ALEPSCoR Graduate Research Scholars Program
Graduate students who represent the next generation of researchers and innovators are critical to the advancement of Alabama’s high-tech human resource capacity. To assist our institutions of higher education in training this next generation of scientists and engineers investments are required to attract the brightest and best scholars who will contribute to the state’s vision of economic growth and prosperity.
In 2012, the Alabama Legislature continued the appropriation to ALEPSCoR through the Alabama Commission on Higher Education for the purpose of funding the GRSP. Since its inception in 2006, the program has funded more than 187 exceptional graduate students. Round Eight began in the Fall of 2013 funding 43 students with 21 new recipients. Students are selected competitively by a team consisting of one campus coordinator from each of the Ph.D. granting institutions in the ALEPSCoR Program.
Renewals are granted each year subject to satisfactory progress in a given year and available funding. The goal of the ALEPSCoR GRSP is to invest in Alabama universities to expand research output and attract eminent senior faculty and quality graduate students. The program’s objective is to provide a highly trained workforce to fuel the growth of high technology companies in Alabama.
The quality of work generated as part of the first seven funding rounds was both cutting-edge and novel. Encouraged by the success of the program, researchers have leveraged state funds with other research based resources to supplement the GRSP and increase participation in the program. Students whose proposed research or field of study and career interests were congruent with the funded science and technology programs of the NSF, DOE, NASA, USDA at Alabama EPSCoR universities are eligible to apply. The ALEPSCoR Steering Committee has a GRSP Subcommittee to monitor and continually make revisions to improve the program.
GRSP Campus Coordinators
Alabama A&M University
Dr. Tommy Coleman
Dr. Frank (Skip) Bartol
Dr. Mahesh Hosur
University of Alabama
Dr. John Wiest
University of Alabama at Birmingham
Dr. Chris Lawson
University of Alabama in Huntsville
Dr. David Berkowitz
University of South Alabama
Dr. John Steadman