LANL Foundation launches graduate scholarship to strengthen New Mexico’s national security workforce

The LANL Foundation has launched the National Security Workforce Graduate Scholarship, a new graduate-level award designed to expand pathways into high-demand national security careers at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

The scholarship is made possible through the National Nuclear Security Administration as part of an initiative to support plutonium workforce development. The Laboratory and the New Mexico Consortium are key partners in supporting this initiative and partnering with the LANL Foundation to establish a new level of funding for scholarships.

The scholarship will provide up to eight awards each year — totaling $10,000 per student, distributed over two years — to graduate students pursuing advanced degrees at New Mexico colleges and universities. Funding is guaranteed through 2028.

Strengthening regional talent and national security

The National Security Workforce Scholarship is designed to:

• Address an unmet need for graduate-level financial support in Northern New Mexico
• Encourage local students to remain in-state for advanced study
• Build stronger, more direct pathways into key workforce areas at the Laboratory
• Position the LANL Foundation to attract future philanthropic investment in graduate education

“For the first time, in collaboration with these fantastic partners, the LANL Foundation is offering scholarships to support graduate students,” said Mike Ammerman, LANL Foundation scholarship program director. “This new scholarship fills a critical gap in Northern New Mexico, expanding educational opportunities for students at every stage of their academic journey and helping local students pursue careers close to home.”

Scholarship eligibility

To qualify, applicants must meet all LANL Foundation scholarship requirements and be enrolled — or planning to enroll — in a New Mexico institution to pursue an advanced degree in one of the following fields:

• Nuclear materials science and engineering (includes radiophysics, radiochemistry, electrochemistry, pyrochemistry, pyrometallurgy etc.); this can include mechanical engineering, metallurgical engineering, nuclear engineering or other associated science and engineering majors with a focus upon nuclear materials
• Materials characterization (includes all tools and techniques) research; this can include chemistry, metallurgy, engineering, and related science majors
• Project and contract management (includes supply chain management, etc.) and Business Administration (including accounting and related degrees, including master’s in business administration, etc.)
• Precision instrumentation and measurement

Applicants may receive the award up to two times, though priority will be given to first-time recipients.

Applications are open now through March 1.