2020 Schmidt Science Fellows Program

The Schmidt Family Foundation, founded by former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy Schmidt in partnership with the Rhodes Trust, is now in its second year of the Schmidt Science Fellows Program. The program offers an innovative 11-month postdoctoral experience to students from the natural sciences, engineering, mathematics, and computing-oriented disciplines.  Targeting students who are near completion of their PhDs, the program offers training in fields outside of the student’s current area of expertise. The goal is to introduce Fellows to the ideas, practices, methods, and cultures of other scientific disciplines, thereby exposing Fellows to new topics, new ways of thinking, and new people who can help guide Fellows toward new paths to success.   

Only students who expect to complete their PhDs by June 2020 (but no earlier than May 1, 2019) are eligible.  The fellowship offers a $100,000 stipend, and it provides courses and research experiences at some of the world’s leading academic institutions along with hands-on work in field-leading laboratories.  

The Schmidt Family Foundation has invited only select universities to participate in the fellowship program, and the University of Illinois is one of those universities. We are allowed to submit seven representatives for consideration in the national competition, and the Graduate College will coordinate the campus competition to select those seven. The campus competition will operate via departmental nomination, and eligible departments may submit up to two nominations each.  

The program looks for applicants who demonstrate:

• • Scientific curiosity - Desire to achieve a broad level of exposure to and knowledge in cutting-edge innovations and research across the sciences.
  • Extraordinary achievement - Clear record of academic achievement in the sciences at leading institutions of higher learning.
  • Intellectual spark - High degree of intelligence, energy, and intellectual curiosity that will drive future scientific discoveries.
  • Global ambitions - The will to make a lasting impact in the sciences and society, pursuing knowledge that will benefit the world by engaging in ambitious research and displaying great perseverance throughout the scientific process.
  • Character - A genuine and demonstrable interest in society and global challenges combined with a desire to use personal talents and expertise to make a positive difference in the world.
  • Collaborative spirit - Demonstrated history of effective collaboration with diverse team members.
  • Use of innovative tools - General interest and comfort in using innovative technological tools, such as modern computing and data science techniques.
  • Alignment with the Program - Interest in pursuing a year or more of postdoctoral study in a field different from the topic of study for which the applicant received their doctorate.

The fellowship offers 11 months of support (additional support may be possible at the discretion of the Foundation). The award provides:

• $100,000 stipend.
• Allowance for personal travel.
• Coverage of costs for global meetings.
• Courses and hands-on research experiences at leading academic and research institutions.

Additional Information:
https://www.grad.illinois.edu/fellowship/index.cfm?action=main.fellowship&fid=4777
https://schmidtsciencefellows.org/
https://www.facebook.com/schmidtsciencefellows/