Six Biological Sciences Graduate Students Selected for 2023 NSF Research Fellowships

Five-year awards support outstanding students pursuing advanced STEM degrees

July 6, 2023

By Mario Aguilera

Six UC San Diego School of Biological Sciences graduate students have been awarded 2023 Graduate Research Program (GRFP) fellowships by the National Science Foundation (NSF).

The highly competitive five-year NSF GRFP fellowships provide three years of financial support with an annual stipend of $37,000. The GRFP program selects outstanding master’s and Ph.D. graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology engineering and mathematics disciplines. The program is designed to ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforce its diversity, according to the NSF.

This year’s recipients for the School of Biological Sciences are: Jose Chacon (David Traver Lab), Claire Chapman (Fabian Rivera-Chávez Lab), Andrew Kapinos (Fabian Rivera-Chávez Lab), Gabrielle Meza (Alexandra Dickinson Lab), Jocelyn Olvera (Dmitry Lyumkis Lab) and John Reddan (Terry Hwa Lab). Taryn Broe (Sara Jackrel Lab) received an honorable mention.

“It is great to see the accomplishments of our outstanding PhD students recognized by these prestigious NSF GRFP fellowships,” said Professor Eric Bennett, chair of the school’s Graduate Committee. “These extramural research awards highlight the success of our PhD training program. These successful applications are the result of continued and coordinated efforts by faculty, staff and students to provide a rigorous training environment to push the boundaries of biological research.”

NSF has designed the program so that GRFP fellows become knowledge experts who can significantly contribute to research, teaching and innovation in science and engineering.

“These individuals are crucial to maintaining and advancing the nation’s technological infrastructure and national security as well as contributing to the economic well-being of society at large,” according to the NSF.

Each year since 1952, undergraduate and graduate students early in their careers have received fellowship offers from NSF to pursue research in STEM. By recruiting and supporting outstanding students with high potential in science, technology, engineering and mathematics, GRFP has nurtured economic innovation and leadership in the U.S. More than 40 former fellows have been awarded Nobel Prizes and more than 400 have been selected as members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine.

— With information from the National Science Foundation

Jose Chacon

Claire Chapman

Andrew Kapinos

Gabrielle Meza

Jocelyn Olvera

John Reddan