Gillings School student among 16 to receive prestigious funding from National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program

April 24, 2024

Abigail Foes, graduate student at the Gillings School in the Department of Biostatistics, was among 16 students at UNC-Chapel Hill to receive a prestigious award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). Kieran Fitzmaurice, graduate student in the Department of Environmental Sciences and Engineering, received an honorable mention.

These students represent both undergraduate and graduate education, and their research covers several STEM-related fields, including biology, sociology, genetics, anthropology and more. This year, twelve recipients are graduate students and four are undergraduate students.

This fellowship is the oldest of its kind directly supporting graduate students in STEM. Its purpose is to not only ensure the quality and vitality in the scientific and engineering workforces of the United States but also to broaden and diversify the talent in STEM-related professions. 

Many of this year’s recipients have research based in life and geosciences, highlighting the significant effect our students’ work has on our global environment.  

Beth Mayer-Davis, dean of The Graduate School and Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor of Nutrition at the Gillings School, noted that the recipients of this year’s awards are making fundamental strides in overcoming obstacles that affect the lives of people and the environment in not just our state, but around the globe. Their research represents many key areas of study across campus and exemplifies the power of our strategic initiative to strengthen our University’s global impact.    

“The excellent work of these students highlights the depth of knowledge being generated through graduate education at UNC-Chapel Hill,” Mayer-Davis said. “It is this kind of impactful research that sets Carolina students apart as our next generation of leaders.” 

The UNC-Chapel Hill chapter of the Materials Research Society (MRS) is an organization that works to connect graduate students to industry and academic professionals. They partner with The Graduate School to offer several events to help students develop key skills and provide opportunities to network with scientific professionals. One such opportunity is the NSF GRFP peer-review workshop. This annual peer-review workshop provides senior undergraduates and first- and second-year graduate students an environment to meet one-on-one with NSF GRFP fellows. 

The NSF GRFP launched in 1952. Federal funding through a three-year stipend provides educational support, professional development and international research opportunities for recipients. 

View the full list of recipients by the Graduate School

Contact the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health communications team at sphcomm@unc.edu.