Maria Goeppert Mayer Fellowship 2026 in USA (Fully Funded)

The Maria Goeppert Mayer Fellowship is a prestigious program at Argonne National Laboratory, established to honor Dr. Maria Goeppert Mayer, a Nobel Prize-winning physicist. This fellowship aims to attract early-career researchers eager to develop their careers in Argonne’s mission-driven, high-impact research environment. It targets individuals who have recently completed their Ph.D. or are in the final stages of their doctoral studies. The research themes for the Maria Goeppert Mayer Fellowship cover STEM fields such as computer science, environmental science, physics, energy technology, and security science. Fellows work closely with an Argonne sponsor to pursue their research interests and are hired as Argonne Scholars with full benefits, a highly competitive salary, and a stipend for research support.

Eligibility

• Ph.D. awarded within five years at the time of application or completion of Ph.D. requirements by commencement of appointment.
• Evidence of academic achievement with potential for technical and research leadership.
• Research in areas that align with Argonne’s mission
• Demonstrated leadership through research collaborations, service on committees, outreach, professional society engagement, etc. (desired)
• Creativity and motivation (desired).
• Excellent communication skills (desired).
• Alignment with Argonne’s Core Values: Impact, Safety, Respect, Integrity, and Teamwork

Program Dates/Location

• Application Deadline: October 1, 2025, at 7:00 p.m. Central Time (U.S.). (4 am in Baku)
• Appointment Start: On or after October 1, 2026.
• Duration: up to 3 years
• Location: Argonne National Laboratory, in the home division of the sponsor, Illinois, USA

Program Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Research stipend
• Appointments may commence on or after October 1, 2026
• Fellowships are renewed on an annual basis for up to three years
• The first two years are funded 100% by Argonne’s Laboratory Directed Research Development (LDRD) Program
• The third year is funded 50% by LDRD and 50% by other programs identified by the fellow and sponsor

Research Areas 

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Science
• Autonomous Discovery
• Climate Action
• Clean Energy and Sustainability
• Hard X-ray Science
• Microelectronics
• Quantum Information Science

Please visit this PDF for detailed information regarding the research areas.

Application Process 

• To be considered for the Maria Goeppert Mayer Fellowship, candidates must apply through the Argonne Careers page. Applicants are required to read the detailed applicant instructions carefully before submitting their application.
  • Write into the job search 420815, and the fellowship will appear under LDRD Named Fellowships
• Instructions for Applicants
  A complete application package should include:
  • Research proposal, biosketch, and project plan submitted using the official research template
  • Three letters of recommendation
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV) uploaded through the application portal.
  • Graduate transcripts
    • Visit applicant instruction PDF to view the formats of the documents above
  • Supporting materials should be sent to: fellowships@anl.gov

For more detailed information, please visit the official website of Argonne National Laboratory