The Science Hub invites nominations for 2024 Amazon Fellowships.

Each year, the Science Hub solicits nominations for outstanding UCLA Samueli School of Engineering doctoral students to be awarded Amazon Fellowships. Each Amazon Fellow will be provided with a fellowship covering stipend, tuition and fees for up to two quarters during the upcoming academic year to pursue independent research projects. In addition, the nominees will be considered for paid summer internships at Amazon, providing valuable industry insights and experience through direct engagement with Amazon researchers.

Eligibility

• Nominations should be submitted by a student’s faculty adviser.
• Nominees must be enrolled in a doctorate degree program at the UCLA Samueli School of Engineering, be in good standing, and have exhibited outstanding academic performance.
• Only doctoral students in their second, third, or fourth year of the Ph.D. program will be considered.

Fellowship

Selected Amazon Fellows will be offered the associated Amazon Fellowship with the following parameters:

• Stipend award of $11,648 per quarter for two quarters plus tuition, fees and non-resident supplemental tuition (if applicable) during the 2024-25 academic year
• Fellowships are tentatively scheduled to be funded during Fall and Winter quarters. Students may request the fellowship to be deferred by one quarter if needed.
• Fellowships will not be funded in conjunction with any paid positions or other major financial awards.
• In the event that a student is ineligible to receive the fellowship, s/he may still retain the “Amazon Fellow” title and will be eligible to participate in the associated activities.

Expectations and Activities

• Amazon Fellows are expected to pursue an independent research project during the award period and may not hold any paid positions in conjunction with the Amazon fellowship.
• Amazon Fellows may be paired with an Amazon scientist in a similar discipline to serve as a mentor.
• Amazon Fellows are expected to present their research progress in a poster presentation during the annual Science Hub Showcase, usually held in the Fall.
• Amazon Fellows are expected to present a lightning talk on their research progress at a seminar event during the Winter quarter.
• Amazon Fellows are expected to provide a written report summarizing their research findings at the conclusion of their fellowship year based on guidelines to be provided.
• Amazon Fellows have the opportunity to be considered for paid summer internships at Amazon.

Nomination Submission Guideline

Nomination materials to be submitted online in PDF format on standard letter-sized pages, with 12pt font, single-spaced, and 1” margins. Package to include the following:

• Student’s resume with education history, awards, publications, link to his/her webpage (2-page maximum)
• Student’s personal statement, including a description of research interests (2-page maximum, not including references)
• Student’s diversity statement (450-word maximum)
• 2 letters of recommendation from UCLA faculty on official letterhead

Click Here to Start Submission

Submission Deadline: March 15, 2024

The Advisory Group will review research proposals and provide recommendations to the Science Hub Director. The Science Hub Director will make final recommendations to Amazon for the proposals on behalf of UCLA, taking into consideration UCLA’s academic mission, the mission and strategic vision of the Science Hub, the recommendations from the Advisory Group, and the potential impact of societal interest. Amazon executives will make final decisions regarding the funding of research proposals.

The Advisory Group will review nominations for fellowships and provide recommendations to the Science Hub Director. The Science Hub Director will make final recommendations for Fellowships, taking into consideration UCLA’s academic mission, the mission and strategic vision of the Science Hub, the recommendations from the Advisory Group, and the potential impact of societal interest. The Dean of Engineering will make the final decisions for fellowships.

During the review process, any person who has a conflict of interest with a proposal or a nomination will be excused from the review of that case.

For every project that Amazon funds, it will assign an Amazon Research Liaison (ARL), who is a subject matter expert that will serve as your primary point of contact. For gift-funded research, the ARL is a reactive advisor that can offer a light-touch for non-confidential questions from the project team. The ARL will seek to establish regular touch points with you to stay informed about your research and progress on the project, serving as a link to Amazon’s scientific community. In some cases, e.g., interest in your project from multiple Amazon science teams, additional adjunct ARLs may be assigned. Amazon encourages ARLs to maintain the relationship with faculty even after the funding cycle is complete.