exploratory & foundational programs   Applied Research Laboratory at Penn State  

Nittany Lion ShrinePenn State Historical Note:
The Nittany Lion shrine was sculpted by
Heinz Warneke in 1940 from a 13-ton block of Indiana limestone.

 The lab-wide Exploratory and Foundational (E&F) Graduate Student Research Program is administered by the Research and Academic Programs Office of the Applied Research Laboratory (ARL). The Program’s primary function is to provide support and research guidance to graduate students whose interests match those of the faculty and staff of ARL. Since the Laboratory is a non-degree granting research unit of Penn State, every student has a primary academic home in one of the Colleges of the University. The synergistic relationship between the students with their pursuit of advanced scientific and engineering degrees and the Laboratory researchers that are addressing real-world issues provide the underpinnings for critical programs within the Laboratory.

Students that have been admitted to the Program are usually earning their Master of Science (MS) and/or Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degrees in the College of Engineering, the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, the Eberly College of Science, or the School of Information Sciences and Technology.

The half-time Graduate Assistantships offered by the Laboratory allow the student to participate in the Program during the Fall, Spring, and Summer Semesters and provides both a stipend and full tuition. There are no obligations placed upon the student upon receiving the degree and none while work is in progress except to make reasonable progress toward their degree objective. They are nominally allowed two years to obtain a MS degree and four years to obtain a PhD degree, with additional time available if required. Research topics are available from faculty members of all six Offices of the Laboratory and include such areas as undersea systems, fluids, structural mechanics, materials, manufacturing, communications, navigation, acoustics, and information sciences and technology. Efforts are usually made to provide thesis or dissertation co-advisors from the Laboratory and from the student’s academic discipline. At any given time there are usually between 50-60 graduate students participating in the Program.

Because the Laboratory has been officially designated a “University Affiliated Research Center” by the Department of Defense and the U. S. Navy, participants in the program must be U. S. citizens.

THE ARL GRADUATE FELLOWSHIP

The primary objective of the ARL Graduate Fellowship is to provide an opportunity for students majoring in engineering or the sciences to pursue a master’s degree at Penn State. Candidates must be U.S. citizens. A screening committee will review the applications and select two students. Click HERE to download a PDF with more information or contact ARL's Office of Human Resources for application information.