MATTHEW STUART MORRISON AND JAMES MORTON ALEXANDER SUMMER FELLOWSHIP
The goal of the Morrison and Alexander Summer Fellowships is to provide incoming graduate students with a chance to experience the research environment in the Department of Chemistry ahead of their first semester. Any student who has officially accepted our admission offer may apply for this fellowship to work in the laboratory of a faculty member in the Department of Chemistry. The Fellowship provides a monthly stipend during an 8-10 week experience.

To apply for a Matthew Stuart Morrison Summer Fellowship, email Professor Alexander Miller, Director of Graduate Studies the following information: (A) Your name, (B) Name of faculty who has agreed to mentor you over the summer, (C) Your CV/resumé, (D) A short statement (ca. 0.5 page or less) describing what you hope to learn or achieve over the summer. Selections will be made on the basis of available funds, timing of application (priority given to those applications received before March 15th), availability within each laboratory, and a committee review of the CV and application statement.

Please note that working in a lab during the summer does not commit you to join that lab, nor does it commit the faculty member to accepting you as a permanent member of their lab once you officially begin graduate school.

SLAYTON EVANS STUDENT DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE (SESDI)

The goal of SESDI is to enhance diversity and create a supportive environment for incoming graduate students. Any incoming chemistry graduate student who is a first-generation college student or who is dedicated to enhancing diversity within the Chemistry Department is eligible to apply. This program will facilitate the transition into our graduate program during the summer prior to their first year of entry into the Ph.D. program. SESDI students will receive a $2,500 relocation stipend.  Programmatic components include an optional summer research rotation in a research group (8-10 weeks) supported with a stipend sponsored by the Matthew Stuart Morrison and James Morton Alexander funds, mentoring undergraduates enrolled in a summer chemistry course, and workshops, activities, and cohort building activities offered by the Chemistry Department and the Graduate School.  Throughout the academic year, advising, academic support, and additional cohort building will be offered. To apply, please complete the form found here by April 24, 2024.  For more information, contact Dr. Leslie Hicks (lmhicks@email.unc.edu) and Dr. Nita Eskew (neskew@email.unc.edu).

EASTMAN FELLOWS
The Eastman Fellows program pairs first-year students with two mentors: a senior graduate student peer mentor within the program, and a near-peer mentor who has obtained a PhD and is now working in the chemical industry with Eastman Chemical. These mentors will meet with you at Carolina or Eastman yearly, providing advice and information about industrial career paths available to Ph.D. chemists. Fellows are provided a stipend during their first year, which is in addition to the stipend provided by the Chemistry Department as a Teaching Assistant. The Eastman Fellows program is open to all students with strong organizational skills who are interested in growing into departmental leaders. Application detailed are shared over the summer, with a deadline in August. Applicants will be asked to provide a statement on communication and leadership.

NIH CHEMISTRY-BIOLOGY INTERFACE TRAINING PROGRAM
The NIH-funded Chemistry–Biology Interface (CBI) Training Program enables trainees at Carolina to obtain the breadth of scientific training essential for modern, mechanistically informed chemical biology. The training program includes a stipend well as (1) common coursework that establishes the basis for research at the chemistry–biology interface, including responsible conduct of research and rigor/reproducibility training, (2) biweekly meetings that alternate between a journal club and professional development, (3) a trainee-organized symposium. Three new fellows are selected at the end of their first year. Please contact the PIs of the program, Professors Jeff Aubé and Marcey Waters, for additional information.

Scholarships and Awards

The Department of Chemistry offers number of Fellowships and Awards to outstanding graduate students. The candidates for the fellowships are typically nominated by the student’s research advisor and the awardee is then selected by the Graduate Studies Committee.

Scholarships currently available include a variety of departmental endowed fellowships such as Bost, Burroughs-Wellcome, Dobbins, Edmister, Eliel, Hiskey, and Ledoux, a Merit Assistantship, and a Board of Governor’s fellowship.

In addition to these departmental awards there are numerous fellowships accessible to graduate students through UNC Graduate School and outside agencies and foundations.

Graduate Students receiving external funding in support of their thesis or dissertation, will be expected to apply for the Graduate Tuition Incentive Scholarship to cover the cost of tuition. Please fill out the form online.