IACS New Recruit Award

This scholarship is given to new, incoming, full-time, fully-supported PhD graduate students who are recognized as stellar students because of their outstanding potential indicated, for instance, by high undergraduate GPA, strong letters of recommendation, as well as their active research record.

Who is eligible?
The applicant’s background, and plans for study and research, must be aligned with research currently undertaken by a core or affiliate faculty member in the institute. The departments whose students are eligible for this award are: Physics & Astronomy, Applied Math, Computer Science, SOMAS, Geosciences, Sociology, Materials Science, Chemistry, Biomedical Informatics, Mechanical Engineering, Linguistics, Music, Civil Engineering, Neurobiology and Behavior, and Ecology and Evolution. This award is available to both domestic and foreign students.

What does the award provide?
The award is in the form of a lump-sum payment that is in addition to the regular stipend provided by the home department or research grant. The award brings total payment for the student to $34,000 for 1 calendar year, plus $4000 for travel and equipment. Distinguished IACS award recipients will be provided with a student-assigned mentor within IACS, permanently identified on the IACS website and in IACS publications, and their work will be highlighted in IACS workshop and conference proceedings. At the Institute for Advanced Computational Science our goal is to provide a springboard for students to reach for and obtain optimal career opportunities associated with the relevant emerging fields of graduate study. (The recipient of the award is responsible for determining if the payments received are taxable or non-taxable income when filing his/her individual income tax return. It is suggested that the recipient should seek professional advice from the IRS or income tax advisors regarding this matter.)

What are our expectations?
Participation in student organized activities
Attendance at our student and faculty seminar events
Meet with the IACS Director once a year
Work toward identifying an affiliate or core IACS faculty member with whom you will work starting in Year 2

What are the requirements for continuation?
The student is required to receive no less than a B in any graduate course taken throughout the duration of the academic year in which the scholarship was given along with at least a B+ GPA. Continuation of the scholarship for a second year is contingent upon the approval of an IACS core or affiliate faculty member as a research supervisor who will pay the department-level stipend, a strong evaluation by that faculty member, and the availability of funds. A copy of the student's transcript along with the faculty letter must be sent by June 1 to iacs@stonybrook.edu.

For students who have been given an IACS New Recruit award but subsequently receive a fellowship, for example from NSF or DoE, continuation of the IACS New Recruit Award will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. 

How does one apply?
Applicants will have the ability to designate their interest in being considered for the IACS New Recruit Award by checking off the appropriate box on the Financial Aid screen of Apply Yourself. Applicants are then chosen as candidates for the scholarship based on nominations from the departments to which they are applying. An IACS review committee vets all candidates, and students who are chosen are notified by their departments. For deadlines and further details, click iacs-new-recruit-doc5.pdf. For nomination instructions within AY, click ay_inst_nominating_iacsawards.pdf.

Past Winners

2015
	Dongwon Han				Alexander Borowicz
2016
	Eric Raut