Students Receive NSF Graduate Research Fellowships for 2021

Three students who completed their baccalaureate degrees in South Dakota have received prestigious awards from the National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (NSF GRFP) for 2021.

Launched in 1952, the GRFP is the oldest graduate fellowship of its kind. It supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing Ph.D. or research-based master’s degrees. Fellows receive a three-year stipend, coverage of tuition and fees, and opportunities for international research and professional development.

This year, more than 2,000 students were GRFP Awardees and more than 1,800 were recipients of Honorable Mention.

Students are encouraged to apply for the GRFP both before they begin their graduate studies (as long as they are at least an undergraduate senior) and as an early graduate student. If you have completed more than one year in a graduate degree program, there are restrictions on your eligibility to apply. Check the Detailed Eligibility Requirements in the NSF GRFP Solicitation. And see the FAQs at nsfgrfp.org.

Congratulations to these three recipients of 2021 GRFP awards:

• Brunmaier, Laura Anna Elisabeth
  Baccalaureate Institution: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
  Field of Study: Engineering — Biomedical Engineering
  Current Institution: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
• Kirkvold, Clara
  Baccalaureate Institution: University of South Dakota
  Field of Study: Chemistry — Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods
  Current Institution: University of Minnesota-Twin Cities
• Taylor, Christina Gabrielle
  Baccalaureate Institution: South Dakota School of Mines and Technology
  Field of Study: Mathematical Sciences — Computational Mathematics
  Current Institution: William Marsh Rice University