Most graduate students enrolled in the PhD program of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Rice University receive financial support throughout the calendar year. Note: There is no financial aid available for master's program students.
Entering students are normally awarded Rice University fellowships, which carry competitive stipends, plus another grant to cover tuition and part of their health insurance premium.
The department also has a few special awards for PhD applicants with outstanding credentials that are awarded on a competitive basis. These awards carry an additional monetary stipend. After the first two semesters, all students are supported on research assistantships or numerous other research-associated fellowships.
Financial support continues for ten semesters and as long as students make satisfactory progress towards their degree. Stipend levels are reviewed annually by the department and are periodically adjusted to reflect changes in the cost of living in the Houston area.
National Science Foundation Fellowships
Incoming students are encouraged to apply for National Science Foundation (NSF) predoctoral fellowships and other federal or industrial fellowships. Applications for NSF awards must be made by the student in October or November of every year. Learn more about the NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program.
Students who enter the graduate program with, or obtain during their residency, an NSF or similar fellowship may be eligible to receive an additional monetary stipend from departmental sources.
Ken Kennedy Institute Fellowships
The Ken Kennedy Institute will provide a fellowship (in addition to the department paid stipend) for a qualified and department nominated applicant that has expressed an interest in pursuing research in or related to computational science and engineering, high performance computing, data analytics and/or information technology.
Applicants that have also expressed interest in research areas that are central to the energy industry will be given preference for any available energy industry named fellowships.
Learn more about the Ken Kennedy Institute Graduate Fellowships.