Graduate Aid and Awards
The graduate program in chemistry provides year-round financial support, guaranteed for five full years to all full-time graduate students in good standing. This financial support is typically in the form of fellowships, research assistantships, training grants, and/or teaching assistantships and includes tuition, health insurance, and a competitive stipend that helps cover living and transportation expenses.
For the 2024–2025 academic year, the support package is valued at more than $125,000/year:
- 100% tuition scholarship: $84,564
- Stipend: $36,500
- Paid health insurance: $4,158
Graduate applicants are reviewed by both the department and the Graduate School for additional fellowship opportunities. The values of these range from $5,000-$10,000 and are awarded based on candidate merit and a graduate school review process. Additional information regarding graduate tuition and fees can be found here.
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Awardees and Honorable Mentions
The NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States and reinforces its diversity. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based masters and doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions.
Vanderbilt chemistry’s graduate students are highly competitive for NSF pre-doctoral fellowships.
GRFP Past Awardees
Madison T. Wright
Vanderbilt Adviser(s): Lars Plate
Undergraduate Institution: Jacksonville State University
Awarding NSF Program: Life Sciences - Proteomics
Katherine M. Almasy
Vanderbilt Adviser: Lars Plate
Undergraduate Institution: North Carolina State University
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemistry of Life Processes
Kelsey R. Webb
Vanderbilt Adviser: Lauren Buchanan
Undergraduate Institution: University of Virginia's College at Wise
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Structure, Dynamics, and Mechanism
Megan E. van der Horst
Vanderbilt Adviser: David Wright
Undergraduate Institution: Hartwick College
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Measurement and Imaging
Jessica Paredes
Vanderbilt Adviser: Kevin Schey
Undergraduate Institution: New College of Florida
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemistry of Life Processes
Marissa Jones
Vanderbilt Adviser: Richard Caprioli
Undergraduate Institution: Southwest Baptist University
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry – Chemical Measurement and Imaging
Breyinn N. Loftin
Vanderbilt Adviser: Eva Harth
Undergraduate Institution: Hampton University
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry
Kelly A. Richardson
Vanderbilt Adviser: David Wright
Undergraduate Institution: Middle Tennessee State University
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Molecular Diagnostics
Audrey E. Ynigez-Gutierrez
Vanderbilt Adviser: Brian Bachmann
Undergraduate Institution: University of Texas at San Antonio
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry – Chemistry of Life Processes
Michael S. Crocker
Vanderbilt Adviser: Jeffrey Johnston
Undergraduate Institution: University of Kentucky
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Synthesis
Laken L. Kendrick
Vanderbilt Adviser: Eva Harth
Undergraduate Institution: University of Southern Mississippi
Awarding NSF Program: Materials Research - Biomaterials
Alexander Geanes
Vanderbilt Adviser: Jens Meiler
Undergraduate Institution: Purdue University
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry – Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods
Jade A. Bing
Vanderbilt Adviser: Jeffrey Johnston
Undergraduate Institution: Rider University
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Synthesis
Christine F. Markwalter
Vanderbilt Adviser: David Wright
Undergraduate Institution: Agnes Scott College
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Measurement and Imaging
Alexis Wong
Vanderbilt Adviser: David Wright
Undergraduate Institution: Furman University
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Measurement and Imaging
Amanda M. Duran
Vanderbilt Adviser: Jens Meiler
Undergraduate Institution: Texas State University - San Marcos
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods
Keersten M. Davis
Vanderbilt Adviser: David Wright
Undergraduate Institution: North Carolina State University
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Bioinorganic
Nicholas A. Wright
Vanderbilt Adviser: David Wright
Undergraduate Institution: Western Kentucky University
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry – Macromolecular, Supramolecular, and Nanochemistry
Vanessa Arredondo
Vanderbilt Adviser: Jeffrey Johnston
Undergraduate Institution: Vanderbilt University – undergraduate student, currently a Ph.D. candidate at UC, Irvine
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Synthesis
Andrew G. Harris
Vanderbilt Adviser: Charles Lukehart
Undergraduate Institution: University of South Alabama
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Materials
Brittany Allison
Vanderbilt Adviser: Jens Meiler
Undergraduate Institution: Xavier University of Louisiana
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry – Biophysical
Jessica P. Shackleford
Vanderbilt Adviser: Jeffrey Johnston
Undergraduate Institution: University of Southern Mississippi
Awarding NSF Program: Chemistry - Organic
2016
Rachel A. Harris
Vanderbilt Adviser: John McLean
Undergraduate Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
NSF Program: Chemistry – Analytical Chemistry
2014
Matthew T. Knowe
Vanderbilt Adviser: Jeffrey Johnston
Undergraduate Institution: College of Charleston
NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Synthesis
Katherine M. Chong
Vanderbilt Adviser: Gary Sulikowski
Undergraduate Institution: Carnegie-Mellon University
NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Synthesis
2013
Katrina L. Leaptrot
Vanderbilt Adviser: John McLean
Undergraduate Institution: University of Charleston
NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Measurement and Imaging
Nichole M. Lareau
Vanderbilt Adviser: John McLean
Undergraduate Institution: The College of New Jersey
Chemistry - Chemical Measurement and Imaging
Kelly A. Gilmore
Vanderbilt Adviser: Eva Harth
Undergraduate Institution: College of the Holy Cross
NSF Program: Chemistry - Chemical Theory, Models and Computational Methods