The Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program is run by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Office of Science, with ORISE handling applications and awards. It gives supplemental awards to PhD candidates at U.S. universities.
Awardees spend 3–12 consecutive months at a participating DOE national laboratory or user facility, carrying out part of their own thesis research with a laboratory scientist. It is not an internship: the project extends the student’s dissertation.
Benefits & funding
- Monthly living stipend of up to US$3,600, set by individual circumstances (normally the maximum).
- Round-trip travel reimbursed up to US$3,000 per award, only if the lab is more than 50 miles from the home university.
- No support for tuition, fees, supplies or conference travel; the awardee and advisor keep full-time enrollment funded.
- Awardees may later apply for a research visit abroad of up to 6 weeks.
Eligibility
- U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, at least 18 at application.
- Full-time PhD students at an accredited university in the U.S. or its territories who have reached PhD candidacy with an approved thesis topic.
- Fields: physics, chemistry, materials, geosciences, non-medical biology, mathematics, engineering, computing and select environmental sciences, aligned with an Office of Science priority area; social sciences and medical research are excluded.
- Not currently researching at the proposed host lab, and under 3 months of past work there.
- Basic Energy Sciences (BES) projects carry university–lab distance limits.
- One application per cycle; SCGSR awards may total at most 12 months.
Can you apply?
Here's who can apply
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Eligible nationalities
USA
Residents of USA can also apply.
Education required
PhD Enrolled
Age requirement
≥ 18 yrs
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Application process
- 1Find a collaborating DOE laboratory scientist and, with them and your thesis advisor, co-develop a research proposal of up to 3 pages.
- 2Gather official graduate transcripts and an official letter confirming PhD candidacy.
- 3Your thesis advisor and the lab scientist each submit an online letter-of-support form before the deadline.
- 4Submit the complete application online by 4 November 2026, 5:00 PM ET.
Program timeline
Applications opened
12 August 2026
Application deadline
4 November 2026, 5:00 PM ET
Offer notifications
1–16 April 2027
Window for project start dates
7 June – 4 October 2027