Part 6 THE DIVISION OF SCIENTIFIC PERSONNEL AND EDUCATION The National Science Foundation fellowship programs-all of which include awards in the life sciences are administered by the Division of Scientific Personnel and Education. These programs are designed to strengthen the Nation's scientific potential by providing support for advanced training in the sciences directed toward the development of highly qualified research scientists and for further study in the sciences directed toward increasing the competence of science teachers. No new fellowship programs were introduced during fiscal year 1958. The four existing fellowship programs were expanded; a significant number of additional awards were offered in April 1958, made possible by supplemental funds appropriated by the Congress. A. GRADUATE FELLOWSHIPS This program of predoctoral awards is designed to offer support to unusually able students to enable them to complete their graduate studies with the least possible delay. Awards are available to any citizen of the United States who has demonstrated ability and special aptitude for advanced training in the sciences and who meets the requirements of one of the following categories: 1. First year fellowships For students entering graduate school for the first time or those who will have completed less than 1 normal year of graduate study as of the beginning of the tenure of their fellowships. 2. Intermediate fellowships For students who will have completed, as of the beginning of their fellowships, an amount of graduate training considered by the institutions at which they are in attendance to be a normal year of graduate study, but who will require more than 1 additional year to complete the requirements for a doctoral degree. 3. Terminal year fellowships For students who expect to complete the requirements for a doctoral degree within 1 calendar year from the date on which they enter on the tenure of their fellowships. Stipends for each of the three levels of predoctoral fellowships are as follows: 1st year. Intermediate.. Terminal... $1,800 2,000 2, 200 1 Stipends and allowances indicated in this chapter are based on fiscal year 1959 programs rather than fiscal year 1958. In general, these levels of support were higher than those in effect in fiscal year 1958. 33 The annual stipend is available to fellows who elect the full year (12 months) option. Fellows electing an academic year (9 months) award will receive nine-twelfths of the annual award. Married fellows normally will be provided a dependency allowance of $500 plus $500 for each dependent child for a fellowship of 12 months' tenure, but adjusted for the shorter option. Tuition and required fees will be paid by the National Science Foundation. Additional allowances available upon individual justification include an amount not to exceed $250 for a fellowship year to assist in defraying the cost of special equipment and materials, and special travel. The program of predoctoral awards is now in its seventh year of operation. The prestige of holding an NSF predoctoral fellowship is much sought after by top quality graduate students in science. Comments received from participants and other scientists continue to be preponderantly favorable. Statistical details concerning the awards given in the life sciences are shown in tables 10-14. TABLE 10. First year predoctoral awards, 1958-59; summary of applicants, finalists, honorable-mention recipients, and awards offered TABLE 11.-Intermediate predoctoral awards, 1958-59; summary of applicants, finalists, honorable-mention recipients, and awards offered TABLE 12.-Terminal predoctoral awards, 1958-59; summary of applicants, finalists, honorable-mention recipients, and awards offered TABLE 13.-Distribution of predoctoral awards offered by scientific field and year, 1958-59 TABLE 14.-Predoctoral renewal applicants, 1958-59 Agriculture.. Anthropology- General biology. Medical sciences. 33632367284 3363236038 The procedure in regard to renewal awards was similar to that followed last year. Special subpanels of NRC screening panels separated renewal candidates into two groups; those who performed satisfactorily as graduate students of fellowship caliber and to whom renewal awards should be made and those whose performance, for one reason or another, had not measured up to expectations. As a result of this procedure, 442 out of 510 renewal applicants, or 86.7 percent, were offered awards, a somewhat lower percentage than last year. It is not planned to increase the number of awards in this program to any large extent. Its purposes are best served by keeping it highly selective and highly competitive. B. POSTDOCTORAL FELLOWSHIPS The postdoctoral fellowship program is intended primarily for scientists who have recently received a doctor's degree in one of the fields listed above and who need and are qualified for additional advanced training preparatory to specialized scientific work. Grants may provide for from 6 to 24 months of advanced study. There are two award periods each year for this program. Stipends and allowances Stipends depend upon the length of tenure. Fellows studying under a 12-month tenure receive an annual stipend of $4,500. Stipends for tenures of shorter duration are computed proportionately. Postdoctoral fellows studying longer than 12 months (and also renewal postdoctoral fellows) receive stipends computed at the rate of $5,000 per annum. Married fellows normally will be provided upon request with a dependency allowance of $500 for a spouse and $500 for each dependent child. Additional allowances available upon individual justification include an amount not to exceed $500 for a fellowship year to assist in defraying the cost of tuition, required fees, special equipment and materials, and special travel. This program, too, is in its 7th year of operation and continues to run smoothly. Statistical details concerning awards given in the life sciences are shown in tables 15 and 16. |