M. Hildred Blewett Fellowship
The M. Hildred Blewett Fellowship is established to enable women to return to physics research careers after having had to interrupt those careers. The fellowship consists of a one-year award of up to $45,000. Allowed expenses include dependent care (limited to 50% of the award), salary, travel, equipment, and tuition and fees. Overhead charges by the institution are not allowed.
Rules and eligibility
Applicants must:
- Currently be a U.S. or Canadian citizen or legal resident, or resident alien eligible to work in the United States or Canada
- Have completed work toward a PhD
- Provide written proof from a US or Canadian institution that the applicant will have institutional affiliation during the tenure of the grant. Institutional affiliation at the time of application is not necessary.
Process and selection
The nomination should include:
- One to three letters of recommendation, one of which may be from a designated mentor, must be uploaded through the application portal by person coordinating recommendation letter
- letter of institutional support during the tenure of the grant must be uploaded through the application portal
One of the letters, preferably from either the designated mentor or the institutional representative, should address the anticipated impact of the grant support and how it will enable advancement of the applicant’s career. Specifically, the letter should detail the applicant’s planned research roles, mentoring to be provided (if applicable), and how the grant is expected to contribute towards the applicant’s long-term professional goals.
Please also note that the fellowship is designed for assisting women in making a transition back into a professional career, consequently, funds are generally not available for renewal beyond one year of support.
In selecting fellowship recipients, the following criteria will be considered:
- Qualifications of applicant
- Status of career before break
- Steps the applicant has taken to return to physics research
- Relationship of the applicant to the research community
- Relationship of project and award to future plans
- Scholarly significance of the project
- Quality and feasibility of the project design and timeline
Selection Committee
- Rana Ashkar (Chair)
- Leo Hollberg
- Jessica Eskew
- Hsiang-Ku Lin
Establishment and support
The award was established from a generous bequest from M. Hildred Blewett, an accelerator physicist who died in 2004. Hildred Blewett was passionate about physics and wanted to help women overcome obstacles by establishing the fellowship.
Recent recipients
Samadrita Chowdhury
2017 recipient
Soma Chattopadhyay
2017 recipient
Wafia Bensalem
2017 recipient
Hilary A. Carteret
2016 recipient
Sarah Cuddy-Walsh
2016 recipient
The membership of APS is diverse and global, and the nominees and recipients of APS Honors should reflect that diversity so that all are recognized for their impact on our community. Nominations of members belonging to groups traditionally underrepresented in physics, such as women, LGBT+ scientists, scientists who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), disabled scientists, scientists from institutions with limited resources, and scientists from outside the United States, are especially encouraged.
Nominees for and holders of APS Honors (prizes, awards, and fellowship) and official leadership positions are expected to meet standards of professional conduct and integrity as described in the APS Ethics Guidelines. Violations of these standards may disqualify people from consideration or lead to revocation of honors or removal from office.