Application FAQ

The DOE NNSA SSGF is open to U.S. citizens who are currently enrolled or will be entering full-time, uninterrupted study toward a Ph.D. at an accredited U.S. university by the start of fellowship in fall 2027.

Proof of U.S. citizenship (a copy of your birth certificate or passport) will be required upon a formal offer.

No. You must be a U.S. citizen or lawful permanent resident to apply.

Your department must certify that no more than one term of teaching, grading or other departmental support activities are required of you, or that any requirements beyond one term will be waived for the DOE NNSA SSGF. You must obtain a waiver of this graduate requirement from your department chairperson to qualify for a DOE NNSA SSGF award. This certification will be sent upon formal offer of fellowship for your department chairperson to sign.

No. You must be a full-time student working toward your Ph.D. at a U.S. university (by fall 2027) to be eligible.

Undergraduate seniors, first- and second-year graduate students and those matriculating into graduate school pursing a Ph.D. (by fall 2027) are eligible for this fellowship. If you have a question whether this applies to you, review the additional FAQs on this subject, or contact the DOE NNSA SSGF Program Coordinator.

At time of application, you cannot have completed more than two years of full-time graduate work towards your Ph.D. Review other FAQs on this subject or contact the program for specific questions.

You can apply to the DOE NNSA SSGF program, but if awarded the fellowship, you may have to give up your current appointment. The DOE NNSA SSGF cannot be accepted concurrently with another federal fellowship. Please contact the DOE NNSA SSGF Program Coordinator with specific situations you would like to inquire about.

No. The DOE NNSA SSGF does not offer deferrals. If awarded, you will either have to accept and give up your current federal fellowship or decline the DOE NNSA SSGF altogether.

Having a master's degree does not affect your application to the fellowship. As long as you are in the first or second year of graduate work in your current field of study, you are eligible to apply.

As long as you will be starting a Ph.D. degree program by the time the fellowship would begin (fall 2027), you are eligible.

Yes, you are eligible for the fellowship.

Students in physics, applied physics, material sciences, materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, chemistry, chemical engineering, astronomy/astrophysics, nuclear engineering, or related physical or mathematical science and engineering disciplines are eligible for this fellowship. If you feel your area of study does not fit into these categories but does focus on stockpile science (high energy density physics, nuclear science, or materials under extreme conditions or hydrodynamics), you are encouraged to apply and convey to application reviewers that your work can be properly represented as stockpile science.

As someone matriculating into graduate school, you will list your top three choice institutions at time of application. We understand that this may change by the time fellowship awards are offered. You will be able to designate your institution of choice once offered the fellowship.

As part of the application process, the Krell Institute will contact the listed department chairperson(s) to confirm adherence with the DOE NNSA SSGF teaching policy which states that no more than one term of teaching is allowed while on fellowship. We do this ensure that any department listed is eligible to receive a DOE NNSA SSGF fellow. The Krell Institute will have this information on hand by the time offers of award are made. Please make sure to complete all requested department chairperson information.

In short, no, you do not need to list every institution you've ever attended. You will want to ensure that your education history is comprehensive of your background and speaks to your application. Please be aware that all institutions listed will also need a corresponding official transcript. You do not need to list your high school or GED information.

Courses that are part of your Ph.D. program should be listed under Doctoral Courses, regardless of whether you have completed them yet or not.

The course must be a graduate level course or accepted for graduate credit by your home department.

Please assemble a list of courses for your preferred university. The goal is to give reviewers an idea of the courses that you would expect to take if accepted.

We understand that course schedules change. Make a best effort to put together a reasonable list of courses. The goal is to give reviewers an idea of the courses that you would expect to take if accepted.

We require official transcripts sent directly from the university. Use the university's process to request them. We accept e-transcripts sent to ssgf@krellinst.org, or hard copies mailed to:

Krell Institute
Attn: DOE NNSA SSGF Program
1609 Golden Aspen Dr., Suite 101
Ames, IA 50010

If the name on your transcript is different from the name on your application, please contact us.

We should receive your transcripts by Jan 05, 2027 at 5:00 PM CST. We understand that some fall 2027 transcripts may not be available by this date. You do not need to notify us about these transcripts unless they will arrive later than January.

We require an official transcript from all universities (graduate and undergraduate) listed on your application. This includes fall 2026, if you are currently enrolled at a university. Please make sure to list a university on the Education page before requesting a transcript from it.

No. Please do not list your high school on your application or submit high school transcripts.

No, this is very common. Your application is considered complete and will sent to the review committee, yet we will require a copy of the official fall transcript once it becomes available. There is no need to contact the program if your transcript will arrive by the end of January.

You may submit one transcript as long as it includes all undergraduate and graduate work.

Yes, but notify each program.

Yes. This is the preferred route. You can request that your university send an e-transcript to ssgf@krellinst.org.

No. All official transcripts must be sent directly from the university in question. Transcripts emailed, mailed or faxed by the applicant will not be accepted as part of the application. The possible exception is an international instituion, as explained in the following question.

In the instance of an international institution unwilling or unable to send an official copy of a transcript, please contact the DOE NNSA SSGF Program. In most cases a copy from the applicant will be accepted, but an email from the applicant explaining the situation will be required.

Transcripts are processed and entered into the online system daily, however, we ask that you allow up to three business days after your transcript has been received for it be reflected within your application. Please contact your university to see if your transcript request has been processed and the document sent. (If you submitted a transcript under a different name, please notify the DOE NNSA SSGF program.)

Once the university has confirmed that the transcript was sent, please contact the Krell Institute to inquire further.

Alternatively, 1) please make sure you have added the university in question to the educational history section of your application. A transcript cannot be marked as received without a coordinating university, 2) please make sure that the name on the application matches the name on the transcript. If the names are different, you will need to notify DOE NNSA SSGF of this so your transcript can be properly recorded.

We will check on this periodically, but please fill out the educational history section completely before sending in transcripts to ensure that it will get attached to your application correctly.

No. Standardized test scores are not required for DOE NNSA SSGF applicants and will not be considered as part of the review and selection process.

No, there is no minimum GPA score required to apply or be considered for the DOE NNSA SSGF.

No, you may only submit three.

It is preferred that you have new letters written that address the information requested on the reference form.

First and foremost, we recommend that you make a personal ask of these individuals prior to listing them in the application. When you 'Notify' your references, they will receive an email from the Krell Institute with a link to an online reference system where they can submit a letter of recommendation.

Yes. You may reorder your references at any time. Once a reference has been notified, you may no longer edit that person's information. You may also delete a reference up until their recommendation letter is submitted. If you no longer plan to request a letter from someone you have notified, please let them know.

You will be able to view the status of your reference requests on the Application Dashboard.

Refer to the 'Application Dashboard' section of the application. If you are concerned about a particular status, please follow up with the reference until their letter is marked as 'Submitted'.

References may directly contact the DOE NNSA SSGF program with questions.

Yes. Your reference may submit their letter via email or mail directly to the DOE NNSA SSGF Program.

Letters of recommendation should be submitted by your references by Jan 05, 2027 at 5:00 PM CST.

Yes. You can login to your application after you final submit and use the Dashboard to continue to remind references of their outstanding letters. The portal for references to submit their recommendation letters will remain open after the application submission deadline.

Yes, you can save your application and work on it any time. Your application is not submitted until you press 'Final Submission' on the final submission page. Once this is done, you can no longer make changes to your application. However, even after your application is submitted, you can continue to use the online system to notify references that their letters have not yet been received, and check the status of your transcripts.

After you press the 'Final Submission' button on the Final Submission page, you should receive an email confirming that your application has been submitted. If you do not receive this email within 24 hours, please contact the Krell Institute. There will also be a check beside 'Final Submission' on your online Application Status page.

No. Once you have pressed 'Final Submission' on the Final Submission page, no further action is required.

Yes, you may check the status of your application materials at any time by logging in and visiting the Dashboard.

You may check the status of your application materials online at any time by logging in and visiting the Dashboard. If for some reason the status on this page seems incorrect, please contact your university and/or references.

No. As long as all course work from the institution is listed on one transcript, we do not need a duplicate copy. When processing the transcript, the Krell Institute will populate a cumulative GPA for both your undergraduate and graduate coursework.

The DOE SSGF application is due Jan 05, 2027 at 5:00 PM CST.

Yes. Please final submit your application by the application deadline, even if some of your supporting documents are outstanding.

No. These types of supplemental materials will not be reviewed. Publications should be listed in the appropriate section of the application. Other supplemental information can be included as Additional Comments, if you wish.

No. Once you have submitted your application, you cannot make changes to it. If offered a fellowship, you will be able to update your profile information at that time.

No. Please do not fax supplemental materials. Your application will not be considered complete until official documents are received.

We do not retain applications from year to year. You will need to submit a new application, including transcripts and letters of reference.

You can check the version of the application that will be seen by reviewers using the Preview button on the Application Dashboard. Please note that all applications must be submitted electronically via the online system.

You will be notified whether or not you received a fellowship by mid-April.

The fellowship start date is September 1, 2027. It is renewable for up to four total years.