Stipend
Fellows receive a monthly stipend in the amount of $3,200. The Fellow’s basic stipend is augmented by an additional $750 (prorated) dislocation allowance each month during a practicum. Stipends are deposited directly into the Fellow’s bank account.
The program sponsor attempts to provide adequate funding to Fellows for meeting the costs of graduate school. No other student support that requires work or any other obligation such as teaching, or a research assistantship can be accepted without the direct consent of the South Carolina Universities Research and Education Foundation (SCUREF). Other awards, prizes, and similar type payments (including veteran’s benefits) that do not require a service may be accepted without a reduction in the stipend. Please contact the SCUREF, if you have a question regarding accepting the Rickover Fellowship in conjunction with any other award, prize, or similar type payment.
Tuition and Fees
The Fellow’s required tuition and fees are paid by SCUREF 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 SCUREF. Health insurance fees will be paid only if they are certified to be required for all graduate students at the Fellow’s university. All tuition and fee charges must be certified to be consistent with those made to regular graduate students and necessary for enrollment into the graduate program.
In August of each year, the SCUREF notifies the bursar’s office at each university regarding invoicing procedures for Fellowship students. Students will receive a copy of this correspondence and should retain this copy for use in discussing any billing errors with their university’s bursar office.
Practicum Travel
Travel expenses will be reimbursed for the Fellow to travel to/from the practicum site providing that the distance is more than 50 miles one way from the Fellow’s university. It is the Fellow’s responsibility to find the least expensive mode of travel. All travel must be authorized in advance by the SCUREF and the sponsor and must be U.S. General Services Administration (GSA)-compliant.
Conference Travel
In general, travel reimbursements are considered for seminars, conferences, and workshops associated with this program or any meeting for which the Rickover Fellowship Program requests attendance. Depending on availability of funds, full reimbursement for conference travel may be approved when the student is presenting a paper or poster. In other cases, partial or full reimbursement may be provided. Fellows should submit a Travel Request Form at least 30 days before the anticipated travel dates. All travel must be authorized in advance by the SCUREF and the sponsor and must be GSA-compliant.
Fellowship Assistance Awards
All Rickover Fellows can apply for Fellowship Assistance Awards. These awards may be used for the purchase of laboratory equipment, instrumentation, software, computer hardware etc. They are restricted to one grant for a maximum of $10,000 per Rickover Fellow. All Fellowship Assistance Awards must receive a 100% cost share from the university. Applications for fellowship assistance must be requested through SCUREF.
Appointment of Laboratory Advisor to the Rickover Fellow’s Committee
It is expected that every effort will be made to appoint the Rickover Fellow’s advisor from the Naval Nuclear Laboratory (NNL) to the Rickover Fellow’s Graduate Committee. The Fellow’s host university will arrange this appointment and the Fellowship program administrators will assist to ensure that this appointment is finalized. Opportunities may be provided to faculty advisors to interact with the Fellow’s sponsoring Laboratory. This may include short-term visits to the sponsoring Laboratory.