The purpose of the Graduate Fellowship Program is to offer a unique opportunity for a select group of physics doctoral students to spend a minimum period of 5 months (and up to 6 months) at the KITP, participate in KITP research programs, and broaden their pursuit of theoretical physics in areas of current research.
Graduate education in physics has suffered in recent years from over-specialization. Students often concentrate very early in their studies on a particular field of physics, to the exclusion of other fields. Even within a given field, they often concentrate on a very narrow direction of research, centered on the interests of their advisor and the topic of their thesis. Having completed the thesis, the new postdoc must specialize even more in order to publish and not perish. Many physicists have decried this tendency towards specialization and called for efforts to broaden graduate education in physics. They, and we, believe that broadly educated and trained research physicists are necessary in a rapidly changing scientific world.
We believe that the KITP can play a significant role in the effort to broaden graduate education in theoretical physics. To this end we support up to seven graduate students at a time to spend either the period of our fall programs (July through December) or the period of our spring programs (January through June) at the KITP, participating in our programs and broadening their knowledge of physics in many areas at the frontiers of research. There is some slight flexibility in starting and ending dates, but participants are expected to stay for the entire period for which they have been accepted.
In a semester at the KITP, suitably prepared graduate students can significantly broaden their knowledge of physics and meet many research physicists working at the frontiers of knowledge.
The KITP is committed to hosting a diverse group of scientists as graduate fellows.
For participation in the winter/spring term, applications or nominations must be received by September 15 of the previous fall. For participation in the summer/fall term, applications or nominations must be received by February 15 of that year.
Eligibility RequirementsEligible students must be enrolled in a graduate school in the United States. Students from institutions outside the US may apply for KITP Graduate Fellowships for students from non-U.S. institutions. Since we wish to ensure that the students admitted are fully able to benefit from the program, and that it will not harm the normal progress of their graduate education, we require that the student's advisor nominate the candidate student. Students cannot apply to the program directly. Students who wish to participate should convince their advisors to nominate them.
Amount DescriptionSupport for the Graduate Fellows will be provided in the form of reimbursement for local expenses (lodging and meals) up to a maximum of $2100/month. Some assistance with round trip travel between the Fellow's home institution and the KITP can also be provided.