Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Updated December 2011

Categories of Questions and Answers

Citizenship:

I am a legal permanent resident, can I apply?

No, only U.S. citizens are eligible to apply for the DOE SCGF.

Do you need proof of U.S. citizenship?

Yes. Proof of U.S. citizenship will be required upon a formal offer (see Key Dates section).

I am a foreign student studying in the U.S. under a student visa (F1-visa).  Am I eligible to apply?

No.  You must be a U.S. citizen to apply.

Education Status:

I completed my undergraduate degree in the spring of 2011 and I’m now doing research at a DOE national laboratory. I’m applying to Ph.D. programs to start in the fall of 2012. Am I eligible?

Yes. It is important to keep in mind that you must be enrolled in a qualified graduate program (see Eligibility section for the definition of “qualified graduate program”) as a full-time graduate student at an accredited college or university in the United States or its territories in Fall 2012 in order to be eligible to receive the fellowship.

I am a senior undergraduate just beginning to apply to graduate programs. If I don’t know what graduate program I will be attending in the Fall, am I still eligible to apply?

Yes, but you must be accepted into a qualified graduate program and be enrolled in the program starting in Fall 2012.  If you are selected for the fellowship, you will be required to verify your acceptance to a qualified graduate program by June 15, 2012 before you receive a formal offer.

I am a first year Ph.D. student but I have completed a Master’s degree from a different university, am I eligible or am I considered a third year graduate student?

As a first year Ph.D. student, you are eligible to apply. However, not all first year Ph.D. students are eligible to apply. You are not eligible to apply if either of the following conditions or their combination describes your graduate education status:

  • You have completed more than 6 semesters/9 quarters (full or part-time) of cumulative graduate work at the time of applying.
  • You have completed more than 3 semesters/5 quarters (full or part-time) of cumulative graduate work in a Ph.D. program at the time of applying.

I’m in my 2nd year of my Ph.D. program at the same university and department that I did my Master’s degree. Am I still eligible for this program?

As a second year Ph.D. student, you are eligible to apply. However, not all second year Ph.D. students are eligible to apply. You are not eligible to apply if either of the following conditions or their combination describes your graduate education status:

  • You have completed more than 6 semesters/9 quarters (full or part-time) of cumulative graduate work at the time of applying.
  • You have completed more than 3 semesters/5 quarters (full or part-time) of cumulative graduate work in a Ph.D. program at the time of applying.

In addition, since you have received your Master’s degree at the same institution within the same department you are pursuing your Ph.D., you must satisfy the following conditions in order to be eligible:

  • when you first started the graduate program from which you received your Master’s degree, you entered as a Master’s student (not a Ph.D. student);
  • your Ph.D. dissertation is a distinct research project from your Master’s degree research (i.e. not a logical continuation of your Master’s research).

I’m currently a third year Master’s student writing up my thesis; I plan to start a Ph.D. program in the fall of 2012. Am I eligible?

You are not eligible because you are not a first or second year graduate sudent at the time of applying.

I am a third year graduate student. Am I eligible?

You are NOT eligible to apply if one or any combination of the following describe your graduate education status:

  • You will be in your third year of a Master’s program in Fall 2012.
  • You have completed more than 6 semesters/9 quarters (full or part-time) of accumulative graduate work at the time of applying.
  • You have completed more than 3 semesters/5 quarters (full or part-time) of accumulative graduate work in a Ph.D. program at the time of applying.
  • You seek to pursue a second Ph.D. degree.
  • You are currently in your second Master’s degree program and will not be in a qualified Ph.D. program by Fall 2012.

I have a Master’s degree in another field. Does this make me ineligible?

The previous master’s degree in another field does not affect your eligibility. However, you are not eligible to apply if either of the following conditions or their combination describes your graduate education status:

  • You have completed more than 6 semesters/9 quarters (full or part-time) of cumulative graduate work at the time of applying.
  • You have completed more than 3 semesters/5 quarters (full or part-time) of cumulative graduate work in a Ph.D. program at the time of applying.

My department requires all graduate students to perform teaching to qualify for a doctoral degree. Am I eligible?

Working as a teaching assistant does not affect your ability to apply. If you meet all the eligibility requirements, you are elgible to apply. You have the option to defer the fellowship for one year after completing the first year of the fellowship to fulfill your teaching requirement. This deferral must be arranged in advance and you must maintain full-time enrollment status and good academic standing during the deferral period.

I am currently a part-time student. Am I eligible?

The part-time status does not affect your eligibility. If you meet all the eligibility requirements, you are eligible to apply. It is important to keep in mind that you must be enrolled in a qualified graduate program (see Eligibility section for the definition of “qualified graduate program”) as a full-time graduate student at an accredited college or university in the United States or its territories in Fall 2012 in order to be eligible to receive the fellowship.

I took time off from school to work. Am I eligible?

The working or off-school status does not affect your eligibility. If you meet all the eligibility requirements, you are eligible to apply. It is important to keep in mind that you must be enrolled in a qualified graduate program (see Eligibility section for the definition of “qualified graduate program”) as a full-time graduate student at an accredited college or university in the United States or its territories in Fall 2012 in order to be eligible to receive the fellowship.

How many semester credits are considered full-time?

The number of semester credits a student must be enrolled to be determined by the student’s academic institution. Typically, this is 12 credits for undergraduate studies or 9 credits for graduate studies. However, this will vary with university. The DOE SCGF will use what the academic institution determines as full-time.

Qualified Graduate Program

What is a Qualified Graduate Program?

A Qualified Graduate Program satisfies all of the following key requirements:

  • It is a Master’s or Ph.D. degree program that requires a research thesis/dissertation.
  • It is a research thesis/dissertation based Master’s or Ph.D. program in physics, chemistry, biology (non-medical), mathematics, engineering, computer and/or computational science, and areas of environmental sciences at an accredited college or university in the United States or its territories, AND the area of graduate research is clearly within area supported by the science programs of DOE Office of Science.
  • It is NOT one of the following: joint BS/MS degree programs, DVM, MBA, MD, joint MD/PhD, JD, or joint JD/PhD degree programs.

I am not sure if my field of study is eligible. How do I find out?

Please review the Office of Science research program areas for information of the Office of Science programs. To be eligible, your proposed field of research should be in an area that an Office of Science program would reasonably support given their current mission priorities. 

The students pursing the following degree programs are not eligible for the DOE SCGF: joint BS/MS degrees, DVM, MBA, MD, joint MD/PhD, JD, or joint JD/PhD degree. In addition, biomedical sciences, social sciences, and some areas of environmental science are not a mission responsibility of the Department of Energy and thus not areas of research supported by the Office of Science.

Other Federal Graduate Fellowships

I’m applying to the NSF graduate fellowship, am I still eligible to apply for the DOE SCGF?

You are still eligible to apply to the DOE SCGF. You must disclose on your DOE SCGF application the other federal graduate fellowship programs that you are applying to. The DOE SCGF fellowship cannot be accepted concurrently with another Federal graduate fellowship that provides tuition and stipend support if you were selected directly by the other Federal Agency based on an application submitted by you directly to the Federal Agency.

I currently have another graduate fellowship. Does this make me ineligible for the DOE SCGF?

The DOE SCGF award cannot be accepted concurrently with any other Federal graduate fellowship. This condition applies to both prospective fellows and current fellows throughout the tenure of the DOE SCGF. More specifically,

A student who is the current recipient of another Federal graduate fellowship that provides tuition and stipend support is not eligible for the DOE SCGF, if the student was selected directly by the Federal Agency based on an application submitted by the student directly to the Federal Agency.

If an applicant has been selected for a graduate fellowship directly by their university (even if that fellowship is funded through a Federal grant), the student is eligible to apply to the DOE SCGF, e.g. NSF IGERT, NIH Institutional training grant, etc.

I was previously awarded another graduate fellowship. Does this make me ineligible for the DOE SCGF?

You are not eligible if you were previously awarded another Federal graduate fellowship that provided tuition and stipend support and if you were selected directly by the Federal Agency based on an application submitted by you directly to the Federal Agency.

If you had been previously awarded a graduate fellowship by the university (even if that fellowship was funded through a Federal grant), you are still eligible to apply to the DOE SCGF.

GPA and GRE

What is considered a valid GPA and Cumulative GPA?

(GPA stands for Grade Point Average.) GPA is calculated by taking the number of grade points a student earned in a given period of time divided by the total number of credits taken.A Cumulative Grade Point Average is a calculation of the average of all of a student's grades for all semesters and courses completed up to a given academic term, whereas a GPA may only refer to one semester.

Only the GPA(s) and Cumulative GPA(s) shown and clearly visible on an official transcripts submitted through the DOE SCGF online application system are valid.

Is there a minimum GPA or cumulative GPA required to be considered for the fellowship?

No.

My current GPA for my Ph.D. work is a 3.8 but my undergraduate GPA was 3.26. Am I eligible?

Yes, you are eligible. There is no minimum GPA requirement for eligibility.

I’m currently a senior undergraduate planning to graduate this spring, but I transferred to my current university a year ago. Do I use my current GPA from this university or should I add in the GPA from my previous school?

You should use your current undergraduate GPA from the university you currently attend, which should include your Spring 2009 grades. This GPA should be reflected on your official transcript.

Is GRE score required?

Not, but highly recommended.

General Information about Online Application:

How many times can I apply to the DOE SCGF?

You may apply up to three times as long as you meet the eligibility requirements at the time of applying.

When is the application deadline?

Your complete application must be submitted online by Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time. This includes completion of all required applications fields, official transcriptions, and three letters of recommendations. Official Transcripts must be submitted through the DOE SCGF online application system as required.

Can I work on my application and save it to come back later and work on it?

You can save your application and work on it anytime. Your application is not submitted until you press “Submit” on the final submission page.

Once you have done that, you can continue to use the on-line system to notify references that their letters have not yet been received, and check the status of your application. You can also view the status of your application at anytime from your individual Status page.

How can I confirm that my electronically submitted application was received?

Once your application has been successfully submitted, your Status page will indicate a status of “Submitted” next to “Submission Status:” and a blue check mark will appear along the “Application” bar.

Can I print my final application and view it in hardcopy before I submit it?

Yes. In the Application page on the left-hand navigation column, there are options to review and print an application. The print function under “Print your Application” will allow you to review your entire application as it will be seen by a reviewer. You can either print from this page or export their application as a PDF file.

Can I send supplemental materials such as publications or research results, with my application?

The only acceptable supplemental material is in the section of Essay 2, where you have the option to upload a one-page PDF file as an auxiliary document to the Essay 2. Please do not submit any other supplemental materials with your application; they will not be reviewed.

Publications and awards should be listed in the appropriate section of the online application. Any other notable accomplishments can be incorporated into your personal statement essay.

Transcripts

Do you need an official transcript from my college/university?

You must upload a copy of your official transcripts to your online applications. Please refer to the “Transcripts” section at the application site for more details.

When are transcripts due?

All transcripts must be uploaded into your online application by Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.

What is a redacted transcript?

The copy of the transcript you submit with your application should have your social security numbers, birth date, and home address whitened out (redacted) so it is not identifiable.  To “redact” this information on your transcript, use a White-Out or other white correction tape to “white out” this information. Please refer to the “Transcripts” section at the application site for more details.

I don’t have copy of my official transcript but I have an unofficial electronic copy from my university, can I use that?

You must submit a copy of your official transcripts that have been stamped with the college/university Registrar seal. The official transcript must be submitted with your online application in PDF form. Please refer to “Transcripts” section at the application site for more details.

Do you need a copy of my undergraduate and graduate transcripts?

You must submit a copy of the official transcripts from each university/college listed on your application. You must also include on your application a list of the courses you are currently enrolled in for the Fall quarter/semester and your anticipated courses for the rest of the academic year.

I attend graduate school at the institution that awarded my undergraduate degree. Do you need 2 transcripts, or can I submit one that includes all coursework at that university on it?

If the official transcript includes all coursework (including both undergraduate and graduate study), you must submit one copy for your undergraduate study and submit the same transcript for your graduate study. In other words, you must submit the same transcript twice.

Recommendations

Do I have to wait until I submit my application before I ask folks to send in a letter of recommendation?

No. As soon as you begin your application, you should go to the references section and complete the information to request letters of recommendation. All of your letters of reference must be received by the application deadline of Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at 11:59 PM Eastern Standard Time.

I am a senior undergraduate and have not chosen a graduate advisor yet so I don’t know what my dissertation research will be? How should I complete Essay #2 on the Proposed Plan of Research?

If you are not currently enrolled in a graduate program and have not determined your thesis/dissertation research topic, describe a complete plan for research on a topic that is of interest to you and relevant to the course of study you plan to pursue toward your graduate degree objective. This proposed plan of research must be relevant to the DOE Office of Science research program areas.

Can I use reference letters that were already written for other programs or fellowships?

It is preferred that you have new letters written that address the information requested on the reference request form specifically designed for the DOE SCGF.

Can I submit more than 3 reference letters?

Yes, you can. However, only the first three letters of recommendation received by the application system will be reviewed; supplemental reference letters will not be reviewed.

My reference would rather not submit his reference online. Is there another option?

No. All letters of recommendation must be submitted through the online application system.

How will I know if my reference received my request for a recommendation letter?

After you request a recommendation using the on-line application process, you will receive an email confirming that an email was sent to your reference. However, we have no way of knowing if the email was opened until we receive the letter of recommendation, so you should take the initiative to check in with your reference after your request to be sure that it was read.

What happens when I click on “Request” to notify my references that I want them to write me a recommendation letter?

When you make a request from your references, they will receive an email from DOE SCGF program with a link to an online recommendation system where they can submit a letter of recommendation. Please speak to your references before you email them youre recommendation request through our online system so they will be expecting the email.

My reference has questions about the reference process and/or the DOE SCGF Program. Where should I direct him/her?

References may contact the DOE SCGF program manager at SCGFInfo@science.doe.gov.

General Questions about DOE SCGF

When will I be notified if I did or did not receive a fellowship?

You will be notified whether or not you have been selected for the fellowship in May 2012.

When does the DOE SCGF fellowship start?

The fellowship start date is September 1, 2012. It is renewable for up to three years for students who make reasonable progress toward their graduate degree objective and satisfy all DOE SCGF eligibility requirements as a Fellow.