Quazi and Shaheen Islam Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship in Physics and Astronomy

Supported by the Quazi and Shaheen Islam Endowment for Excellence, the Department of Physics and Astronomy supports one Notre Dame undergraduate student to engage in summer research each year.

Program Activities

10-week full-time research should be conducted on a project mentored by a faculty member from the Department of Physics and Astronomy. The recipient is expected to conduct a minimum of 40hr/wk of research and should not take on any other on-campus/off-campus job. In addition, the recipient must provide a thank-you letter to donors and a summary of their research experience before the start of the fall semester. Finally, recipient must within one academic year present their research at a scientific conference or symposium such as the Fall Undergraduate Research Fair (FURF).

Support

A stipend totaling $6000 for the 10-week period will be distributed to the fellowship recipient. The fellowship payment is considered to be a stipend and will be taxed. [Up to $500 for supplies expenses may be requested for reimbursement.] Note that you will not receive payment in full at the beginning of your summer research. Rather, payments will occur biweekly via the student employment system so please plan accordingly. Payments will start on June 1 and end on August 15 but you may choose any 10-week period that fits your schedule. It is recommended that you schedule your research so that it coincides with REU program organized by the Department of Physics and Astronomy.

Eligibility

• Current first-year, sophomores and juniors Physics majors

• A minimum of one prior semester of “research for credit” with the same faculty mentor as for the summer fellowship

• Successful fellowship recipients are expected to continue working with their faculty mentor beyond the summer of funding

Application: The following needs to be submitted to Submittable.

Quazi and Shaheen Islam Fellowship will be submitted through COS-Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship 2024 form and evaluated separately from COS-SURF.

A. Proposal narrative with the following sections (pdf: single-spaced, 12pt font, 1” margins):

a. A description of previous research experiences including with the proposed mentor (maximum 1 page)

b. Research proposal including project background, a description of proposed summer research, and its significance (maximum 3 pages)

c. A discussion of how a summer research experience fits into your career plans, both in the immediate and long-term (maximum 1 page)

B. Letter of Support from the faculty research mentor

C. Official Transcript

Deadline

All application materials, including letters of support, are due by March 10 at 5pm each year for research to be carried out the following summer. Applications will not be considered if they are incomplete; if the individual components of the narrative exceed the given page limits; are formatted incorrectly; and/or submitted after the deadline. For more information, please contact the chair of the Undergraduate Research Committee in the Department of Physics and Astronomy Prof. Evan Kirby.

Selection

Final selections will be based upon the qualifications of the candidates, the quality of proposed research, whether proposals are well written, concise, and compelling, and by the support of the research mentor.