The Weather Program Office (WPO) Innovations for Next Generation Scientists (WINGS) Dissertation Fellowship will develop and foster the next generation of STEM scholars with the goal of bolstering the future workforce of America’s Weather Enterprise. During our first year, the fellowship will support PhD candidates completing their dissertation research in an area of scientific importance to the Earth Prediction Innovation Center (EPIC) and Unified Forecast System (UFS).
We are excited to announce that our inaugural cohort of fellows will be selected later this Spring and we are interested in building a mentoring network for our fellows. If you would like to join our mentoring network, please complete this short google form.
Thank you for your consideration, and here’s some additional information to help you decide if you should sign up:
If I join this list, am I committed to serving as a mentor? Absolutely not! Adding your name to our mentoring network does not commit you to serve as a mentor for a WINGS Fellow. It just means that you’re open to connecting with one of our fellows and considering the potential to become their mentor.
What happens after I complete the form? Your name will be published on the WINGS website so potential fellows can explore mentorship connections. Before formally serving as a mentor, you will be contacted by the WINGS team to seek your formal agreement. The WINGS team will also work with you to develop a mentor action plan for your fellow.
What is the expected time commitment? WINGS Fellowships will be awarded for two years with the possibility of a one-year extension. The weekly time commitment will vary from fellow to fellow and will be determined by both of you within your mentoring action plan. Generally, you can expect to spend about an hour a week with your mentee.
Does serving as a mentor add me to their dissertation committee? No, it does not.
What is expected of a mentor? Formal expectations will be developed between you and your mentee in a mentor action plan. While this can vary based on individual and project needs, we expect that mentors on this list will primarily provide technical expertise.
What expertise are you looking for? The first year of the WINGS Dissertation Fellowship is focused on EPIC/UFS and we’re seeking mentors in Data Assimilation; Atmospheric Physics; Systems Architecture (coupling, workflow, continuous integration and development); Machine Learning/Artificial Intelligence; and Software Engineering to advance numerical weather prediction. If you have expertise related to any UFS Applications, that would also be wonderful! We hope to offer more diverse project options in the future, so even if you’re not an expert in one of these areas but are interested in being a mentor, please sign up!
Do I have to work for NOAA or be a federal employee? No! Working for NOAA is not a requirement and neither is being a federal employee. We welcome mentors from the federal government, academia, non-profit organizations, and the private sector.
Am I required to have a PhD? No, a PhD is not required for WINGS mentors.
Who can I contact with questions? If you have additional questions please contact Kate Rodd (krodd@ucar.edu), Cindy Bruyere (bruyerec@ucar.edu), or Maoyi Huang (maoyi.huang@noaa.gov).