2026 ACM SIGHPC Computational & Data Science Fellowships

ACM SIGHPC has created the Computational and Data Science Fellowships, a continuation of the program started with Intel (see below) to increase the diversity of students pursuing graduate degrees in data science and computational science. Specifically targeted at women or students from racial/ethnic backgrounds that have not traditionally participated in the computing field, the program is open to students pursuing degrees at institutions anywhere in the world.

For the purposes of these fellowships, “computational science” encompasses any program of study where computational modeling and simulation serve as the primary methods for conducting research, typically in a field other than computer science (e.g., computational chemistry, wildfire modeling, computational hydrodynamics). Similarly, “data science” relies on computational analysis of large-scale data as the basis for research (e.g., ecological informatics, financial analytics). Preference will be given to candidates whose background is from disciplines other than computer science and who can bring new perspectives to computational/data science.

Fellowship recipients will be evaluated based on their overall potential for excellence in data science and/or computational science, their likelihood of successfully completing a graduate degree, and the extent to which they will serve to increase diversity in the workplace.

Each fellowship recipient will receive a stipend prior to the start of their first academic term after August 1. The value of the stipend will be US$20,000 annually, adjusted depending on the country where the degree will be earned (using the most recent national price level ratio published by the World Bank). This stipend is intended to augment, not replace, the support already being provided by the institution. PhD recipients will receive the stipend annually for up to 4 years and MS recipients up to 2 years, as long as they are deemed to be making appropriate progress in the degree program (progress will be evaluated annually by ACM SIGHPC based on a brief report from each recipient). If additional funding becomes available, fellowship winners may be given the opportunity to receive extended support (through the completion of the degree, but not more than four years total).

For individuals with a permanent residence outside of the United States that receive a monetary award from SIGHPC, ACM will withhold 30% of the award value for US Taxes in compliance with Internal Revenue Services. Based on the individual’s location they may be able to reclaim the tax withholding amount. ACM and SIGHPC will not provide assistance in reclaiming the withheld taxes. New fellowship recipients will be recognized formally at the annual SC conference’s Awards Session. SIGHPC and SC will provide travel support for this (including airfare, hotel, conference registration, and an expense stipend).

The candidate must be:

1. Currently enrolled in a graduate program, or accepted to begin one, no later than October 15 of the year in which they are nominated
2. Pursuing a graduate degree – Master’s, PhD, or equivalent – in computational or data science (although the formal name of the program may be somewhat different; see main webpage for examples)
3. Less than halfway through her/his planned program of study (with preference given to students who are still early in their studies)
4. A woman and/or a member of a racial/ethnic group that is currently underrepresented in the computing field in the country where the student will earn the degree

For more information and FAQs, see the following link: https://www.sighpc.org/opportunities/fellowships

Please note that only one student per department can be submitted for this award. If more than one student is nominated, an internal competition will be held by the Graduate Student Awards Committee. Additionally, the Siebel School Awards Team cannot submit this award on the selected student’s behalf. The faculty nominator of the selected student must work with the student and their endorser to submit the application on the student’s behalf prior to the external deadline (nominations close on April 30, 2026).