Call for UMBC SCIPE (UM-CIP Fellows) Graduate Fellows - Fall 2026 Submission Deadline: July 10, 2026
Funded by the National Science Foundation (NSF) SCIPE program (Enhancing the Transdisciplinary Research Ecosystem for Earth and Environmental Science with Dedicated Cyber Infrastructure Professionals), CGC-SCIPE is a collaborative effort between the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) - iHARP and the University of Maryland Center for Environmental Sciences (UMCES). The project aims to strengthen the research capacity in Earth and Environmental Sciences by leveraging High Performance Computing (HPC), Artificial Intelligence, and data-driven modeling, while developing the next generation of Cyber Infrastructure Professionals (CIPs).
This project, as part of the iHARP center and Mdata lab, invites applications for UMBC CIP Graduate Fellows (UM-CIP Fellows).
About the Fellowship
The UM-CIP Graduate Fellowship supports a senior PhD student whose dissertation research aligns with Earth or Environmental Science and who seeks to incorporate HPC or advanced AI into their work. The Fellows will receive guidance from an HPC mentor to expand their technical and computational expertise.
Fellowship Details
● Duration: One Year (Starting Fall 2026)
● Funding: Support for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027, including tuition, health insurance, and stipend. Note that summer will be supported at 20 hours per week.
● Focus Areas: Earth and Environmental Science (Students may come from any department but must have these focus areas for their research).
Fellowship Eligibility
● Must be a PhD candidate at UMBC who has completed their dissertation proposal defense by the time of the appointment.
● Must have a research focus in Earth or Environmental Science.
● Must demonstrate interest in using advanced computing High Performance Computing (HPC) in the research. They should describe how they plan to incorporate HPC into their research.
● Students who are already using advanced computing will not be considered for this call.
Fellowship Expectations
● A fellow is expected to continue with their research topics identified in their dissertation proposal defense and continue to be mainly advised by their PhD advisor(s)
● A fellow is expected to engage with the SCIPE team and Cyber Infrastructure Professionals (CIPs)
● A fellow will be expected to present the progress of their work during the fellowship year.
● A fellow's work will have the UMBC SCIPE grant in acknowledgment of all work developed through the fellowship. A final publication is an expected outcome of this fellowship.
● A fellow is expected to participate in CGC-SCIPE related events, such as workshops and seminars.
● Fellowship stipend will be based upon the current Information Systems Department stipend rate.
● Previously awarded fellows are not eligible.
● As this is a full time fellowship, fellows may not be supported by another grant funding source or full time support.
Applicants should submit a one-page research statement outlining the research question and approach, the type of data used or planned, and how HPC will be incorporated or enhanced through the fellowship. Please attach a copy of your CV or Resume and provide at least one Letter of Recommendation (preferably from your PhD advisor).
Please submit via this Google Submission Form by July 10, 2026.
If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Vandana Janeja (vjaneja@umbc.edu).