Ames, Iowa (September 14, 2017) — Erin Nissen, a doctoral candidate in Dana Dlott’s research group at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, has been awarded a Department of Energy National Nuclear Security Administration Stewardship Science Graduate Fellowship (DOE NNSA SSGF) to support her research into chemistry.

Nissen, from Colorado Springs, Colorado, received her bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Colorado Mesa University. She is one of five first-year fellows in 2017. Less than 5 percent of applicants are chosen each year.

The DOE NNSA SSGF covers students’ full tuition and fees and provides a yearly stipend and academic allowance during the appointment period. It’s renewable for up to four years. In return, fellows must complete a comprehensive program of study and a three-month research practicum at one of four DOE national defense laboratory sites.

The Department of Energy’s National Nuclear Security Administration created and supports the program and the Krell Institute of Ames, Iowa, oversees it. Since it was first awarded in 2006, the fellowship has supported 58 students at 30 universities. Fellowships are granted annually and support doctoral students studying areas of interest to stewardship science, including high energy density physics, nuclear science, or materials under extreme conditions and hydrodynamics.

One of the NNSA’s primary missions is to maintain and enhance the safety, security and reliability of the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile. NNSA, through its Office of Defense Programs, ensures that the U.S. nuclear arsenal meets the country’s national security requirements and continues to serve its essential deterrence role.

For more information on the DOE NNSA SSGF, contact the Krell Institute at 515-956-3696 or visit http://www.krellinst.org/ssgf.