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Eberly College of Arts & Sciences Department of Physics and Astronomy
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Indigenous Skies Graduate Fellowship

The Center for Gravitational Waves and Cosmology and the WVU Planetarium and Observatory present the Indigenous Skies Graduate Fellowship.

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Rolling Application Deadline | January 15

Eligibility | Please read below for eligibility information for the Fellowship.

  • Applicants must be admitted into the WVU Physics and Astronomy Graduate Program for the upcoming academic year.
  • Applicants must submit their application in advance of the provided deadline.
  • Applicants should have clear promise for outstanding performance in doctoral study and research.
  • Applicants cannot be employed as a graduate assistant during the fellowship period.
Native American U.S. citizens that are members or descendants of state or federally recognized tribes, and other Indigenous peoples are especially encouraged to apply.

Application Procedure |  Eligible students admitted to the WVU Physics and Astronomy graduate program must complete this online application form by January 15 (no later than 11:59 PM) for consideration. This online application requires students to do the following:
  • Write and upload a brief project proposal (1-2 pages)
  • Upload a current resume or CV.
  • One letter of recommendation is required. In this application, you will be asked to provide an email address for your recommender. Following the submission of your application, an email request will be sent to your recommender soliciting their letter of recommendation.
About the Fellowship  | The two-year fellowship (with a 1-year possible extension) provides a $30,000 stipend per year with a $2,000 travel allowance. The Fellowship provides support for the student to engage in self-directed Indigenous astronomy scholarship. Possible areas of study include, but are not limited to researching Indigenous astronomical knowledge and traditions of Eastern Woodland peoples (in collaboration with the WVU Native American Studies Program), investigating Indigenous research methods in application to astronomy and astrophysics, and partnering with K-12 schools in Indigenous communities to develop astronomy and physics educational materials that incorporate Indigenous language, knowledge, and perspective. In addition, the student will collaborate with the WVU Planetarium on development of Indigenous skies show content, and participate in outreach activities in the planetarium and in the community.

Land Acknowledgment | West Virginia University, with its statewide institutional presence, resides on land that includes ancestral territories of the Shawnee, Lenape (Delaware), Haudenosaunee (Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, Tuscarora), Cherokee, and many other Indigenous peoples. In acknowledging this, we recognize and appreciate those Indigenous nations whose territories we are living on and working in. Indigenous peoples have been in the land currently known as West Virginia since time immemorial.

Questions? | Questions about the fellowship can be directed to Dr. Jason E. Ybarra at  jason.ybarra@mail.wvu.edu