GEM Fellowship (National GEM Consortium)

GEM Fellowship (National GEM Consortium)

Job Description: The National GEM Consortium Fellowship is aimed at increasing the participation of underrepresented minorities in graduate programs in engineering and science. GEM offers fellowships at the Master’s level in engineering or science and the Ph.D. level in engineering or natural science. For master’s students, the GEM Fellowship provides tuition support and paid internships with corporate or government research partners. The goal is to offer professional experience in industry or national labs along with graduate education, creating a pathway for fellows into high-level technical careers.

Role Description: A GEM Fellow at the master’s level is concurrently a full-time graduate student and a summer intern. During the academic year, the Fellow pursues a master’s degree in an engineering or science field at a participating university. The fellowship covers tuition and provides a modest stipend, allowing the student to focus on studies. In the summers (usually the summer before the first year and the summer after the first year of grad school), the Fellow works as an intern at one or two of GEM’s employer partners (leading companies or national laboratories). This internship is a required component – it gives practical R&D experience and often leads to job offers. The Fellow’s “role” is essentially student-intern: excel in graduate classes and research, and contribute to the employer’s projects during internships. GEM Fellows also become part of a community network and may attend the annual GEM conference. After graduation (typically in ~2 years for a master’s), many Fellows proceed to full-time industry positions or continue to Ph.D. programs, leveraging both their advanced degree and their internship experience.

Application Cycle: Annual (applications open July 1 and close around Nov 1–15; selections and employer matching occur in winter; fellows matriculate the following fall)

What You’ll Need:

• • U.S. citizenship or permanent residency (required, as GEM is open to U.S. underrepresented minority students)
  • A member of an underrepresented group in engineering/science: generally defined by GEM as African American/Black, Hispanic/Latino, or Native American/Alaska Native. (Applicants self-identify; this is a core mission criterion of GEM.)
  • A bachelor’s degree in engineering, computer science, applied science, or a physical science. Seniors can apply during their last undergrad year, or graduates can apply if not yet in grad school.
  • Minimum GPA of 2.8/4.0 in undergrad (required), though most competitive applicants have higher GPAs.
  • Admission to a GEM member graduate program. (You apply to universities separately; GEM can assist with fee waivers for applications. The fellowship award is contingent on being admitted to a participating M.S. program.)

Preferred or Required Qualifications:

• • Required: Strong quantitative and technical skills from undergrad coursework. At least one internship, co-op, or research experience during undergrad is common among successful applicants (demonstrates preparedness for grad school and GEM employer work).
  • Preferred: Demonstrated leadership or involvement (e.g., in engineering societies like NSBE, SHPE, SACNAS, AISES). GEM values candidates who show potential to succeed in grad school and contribute to the consortium’s goals of diversity and excellence.
  • Commitment to completing a graduate degree. (The fellowship is a contract: you agree to pursue the M.S. full-time and to complete the summer internships as scheduled.)

Benefits and Perks:

• • Full tuition and fees for the master’s program are paid by the GEM member university that the Fellow attends. This means the Fellow does not incur tuition debt for their graduate education.
  • A stipend/Living allowance provided by the GEM consortium and employer: at a minimum $16,000 total stipend for the entire master’s program. The structure is typically $4,000 per semester up to four semesters (or $8,000/year for up to two years). Some universities or employers may supplement this amount.
  • Up to two paid summer internships with a GEM Employer Member (corporations like IBM, Google, Lockheed Martin, or government labs like NASA, NIST, etc.). These internships often come with a decent salary, and importantly, they provide industry mentorship and can lead to a job. The first internship usually occurs immediately before starting the master’s (after college graduation), and the second after the first year of grad school.
  • Professional development and networking through GEM: Fellows attend the annual GEM Fellow Symposium/career fair. Belonging to GEM opens doors to a network of alumni and partner organizations that actively recruit GEM Fellows.
  • Some GEM universities also nominate “University Fellows” or “Associate Fellows” (if not matched with an employer). These Fellows still get tuition covered and at least $8,000 per year stipend from the university. (All GEM Fellows, whether employer-sponsored or not, receive full tuition coverage.)

Where and How You Can Apply:

Official Website: gemfellowship.org – GEM Application Portal – Create an account and complete the online application. You’ll need to provide undergraduate transcripts, GRE scores (optional for M.S., required for the Ph.D. track), 3 recommendations, a personal statement, and a list of up to three desired graduate programs. The application also asks for demographic information to verify eligibility. You must also separately apply for admission to each graduate program of interest (GEM provides a mechanism to request application fee waivers at member universities). After submission, GEM Employer partners review applications to select fellows for sponsorship; you may be contacted for interviews by employers in January. Notifications of fellowship awards generally come in March.