APPLY! EGFP (Physics/Engineering Ed Research): Multidisciplinary Opportunities in Discipline-Based Education Research  

The Auburn University Center for Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) is recruiting a cohort of nine STEM PhD students through the NSF EPSCoR Graduate Fellowship Program. Fellows will gain a unique multidisciplinary research experience through Auburn’s College of Science and Mathematics (COSAM) and College of Engineering, where established DBER faculty across Biological Sciences, Engineering, Geosciences, Mathematics & Statistics, and Physics collaborate to address challenges in STEM teaching and learning. Fellows will earn PhDs in their home disciplinary departments while joining a collaborative cohort that integrates disciplinary STEM expertise with rigorous education research. They will receive mentorship, training, and professional development to prepare them for careers advancing STEM education, research, and innovation.  

Fellows pursuing Physics Education Research will participate in research that explores all aspects of physics education and effective physics teaching. Our current research group has broad interests, including graduate student professional development, scientific decision-making and epistemologies, cultural influences on implementing and adapting research-based instructional practices, institutional change, and using large data sets to identify challenges and opportunities in undergraduate physics and engineering education. Research approaches include quasi-experimental and experimental designs, think-aloud and retrospective interviews, machine learning, and a range of quantitative methods. Fellows will have the opportunity to engage in both fundamental and applied research, which draws on the disciplinary practices and culture of physics to improve education at all levels.   

Fellows pursuing Engineering Education Research will join a multi-disciplinary research team which has included geneticists, engineers, and physicists. Current research in engineering education focuses on large-scale data analyses to understand structural deficits in engineering education curricula that inhibit broader participation, engineering judgment in second- and third-year courses, and the use of complex engineering representations in sensemaking.  Research approaches include quasi-experimental and experimental designs, think-aloud and retrospective interviews, machine learning, and a range of quantitative methods. Fellows will have the opportunity to engage in both fundamental and applied research which draws on the disciplinary practices and culture of engineering to improve undergraduate and graduate education.  

Questions about this opportunity should be directed to Dr. Eric Burkholder (ewb0026@auburn.edu)  

Preferred qualifications: 

• BS or MS in physics, astronomy, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, materials science, or a related field 

• Demonstrated interest in broad questions in physics or engineering education (e.g., cognition and epistemology, broadening participation, sociocultural perspectives on education, classroom instruction, graduate education) 

• Experience or strong interest in learning quantitative and qualitative analysis 

• Collaborative, inclusive, team player, independent, and highly motivated 

NSF-specific qualifications (see submission portal for additional requirements): 

• Named a GRFP Honorable Mention no more than three calendar years prior to this application (e.g., for 2027, applicants must have been named a GRFP Honorable Mention no earlier than Spring 2024). 

• U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or permanent resident. 

• Intend to enroll or be enrolled full-time in an Auburn University PhD program at the start of the fellowship 

Funding and Program:
Three PhD positions will be fully supported (stipend, health care, tuition waiver) for three years, with a stipend of $37,000 per year and an additional $16,000 available to enhance your education and research. You would be a PhD student within the Department of Physics graduate program or the Department of Chemical Engineering graduate program at Auburn University.

Before applying, I encourage prospective students to contact Dr. Eric Burkholder at ewb0026@auburn.edu. In this email, please include: 

1. a brief statement describing your research interests, their alignment with the lab’s work/expertise, any relevant research experience, and motivation for joining the lab; 

2. a CV with college GPA and information for 2-3 references. 

The application deadline for the EGFP program at Auburn University is May 15, 2027. 

Learn more about the programs here: https://cosam.auburn.edu/physics/students/grad/programs/phd-physics.php 

https://eng.auburn.edu/program/phd-chemical-engineering.html