SUPER-Grad Fellowships

What are SUPER-Grad Fellowships?

The SUPER-Grad (Summer Undergraduate Pipeline to Excellence at Rutgers Graduate) program awards prestigious fellowships to outstanding alumni of our summer undergraduate research programs who return to Rutgers for graduate school. Candidates for these fellowships include alumni of the RISE at Rutgers program, partner REU sites, and other diversity-focused summer programs at Rutgers who are admitted to Rutgers doctoral programs.

Why SUPER-Grad?

SUPER-Grad supports Rutgers-New Brunswick's objectives to (1) be a national leader in broadening and growing the pool of qualified doctoral students and (3) advancing the diversity that will catalyze innovation in tomorrow’s workforce. By retaining top scholars from our summer programs, we promote an inclusive and excellent graduate population at Rutgers and help overcome the current constriction of the pipeline at the critical undergraduate to graduate transition.

SUPER-Grad builds on Rutgers’ strength, growth, and investment in summer research programs and leverages our success in garnering federal grants to support summer experiences for undergraduates from diverse backgrounds. Partnering summer programs, most of which operate under the RISE umbrella, particularly encourage participation by populations that are under-represented in their disciplines and who may be the first in their families to pursue a 4-year college degree.

How are SUPER-Grad Fellowships supported?

SUPER-Grad is funded by the Office of the Chancellor-New Brunswick, with generous matches from participating units, departments, and programs. SUPER-Grad was launched in 2015 through the New Brunswick Strategic Plan.