M. Hildred Blewett Fellowship

To enable women to return to physics research careers after having had to interrupt those careers. The fellowship consists of a one-year award of up to $45,000. Allowed expenses include dependent care (limited to 50% of the award), salary, travel, equipment, and tuition and fees. Overhead charges by the institution are not allowed.
  Frequently Asked Questions

History of the Award

The award was established from a generous bequest from M. Hildred Blewett, an accelerator physicist who died in 2004. Hildred Blewett was passionate about physics and wanted to help women overcome obstacles by establishing the fellowship.

Eligibility & Selection Criteria

Applicants must:

• Currently be a U.S. or Canadian citizen or legal resident, or resident alien eligible to work in the United States or Canada.
• Have completed work toward a Ph.D.
• Provide written proof from a U.S. or Canadian institution that the applicant will have institutional affiliation during the tenure of the grant. Institutional affiliation at the time of application is not necessary.

If applicants have questions regarding their eligibility, or special circumstances they would like to discuss, they should contact us at blewett@aps.org.

  In selecting fellowship recipients, the following criteria will be considered:

• Qualifications of applicant,
• Status of career before break,
• Steps the applicant has taken to return to physics research,
• Relationship of the applicant to the research community,
• Relationship of project and award to future plans,
• Scholarly significance of the project,
• Quality and feasibility of the project design and timeline.

  Criteria Details

Application Process

The application deadline of June 1, 2023, has closed. Applications were submitted via the online system. (Applications can no longer be edited or changed as the 2023 deadline has passed.)

To access the application

• Select: Start Prize or Award Nomination
• Honor Category: Research Fellowships
• Select: M. Hildred Blewett Fellowship

Applicants must also arrange for the following letters

• One to three letter(s) of recommendation, one of which may be from a designated mentor, must be uploaded through the application portal by person coordinating recommendation letter
• letter of institutional support during the tenure of the grant must be uploaded through the application portal

Note: One of the letters, preferably from either the designated mentor or the institutional representative, should address the anticipated impact of the grant support and how it will enable advancement of the applicant’s career. Specifically, the letter should detail the applicant’s planned research roles, mentoring to be provided (if applicable), and how the grant is expected to contribute towards the applicant’s long-term professional goals.

Please also note that the fellowship is designed for assisting women in making a transition back into a professional career, consequently, funds are generally not available for renewal beyond one year of support.

Questions and Information

  Frequently Asked Questions
  More Questions? Email: Blewett Fellowship Information

From Fellowship Recipients

Testimonials

"Getting the scholarship was a great encouragement to me as a first step of bringing in funding, and to do work that excited me. My confidence and my assurance that this indeed was what I wanted to do were largely made possible by the scholarship."

"Having received this nationally competitive scholarship, and having restarted my research program, has made me a more attractive candidate for a tenure-track position... the scholarship has allowed me to start an active, independent research program."

In the Media

"Returning to Science"
Sarah Webb, Science Magazine
Interviews with women who have returned to careers in science after a break, including two Blewett Fellowship winners.