The National Science Foundation (NSF) has awarded Caroline Kaicher ’22 the Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) grant.
The NSF GRFP helps ensure the quality, vitality, and diversity of the scientific and engineering workforce of the United States. A goal of the program is to broaden participation of the full spectrum of diverse talents in STEM. The five-year fellowship provides three years of financial support inclusive of an annual stipend of $37,000.
“My goal is to become a professor, leading a developmental cognitive neuroscience lab,” Caroline explains. “The GRFP helps me achieve this goal by providing funding for my PhD and creating a precedent of being funded by national grants and fellowships.”
Caroline, from Forestville, N.Y., majored in neuroscience at Colgate and minored in linguistics. While a student, she actively sought out research opportunities that aligned with her interests working as a student researcher working with Prof. Spencer Kelly and Prof. Yukari Hirata in the Center for Language and Brain. She also engaged in volunteer service as a team leader for Colgate SAT Prep through the Max A. Shacknai Center for Outreach, Volunteerism, and Education, was a member of the Alumni Memorial Scholars program, and was on the club volleyball team.
After graduating from Colgate, Caroline went on to work at Carnegie Mellon University as a lab manager for Jessica Cantlon, Ronald J. and Mary Ann Zdrojkowski Professor of developmental neuroscience. Caroline will be starting a PhD in Psychology at Stanford University under professors Ellen Markman and Laura Gwilliams in the fall.
“Find something that truly excites you — when you are truly passionate about a topic, it will show in your statements and reference letters,” Caroline advises students. “Don’t give up if you don’t succeed right away. I applied to PhD programs my senior year at Colgate, but didn’t get in anywhere. I took the opportunity to get more research experience, and when I was ready to try again, I was much more prepared and confident in myself.”
NSF Fellows are anticipated to become knowledge experts who can contribute significantly to research, teaching, and innovations in science and engineering. These individuals are vital to maintaining and advancing the nation’s technological infrastructure and national security as well as contributing to the economic well-being of society at large.
Fellows share in the prestige and opportunities when they are selected. Fellowships provide the student with a three-year annual stipend of $34,000 along with a $12,000 cost-of-education allowance for tuition and fees, as well as access to opportunities for professional development available to NSF-supported graduate students.
To learn more about the NSF GRFP, or other national competitive awards, reach out to Meghan Niedt, mniedt@colgate.edu, in the Office of National Fellowships and Scholarships to schedule an appointment.