ALS Doctoral Fellowship FAQ
The ALS (Advanced Light Source) Doctoral Fellowship provides challenging opportunities to conduct research in areas supportive of the ALS's and Berkeley Lab's missions. Fellows will have the unique opportunity to carry out a major part of their thesis research utilizing the ALS. Fellows will be matched with an on-site mentor (generally a beamline scientist) and have access to ALS resources, including beamtime. It is anticipated that nine fellowships will be awarded concurrently, subject to funding availability.
What are the eligibility criteria?
Applicants must be full-time students currently enrolled in a physical or biological science Ph.D. program, pursuing thesis research based on the use of synchrotron radiation, who have passed all qualifying or comprehensive verbal and written examinations (generally third-year students). Appointment terms are for a period of one year with the possibility of a one-year renewal, and are contingent upon satisfactory annual performance reviews and funding availability. Fellows are expected to carry out a major part of their research using synchrotron research at the ALS.
What is the stipend?
An annual stipend of $18,000 will be paid. Limited funding will be available to attend approved conferences and/or seminars, but there are no provisions for relocation assistance, housing allowance, or other expenses.
What is the application process?
Applicants must submit a completed application form, a two-page description of their research plan, a resume with publications list, and two to three letters of reference.
The application form is provided in PDF format as a fill-in form. With the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can print the form and fill it out on paper, or you can fill it out on screen, print it, sign it, and return it by fax or mail. Tools to make PDFs more accessible to people with visual disabilities are available at access.adobe.com. If you have Adobe Acrobat, Acrobat Business Tools, or Acrobat Fill-In (distributed only by the IRS), you can submit a completed form electronically by exporting the filled-in data to an PDF file (select File/Export/Form data... and make sure you've selected the same directory that contains the original form).
All application materials must be submitted before the application deadline to Adriana Reza email to areza@lbl.gov, by fax to (510) 486-7863, or alternately mailed to ALS Doctoral Fellowship, c/o Adriana Reza, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, One Cyclotron Road, MS 6R2100, Berkeley, CA 94720.
What are the selection criteria and process?
All applications will be received, processed, and reviewed by the ALS Fellowship Selection Committee (consisting of one representative of the ALS Science Advisory Committee, one representative of the Users' Executive Committee, one ALS staff member, and two representatives from partner universities).
Applicants will be reviewed with regard to their qualifications and the merit of their dissertations. Additionally, applicants will be rated on their diversity of experience, educational background, and the relevance of these qualifications to ALS and Berkeley Lab research needs.
How are awards announced?
Award recipients will be notified in writing within 30 days of the application review and must provide written confirmation of their acceptance within 30 days. Appointment terms must commence no later than six months from the date of the award announcement. The number of awards granted each year is dependent upon the availability of funding and the quality of applications; however, it is anticipated that nine fellowships will be awarded for the upcoming academic year.
What are the Fellows' obligations?
Fellows are required to sign and abide by the appointment letter, the Terms of Appointment, and other required Berkeley Lab documents. They are also required to submit a final report of research accomplishments to the ALS and Berkeley Lab, acknowledge the support of the ALS and Berkeley Lab in publications and presentations related to research conducted during the fellowship, and provide a copy of these publications to the ALS and Berkeley Lab. Candidates are also expected to present their results at a meeting or as a seminar at the end of the fellowship year.
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