Prospective Scholars | smithresearch

Prospective Students & Postdoctoral Scholars

Prospective Scholar Inquiry Form

Please fill out the following form to indicate interest in joining the Smith Research Group. Email inquiries will not be considered (excluding postdoctoral scholar pre-application emails).

Postdoctoral Scholar Inquiries

There are no postdoctoral scholar positions available at this time.

Ph.D. Inquiries

Admission for funded PhD students is highly competitive. PhD inquiries submitted here for the following academic year will typically be reviewed in November. Zoom interviews will be scheduled with outstanding applicants based on this form after that time. However, note that this form is not an application for admission, nor is it a requirement for admission. A formal application for admission to USC must be submitted here.

Undergraduate and Master's Directed Research Inquiries

We will evaluate research interest from current USC students on a rolling basis depending on research needs in the lab.

Note: Undergraduate and Directed Research students are urged to enroll in CE410L or ENE553 prior to applying for research, unless you are proficient in microbiology or have some formal educational background or working experience in biological water treatment topics.

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A note to prospective MS students

The Master's program in the Sonny Astani Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering is course-based, rather than thesis-based. Accordingly, Master's students are generally not eligible for department-funded Research Assistantships.

Internal research funding opportunities for current USC students

Internal fellowships and external fellowships for applicants

The Viterbi School of Engineering offers a number of fellowships to high-performing students. Click here for information regarding USC Viterbi School of Engineering Fellowships.

In addition to internal fellowships, there are external fellowships that students can apply for. Prospective students and current students are urged to submit applications to applicable external fellowships before or during the first semester of their graduate studies. These fellowships are prestigious additions to any resume or CV and offer successful awardees a great deal of flexibility in scoping their graduate studies. Many of these fellowships offer up to three years of tuition support and living expenses.

A few pertinent fellowships include:

Fellowships for non-US citizens:

This list is not exhaustive so students should seek out other funding opportunities.