IGERT Research Fellowships

Columbia has five Integrative Graduate Education and Research Training (IGERT) fellowship programs—From Data to SolutionsOptics and Quantum ElectronicsUrbanization ChallengesOptical Techniques for Actuation, Sensing, and Imaging of Biological Systems; and Study of Multiscale Phenomena in Soft Materials. All are funded by the National Science Foundation and offer fellowships of $30,000 for multidisciplinary graduate study.


From Data to Solutions
The vision of this IGERT is to make possible the collaborations between those seeking solutions and those whose expertise lies in the collection and analysis of the data necessary to make solutions possible, and to move our society from one with a surfeit of data to one with useful and targeted information. A key component of this vision is the training of a new generation of PhD students who have the skills to make sense of vast amounts of data from many sources and media and the desire and ability to apply their skills to the provision of solutions to real world problems.

Optics and Quantum Electronics: Engineering Photons for a Sustainable Future
This IGERT program facilitates the unique interdisciplinary training of Ph.D. scientists and engineers in the field of Optics and Quantum Electronics towards sustainable and renewable energy solutions. The energy economy is an immediate and grand challenge that must be tackled by current and future generations of scientists and engineers. We address this challenge by focusing on nanoscale device physics, nanomaterial spectroscopy, and technology innovations in two next-generation solar photovoltaics and optical communication network subsystems. These fundamental applied physics and engineering studies involve the manipulation of photons, through the realization of physical nanostructured devices and new functional materials, to deliver energy efficiencies dramatically better than current levels. The cross-training scientific research is synergistically integrated with innovative educational approaches and an emphasis on underrepresented groups.

Urbanization Challenges
This IGERT program seeks to address the growing challenges of urbanization through a PhD program that integrates architecture, engineering and planning perspectives to focus on adaptive, ecological and resilient urban planning and design. Each IGERT trainee will be empowered to conduct research at the emergent boundaries between architecture, urban  planning, and engineering, and will be uniquely capable of contributing to the advancement of technological and scientific solutions that can address the grand challenges of urbanization.

Optical Techniques for Actuation, Sensing, and Imaging of Biological Systems
This IGERT program seeks to train a new generation of scientists and engineers through a set of five research thrusts that cross three fundamental core competency areas: optics, photonics, and sensor electronics; biomolecular detection and cellular-level analysis; and applications to medicine and public health. Each IGERT trainee will be empowered to work at the boundaries between the disciplines and will be uniquely capable of contributing to advancements in this important emerging field.

Study of Multiscale Phenomena in Soft Materials
City College of New York (CCNY), the Engineering and Science Flagship of the City University of New York, and Columbia University invite applicants for doctoral research fellowships for the study of Multiscale Phenomenon in Soft Materials. Soft materials are organic media that organize on supramolecular length scales via weak associative interactions. Examples include thin polymeric films for sensors, organic blends for electronic displays, and natural and artificial tissue, spanning the range from complex fluids to soft solids.