Frequently Asked Questions

No. You must be a U.S. citizen in order to apply for the DOE NNSA LRGF.

Your department must certify that no more than one term of teaching, grading or other departmental support activity is required of you or that any requirements beyond one term will be waived. Review our teaching assistant policy in full. [PDF - Updated 11/2017].

No. You must be a full-time student in, at minimum, your first year of doctoral study at an accredited U.S. university at the time of application.

Yes, you are eligible as a third-year doctoral student as long as you will have at least 18 months remaining in your doctoral studies as of the start of the fellowship period (that being September 1, 2025). Applicants must be first-year (or later) doctoral students in one of the supported fields of study at the time they apply. For specific questions, please contact us.

You can apply to the DOE NNSA LRGF, but if you're chosen you may have to give up your current fellowship. The DOE NNSA LRGF cannot be accepted concurrently with another federal fellowship.

A previous master's degree in another field doesn’t affect your application. As long as you have completed graduate work in your current field of study, you are eligible to apply.

As long as you are in the first year (or later) of doctoral studies in your current field at the time you apply, you are eligible.

Yes. If you are presently in your first (or later) year of doctoral studies, you are eligible for the fellowship .

Students in physics, applied physics, material sciences, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemistry, chemical engineering, astronomy/astrophysics, nuclear engineering or related physical or mathematical science and engineering disciplines are eligible so long as the research is focused on one of the following areas: pulsed power science and engineering, radiation magneto-hydrodynamics/nuclear astrophysics, atomic physics and visible/UV/X-ray spectroscopy, dynamic materials/shock physics or accelerator design. See the DOE NNSA LRGF fields of study list for detailed descriptions. If you feel your area of study does not fit into these categories but contributes to one or more of them, you are encouraged to apply and make a compelling case to the the application reviewers that your work is appropriate for this fellowship. Please contact us about specific situations.

We need an official transcript from all universities listed on your application, including for the current fall term. Transcripts should be mailed directly to the Krell Institute or sent via your university's electronic transcript delivery service. The latter is preferred if available.

No. You may submit one transcript as long as it includes all undergraduate and graduate work.

Please ensure that the Krell Institute receives your official transcripts on or by Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

You can attend any accredited university (that offers a Ph.D.) during the fellowship period, as long as it is in the United States.

Prior to submitting your application, you must prepare a written overview of your planned laboratory residency experience(s). Your letter is required and must address the lab(s) you plan to visit, the mentor(s) you will work with (if identified), and the research you plan to conduct during the experience(s). Please also discuss how the proposed laboratory experience(s) relate(s) to your university research proposal (application essay question two). Your residency letter must be signed by your advisor. If you have identified a lab mentor, they must also sign the proposed plan. You must upload your residency plan to your application prior to final submission.

Your lab mentor is the NNSA facility employee who will direct your activities during the fellowship's residency period. If you have identified a lab mentor and project (recommended but not required), your application should include a letter from this individual. In part, this letter will demonstrate understanding of the proposed project, address a plan for training and mentoring, and describe present/past interaction with you and/or your advisor.

Your advisor must submit two documents via the online system: 1) a reference letter that speaks to your qualifications and also indicates his/her/their planned involvement during your laboratory residencies, and 2) a letter that addresses the university's residency policy regarding off-campus experiences of up to six months.

You must also identify two additional references and request their letters via the online system.

Each letter writer will receive a unique link at the time his/her/their input is requested. Letters should be submitted via the online system and are due on or by Wednesday, March 12, 2025.

Yes, you can save your application and work on it any time. Your application is considered final — and no further changes can be made — once you click “Final Submission" within the "Review for Final Submission" section of the system. You can, however, continue using the online system to prompt listed references to submit their letters and/or to check your application’s status.

Yes. You will not be able to modify your application, but you can continue to use the online system to notify references that their letters have not yet been received or to check your application's status.

The 2025-26 application deadline is March 12, 2025. Please keep in mind that all application materials — including references, transcripts and the completed application — are due at that time.

For studies beginning in the fall of 2025, you will be notified, regardless of whether you received a fellowship, by the end of April 2025.

For the 2025-26 fellowship class, the start date is September 1, 2025. Remember: Program funding is renewable for up to four total years.