IGERT: Sustainable Energy from Solar Hydrogen

We know that you want to be a part of our new program. As you are most probably aware, IGERT programs combine interdisciplinary science with practical experience, giving you a deep knowledge in your chosen discipline as well as a combination of technical, professional and personal skills that enable YOU to be leaders and creative agents for change in YOUR fields.

You’ll be generously supported through various funding sources and receive a $30,000 stipend for the first and third year of the fellowship.. In addition to the stipend, tuition and insurance is also provided. A further bonus is that support is provided for travel and for summer internships.

The University of Delaware is internationally recognized for its research into energy and solar hydrogen. You’ll find it easy to find an area that works for you, whether it be in fuel cells, hydrogen storage or photovoltaics.

You’ll be working within and across departments with members of staff who will provide you with far-reaching opportunities to AID you in becoming LEADERS and CREATIVE AGENTS for change in your chosen fields.

As you become experts in your chosen field, you’ll have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology and equipment., including our brand new MBE machine and Class 10 Clean Room.

Be part of our IGERT that offers you the chance to be involved in a range of well-known industries and government organizations. Helping YOU network and providing you with the possibility of post-fellowship employment.

One of the best ways to approach our IGERT is through collaborative research, combining the efforts of chemical engineering, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, material science, physics, chemistry, policy and economics. Come and be a part of our integrated team of experts!

First and foremost we are looking for YOU. Our educational goal is that our students will be ‘energy experts’. We expect them to be excellent researchers who can recognize and develop new multidisciplinary approaches to solar hydrogen components, systems and implementation; recognize and define important problems; and who can think broadly, creatively and ‘outside the box’.

What exactly are we looking for in a potential IGERT Ph.D graduate fellow?

YOU will have a research focus in one area but the background, knowledge and interpersonal skills to draw from and interact with colleagues from multiple technical disciplines; the breadth to choose the most pressing problems and to contribute to the broader context of sustainable energy systems; and the motivation to use engineering as a driver for innovation, inspiration and societal advancement, wherein engineering partner other solutions.

Why do we need a solar hydrogen system?

We’re living in a rapidly changing world in which creating a sustainable energy system has become a central issue of our time. The lack of an energy system which is environmentally, economically, socially and politically sustainable impacts everyone and underpins many key international issues.

The combination of using solar-based energy generation and hydrogen as an energy carrier and storage offers a sustainable solution to many aspects of the energy issues, including transport and electricity generation. The goal of the IGERT on Solar Hydrogen and Sustainable Energy is to provide the resources and opportunities for graduate students to address the scientific, technological, and policy challenges in solar hydrogen systems.
Become involved and help us create a system that will make solar hydrogen technically and economically feasible and come and be a part of something truly sustainable.

What type of research is there for me to do?

This IGERT provides you with the opportunity to venture into a wide-range of research endeavors. The key areas of research focus on the following areas:

If you are still a little unsure about your research interest, we’ll be able to provide you with advice and ideas about how best to suit an area of research to your needs.

What are the employment and career opportunities after IGERT?

One of the major objectives of NSF’s IGERT program is to train students in areas where industry, government and academic institutions are experiencing a shortfall. You’ll be given the chance to work in industries ranging from pharmaceutics to petrochemicals, government laboratories devoted to health, commerce or energy, small teaching colleges and major research universities. And, you’ll get the added benefit of being able to sample these locations during your training, making it easier to decide which career environment is right for you.

And, employers will enjoy knowing that you’ve worked with some of the leading experts in the field of sustainable energy and solar hydrogen.

IGERT? What the heck is IGERT?

It stands for Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship, and is a program developed by the National Science Foundation to improve the graduate experience. IGERT provides interdisciplinary graduate training for students who wish to pursue careers in the sciences, mathematics, engineering or technology (interdisciplinary being the key word here). Approximately 20 new IGERT programs are funded each year, and there are now over 100 IGERT programs at universities across the United States. Each program is unique in its curricular and research focus. Students interested in pursuing PhDs in the sciences, mathematics, engineering or technology can select and apply to IGERT programs that suit their interests. Students accepted into an IGERT program then begin a rigorous course of interdisciplinary study (that's the integrative graduate education and research part) and get $30,000 a year plus tuition and fees (that's the traineeship part).

What are the deep goals and ideals of the NSF IGERT program?

The National Science Foundation Introduction to the IGERT Program says:
"The IGERT program has been developed to meet the challenges of educating U.S. Ph.D. scientists, engineers, and educators with the interdisciplinary backgrounds, deep knowledge in chosen disciplines, and technical, professional, and personal skills to become in their own careers the leaders and creative agents for change. The program is intended to catalyze a cultural change in graduate education, for students, faculty, and institutions, by establishing innovative new models for graduate education and training in a fertile environment for collaborative research that transcends traditional disciplinary boundaries. It is also intended to facilitate greater diversity in student participation and preparation, and to contribute to the development of a diverse, globally-engaged science and engineering workforce.

Why interdisciplinary?

"In the last 10 years, there has been a growing realization that the really big problems in science are not going to be solved within one discipline. The big complex problems, like those affecting the environment or advances in information technology, will require expertise from many areas."
--Jim Teeri, Director, IGERT National Recruitment Program.

The issues that surround most "real life" problems and their complex solutions are multifaceted and complex. For example, policy decisions must be informed by science; social values and economics affect whether or not a solution is desirable or feasible. IGERT programs seek to train researchers who will recognize cross-disciplinary issues and communicate with professionals from other disciplines to find creative interdisciplinary solutions for these problems.

What's special about an IGERT education? Why would I want to be an IGERT student?

IGERT programs focus on problem-centered training, delimited not by the boundaries of an academic discipline, but by the demands of solving a problem. IGERT programs combine interdisciplinary science with practical experience, giving their students deep knowledge in their disciplines as well as a combination of technical, professional and personal skills that enables them to be leaders and creative agents for change in their fields. Other benefits include:

A sizeable stipend ($30,000 for the first and third year).
Support for tuition and fees.
Funds for research equipment and supplies.
Research assistanceship and teaching assistanceship opportunities.
Opportunities for international experience.
Internships in industry and government.
Work with similar-minded graduate students from different disciplines on similar research topics.
Great post-IGERT career and employment options.

What are the employment and career opportunities after IGERT?

A major objective of NSF's IGERT program is to train students in areas where industry, government and academic institutions are experiencing a shortfall. IGERT graduates may work in industries ranging from pharmaceutics to petrochemicals, government laboratories devoted to health, commerce or energy, small teaching colleges and major research universities. An important benefit of the IGERT programs is that most students have opportunities to sample these locations during their training. This makes it easier to decide which career environment is right for you.

How long does it take?

Usually four to five years, but this depends on the program you select and on you!

What kind of student should apply to an IGERT program?

Wants to be a scientist for the future-- more flexible, more collaborative, more adept at linking issues in the life, earth, and social sciences, and more able to solve the global issues that face us today.
Has demonstrated strong interest and motivation in the areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Has completed a bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline.
Is a U.S. citizen or permanent resident.

How do I get started?

I really don't know much about how I should go about applying to grad school, or even what to expect in grad school. No one in my family knows either, and my advisor is on leave this year. Can you help? First, each IGERT program has a program contact person who is willing to help. Just call, or email, and ask your questions. The IGERT National Recruitment Program and our website (this website!) are also a valuable resource. Our Resources for Students Page contains links to other resources that specifically address this question.

Can I apply if I am not a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident?

Sorry, but no. Please apply instead to a traditional graduate educational program by contacting the department most closely allied to your research interests. If you are accepted to a department affiliated with an IGERT program, however, "you may experience many "spillover" benefits from the IGERT project."

What is the difference between an IGERT Fellow and an IGERT Affiliate?

It is important that you know that there is a difference between acceptance into the IGERT as an IGERT Fellow and an IGERT Affiliate. An IGERT Fellow (also referred to as a scholar) are students who may enroll in the IGERT program and complete their PhD in either Electrical and Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Material Science and Engineering, Chemistry and Biology, or Physics. They get paid the $30,000 stipend in their first and third year and receive regular departmental funding in their second and fourth year.

In contrast, an IGERT Affiliate is a student who is in the non-science or engineering disciplines, such as policy or economics, but who has the background to enable him/her to understand the techinical issues in a solar hydrogen system. IGERT Affiliate students receive a stipend from the IGERT at conventional department rates. You might want to look at the PhD offered by CEEP (the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy) if this is the route you feel you would prefer to take.

What Does Our IGERT Offer You?

What is the difference between an IGERT Fellow and an IGERT Affiliate?