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Biological Sciences PhD Students Awarded 2024 NSF Research Fellowships

National program designed to boost the quality and diversity of the U.S. science and engineering workforce

September 20, 2024

By Mario Aguilera

Photo of Isabel Mejia.

Isabel Mejia

Two UC San Diego School of Biological Sciences PhD students were awarded Graduate Research Program (GRFP) fellowships from the National Science Foundation.

Graduate students Isabel Mejia in Professor Matt Daugherty’s Lab and Torrey Rhyne in Professor James Kadonaga’s Lab, both in the Department of Molecular Biology, were awarded 2024 GRFP fellowships. Also, graduate student Renny Ng in Professor Chih-ying Su’s lab, Department of Neurobiology, received an honorable mention.

“The Biological Sciences Ph.D. program is honored to have such fantastic students and faculty mentors,” said Professor Eric Bennett, chair of the school’s Graduate Committee. “We are so happy that Isabel, Torrey and Renny’s amazing potential to make lasting scientific contributions to their chosen research fields was recognized by the NSF in the form of the extremely competitive GRFP fellowship. The ability of our students to secure these competitive awards underscores the strength of our PhD training program.”

Photo of Torrey Rhyne

Torrey Rhyne

GRFP fellowships provide three years of funding across a five-year period. For each year of support, NSF provides a $37,000 stipend and a $16,000 cost of education allowance to graduate degree-granting institutions in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM). The program also opens access to opportunities that include professional development.

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.

“The purpose of the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program is to help ensure the quality, vitality and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States,” according to the NSF. “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.”

— With information from the National Science Foundation