Eleven Illinois students awarded NSF Graduate Research Fellowships

Three graduate students and eight undergraduates from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have been offered Graduate Research Fellowships (GRF) from the National Science Foundation (NSF). Ayush Khot, who earned his bachelor’s degree in physics and computer science at Illinois this spring and will be starting his doctoral studies in computer science at Illinois in the fall, is among 11 Illinois students awarded.

Launched in 1952 shortly after Congress established NSF, the GRF program represents the nation’s oldest continuous investment in the U.S. scientific workforce. The program recruits high-potential, early-career researchers and supports their graduate training in science, technology, social science, engineering, mathematics, and STEM education.

Awardees receive three years of support. Support includes a $37,000 annual stipend, a $16,000 cost-of-education allowance that covers tuition and fees, and access to the INTERN program, which supports research internships in any sector of the U.S. economy.

Khot is thrilled to become an NSF fellow and eager to begin his graduate studies. He explains, “I am passionate about creating explainable artificial intelligence—XAI—for problems in high-energy physics and geographical domains. I’m especially interested in utilizing XAI techniques to create trustworthy and transparent models. My long-term goal is to become a research scientist focusing on developing interpretable AI within these domains.”

Khot served as a research assistant in Illinois Physics Professor Mark Neubauer’s group as an undergraduate, and expresses his gratitude to Dr. Neubauer and the group for their support. “The Neubauer group fosters a welcoming and supportive environment where open discussion and collaboration are encouraged. Dr. Neubauer and the group members are all not only passionate about their work but also genuinely kind, even when I am struggling with a problem. I look forward to collaborations with them in the future!”

Dana Johnson, director of external fellowships in the Graduate College, congratulates this year’s awardees on their accomplishment, especially in light of drastic cuts to GRF funding this year. She comments, “It is particularly commendable that these students achieved this distinction given that, this year, the NSF awarded the lowest number of Graduate Research Fellowships since 2008. Our awardees and honorable mentions therefore have additional reason to be proud. Their recognition this year is a testament to the exceptional merit of their applications and the potential they hold as future scientific leaders.”

A nationwide list of GRF recipients is available on the NSF-GRF FastLane website.