PROGRAM INFORMATION

Program Benefits

In most cases, the maximum value of any individual award, including stipend, tuition and fees, and summer practicum, is $50,000/yr.

STIPEND
Fellows receive a monthly stipend in the amount of $2,200. The fellow's basic stipend is augmented by $500 (prorated) each month during the practicum. MUSC will either deposit stipends directly into the fellow's bank account or mail monthly stipends directly to the fellow.

The NNSA attempts to provide adequate funding to its fellowship participants for meeting the cost of graduate school but other awards, prizes, and similar payments (including veteran's benefits) that do not require a product or service may be accepted by the fellowship participant. If a fellow accepts another award such as a research assistantship or other responsibilities in which funds are provided and the fellow is required to spend time on the project, MUSC must be informed in advance and any resulting payments may be deducted from the fellow's stipend. In addition, MUSC reserves the right to withdraw the fellowship if the fellow receives compensation without notifying MUSC as to the nature and extent of any payment.

TUITION AND FEES
The fellows required tuition and fees are paid by MUSC directly to the participating university upon receipt of invoice. Optional, refundable, and penalty fees (such as late registration and duplication fees) are not payable by MUSC. Health insurance fees will be paid by MUSC only if they are certified to be required for all graduate students. All tuition and fee charges must be certified consistent with those made to regular graduate students and necessary for enrollment into the graduate program. The tuition is limited to $23,600, any charge above that amount can be assumed by the university. In August of each year, MUSC notifies the bursar's office at each university regarding procedures for invoicing for fellowship students.

TRAVEL
Provided the distance from the fellow's university is more than 50 miles each way to/from the practicum site, travel expenses are reimbursable. MUSC uses the current U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) rate per mile to calculate reimbursement of incurred expenses. No expenses are paid for food or lodging at the practicum site. Travel expenses are allowable on occasions requiring the fellow to consult with the university graduate committee and/or deliver a presentation of thesis research. Funds permitting, fellowship recipients may have the opportunity to present a paper or poster at a national and/or international conference. Conference travel requires approval by MUSC at least one month before the anticipated travel dates. It is the fellow's responsibility to find the least expensive reasonable mode of travel before submitting this information on a travel request form.

THESIS RESEARCH AT PARTICIPATING DOE/NNSA DESIGNATED CENTERS
A fellow may request to spend all or part of the time working on thesis/dissertation research at one of the participating DOE/NNSA-approved facilities (page eight (8) of this booklet). To request off-campus research, a fellow should complete a Thesis/Dissertation Laboratory Assignment Request Form (available on www.scuref.org). Throughout the research assignment, the faculty advisor must agree to supervise the fellow's progress, coordinate activities with facility personnel, and make one trip to the facility to review the fellow's research. In addition, a research advisor assigned by the facility will mentor the fellow and may serve on the fellow's graduate thesis research committee, if approved by the university. Travel expenses are reimbursable in accordance with MUSC's Travel Policy.

PUBLICATION ACKNOWLEDGMENT
DOE and MUSC encourage fellows to publish reports and articles in scientific and engineering journals. The fellow must submit any articles, reports, or theses to MUSC concurrently with the submission for publication. All publications will show the joint affiliation of the fellow with the university and, if appropriate, with the laboratory in which the research was conducted, and should acknowledge fellowship support.

Fellowship support should be acknowledged in the following manner:

"This research was performed under appointment to the Nuclear Nonproliferation International Safeguards Graduate Fellowship Program sponsored by the National Nuclear Security Administration's Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI)."