To promote research excellence among graduate students the department offers support for research-enhancing activities. All awards are granted on a competitive basis subject to fund availability.

• Huffaker Travel Scholarships

  Thanks to the generosity of The Huffaker Family Fund, the department provides support to graduate and undergraduate students who are traveling to attend national and international conferences in Physics & Astronomy. Funds are available to students presenting their research findings at conferences or workshops. Senior students will be given priority in the selection process. Typical award amount is $500.

  To apply for a Huffaker Travel Award. please fill out the application below:

  Huffaker Travel Scholarship Application

  To fill out the form, students must be logged into their valid UK Google account. (Please contact UK IT if you have questions about logging into your UK Google account.)

  All research-active Physics & Astronomy students are encouraged to apply.

  Please email Doug Strachan for more information.

• The Department's Invited Speaker Travel Scholarships

  The department supports graduate students who are invited to present their research at conferences or other academic events. Unlike general conference participation, this fund specifically targets invitation-only speaking opportunities, such as plenary talks or featured presentations. Brief contributed talks (like five-minute presentations at the APS March Meeting) do not qualify.

  The award aims to fully cover the travel expenses. To apply, email the DGS with the event details, and estimated expenses. 

• The Department's Summer Travel Scholarships

  The department supports graduate students attending topical (and advanced) summer schools and workshops directly aligned with the student's research area. Senior students will be given priority in the selection process. The aim is to cover the travel entirely, with a limit of $3,000 a trip. To apply, email the DGS with the event details, and estimated expenses.     

• The Department's Dissertation Research Support Scholarships

  To foster advanced scholarship and timely completion of dissertations, the department now offers the Dissertation Research Support Scholarships to eligible Ph.D. candidates. This competitive funding opportunity is intended to assist students in conducting essential research that directly advances their dissertation. Typical award amount is between $1,000 and $3,000. To apply, please submit your proposal via email to the DGS, which addresses the following:

  • Primary focus and goals of your dissertation.
  • How this support will enable substantive progress toward the degree. 
  • Proposed budget.

  Applications are evaluated on a competitive basis, based on the clarity of objectives, feasibility of the project and the potential impact of the support in advancing your dissertation work. Please submit your proposal at least four weeks before the planned research activity, to allow for departmental and administrative processing.

Research Excellence Fellowship

This biannual award recognizes outstanding research achievements by graduate students during the previous year. Qualifying accomplishments typically include publication in high-impact journals or delivering invited talks at reputable conferences. Recipients receive a stipend supplement (typically $3,000). The fellowship selection is made by the department's fellowship committee (Plaster, Murthy, Dymarsky) based on faculty nominations.