PNNL and top graduate schools in the Pacific Northwest and beyond have established Distinguished Graduate Research Programs (DGRPs) to strengthen and grow research collaborations and develop a select cohort of doctoral students in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) fields. DGRPs align university faculty and students with researchers and unique PNNL facilities to provide training, education, and research experiences for outstanding graduate students.

Each year, approximately 20 doctoral students from Washington State University (WSU), Oregon State University (OSU), the University of Washington (UW), Iowa State University (ISU), and North Carolina State University are selected to work on nationally relevant research aligned with DOE missions. The students come from various disciplines—e.g., chemical and materials sciences, computational and mathematical sciences, Earth and biological sciences, chemical engineering, and power engineering—and are mentored by PNNL scientists as they conduct their research in PNNL facilities.

A typical DGRP schedule calls students to begin their studies at their home university and continue their research at PNNL after completing their coursework. For example, a DGRP student would spend the first two years at his or her home university, mentored by a university faculty advisor, following which the student would move to PNNL for two years to work on a thesis research project supported by a PNNL mentor. The home university provides a tuition waiver and lower rates for off-site facility and administrative overhead while the student is at PNNL. Read this feature story for an example of recent student experiences in the program.  

To participate in a DGRP, students should be current or future graduate students at WSU, OSU, UW, or ISU. Details are provided via the following links, and applications for a fall start are typically due in February or March of the same year.

• WSU – https://gradschool.wsu.edu/pnnl/
• OSU – https://gradschool.oregonstate.edu/awards/pnnl-osu/guidelines
• ISU –  https://www.engineering.iastate.edu/pnnl/
• NC State – https://research.ncsu.edu/initiatives/interdisciplinary-initiatives/national-laboratory-initiative/nc-state-pnnl-dgrp/