Research Opportunity for Student Veterans

The National Science Foundation has created and will fund a research program that encourages military veterans to consider a career in science and technology.

In the next year, the foundation will award up to 25 Research Experiences for Veterans (REV) grants to be utilized at one of their Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers. There are approximately 60 such centers in the United States, two of which are on the University of Arkansas campus.

GRAPES, an engineering center that focuses on improving the American power grid, and CELDi, the Center for Excellence in Logistics and Distribution, are the two NSF-sponsored centers in Fayetteville.

“In the case of GRAPES, the veterans would be working on projects related to grid-connected power electronics, including power modules, power systems, controls, circuit design and packaging,” said Kim Gillow, program manager of GRAPES. “In the case of CELDi, they would be working on projects related to logistics and distribution, transportation, manufacturing, information technology and software solutions.”  

With GRAPES, REV participants could choose to either work with a University of Arkansas researcher on an ongoing project or as an intern at one of the nearly 20 member organizations. With CELDi, REV participants will work with a University of Arkansas researcher on an ongoing project for one of more than 20 member organizations. How the REV grant is used depends on the interests of the applicant and the needs of the individual programs.

“This program is a way for us to give veterans, who have given so much to our country, an opportunity to work in our centers and gain important and marketable skills in partnership with our researchers and our industrial members,” Gillow said.

Military veterans enrolled at the University of Arkansas who are interested and would like to learn more about the REV grant process should contact either Kim Gillow of GRAPES at kdaling@uark.edu or Josh Malone of CELDi at jmalone@uark.edu.