the Bunton-Waller Graduate Awards Program include one-year awards, two-year awards, four-year awards for doctoral students, and top-up awards. Applications will be evaluated on scholarly promise and upon receiving a commitment from the student's graduate major program to support the student. Departments should work with the Director of Diversity Enhancement Programs in Earth and Mineral Sciences.
Graham Endowment Fellowship Program
The Graham Endowed Fellowship will be used to give Penn State a competitive advantage in recruiting outstanding graduate students. The fund will provide supplementation awards of up to $4,000 per year to highly recruited students who are given assistantships, departmental fellowships, or who are recipients of external assistantships or fellowships. If justification is provided awards will be made up to two years. The Graduate School's University Graduate Fellowships and Bunton-Waller Graduate Awards Program and the GEM master's program are not eligible for the Graham Endowed Fellowship funds.
Distinguished Graduate Fellowship
The Distinguished Graduate Fellowship is a prestigious fellowship program available to incoming graduate students which provides payment of tuition and a base stipend. Our college has currently been awarded 2 of the 17 university fellowships. In addition to the fellowship, Earth and Mineral Sciences also awards to these students the college's Anne C. Wilson Graduate Fellowship award. Some Departments may also increase the stipend with their own departmental funding.
Funds for Excellence in Graduate Recruitment Assistantships
The FEGR Assistantships are a prestigious assistantship program available to incoming graduate students which provides payment of tuition and a base stipend. Our college has currently been awarded 3 assistantships. In addition to the assistantship, Earth and Mineral Sciences also awards to these students the college's Anne C. Wilson Graduate Fellowship award. Some Departments may also increase the stipend with their own departmental funding.
University Graduate Fellowship
The University Graduate Fellowship is a prestigious fellowship program available to incoming graduate students which provides payment of tuition and a base stipend. Our college has currently been awarded 4 of the 80 university fellowships. In addition to the fellowship, Earth and Mineral Sciences also awards to these students the college's Anne C. Wilson Graduate Fellowship award. Some Departments may also increase the stipend with their own departmental funding.