This fellowship provides recent graduates (within the past three years) opportunities to work on some of the most important research challenges in computing sciences—from the architecture and software of next generation high performance computing systems and networks, to mathematical modeling, algorithms, and applications of advanced computing, material science, biology, astronomy, climate change and other scientific domains.
As employees of Berkeley Lab, Alvarez fellows work in a research environment synonymous with scientific excellence. Thirteen Nobel prizes are associated with Berkeley Lab. Fifty-seven Lab scientists are members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), seven of whom are computational scientists and applied mathematicians. Eighteen engineers have been elected to the National Academy of Engineering, four of whom work in the Berkeley Lab Computing Sciences area. And, four Berkeley Lab researchers have received IEEE Sidney Fernbach Awards for being pioneers in the development and application of high-performance computers for the solution of large computational problems.
Berkeley Lab is also home to six Department of Energy (DOE) National User Facilities: Advanced Light Source (ALS), Energy Sciences Network (ESnet), Joint Genome Institute (JGI), National Center for Electron Microscopy (NCEM), Molecular Foundry and National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC). These centers give thousands of researchers access to some of the most advanced tools in modern science including light sources, supercomputers, high-speed networks and facilities for studying the nanoworld.
Luis W. Alvarez: A Legacy of Scientific Computing
Today’s computational science is rooted in the efforts of innovative scientists like Luis W. Alvarez. In the 1950s, physicist Dr. Alvarez opened a new era in high-energy physics research with his proposal to build a pressurized chamber filled with liquid hydrogen. Known as a “bubble chamber,” this device would allow scientists to discover new particles and analyze their behavior. In his 1955 prospectus for such an experimental facility, Dr. Alvarez became one of the first scientists to propose using computing devices for analyzing experimental data, even before such computers were actually available.
By the 1960s, Dr. Alvarez’s vision was reality. His colleagues at Berkeley Lab used computers to track some 1.5 million particle physics events annually and developed scientific computing techniques which were adopted by researchers around the world. This effort led to Dr. Alvarez receiving the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1968. We encourage those who share Dr. Alvarez’s scientific curiosity and dedication to join us in our efforts by applying for a fellowship.
How to Apply
- There is a multi-step process:
- Submit a full and complete application on the Berkeley Lab Careers Page
- Along with your application, you must submit additional materials: (A) CV/Resume, (B) Cover Letter, (C) Research Statement, (D) Publications List
- Three (3) Letters of Reference: Please use the template (http://go.lbl.gov/lor-template) to send requests for letters of reference. The template provides instructions for letter writers where to return the letter by the deadline.
- Application deadline: November 23, 2018. However, your letters of reference must be received by the lab directly from your letter writers by November 29, 2018, so if you leave this to the last few days it is advised to give advanced notice to your letter writers.
- It is highly advisable to have this required information ready prior to completing and submitting your application. Your application will not be considered complete if any of the above information is missing.
Application Timeline
- Application period opens: Summer 2018
- Application deadline: November 23, 2018
- Letters of Reference due: November 29, 2018
- Review & Selection: November, 2018–February, 2019
- Finalist announced: February, 2019