MRL Awards, Employment, and Funding
PPG-MRL Graduate Research Assistantship Award
Under support of the PPG Foundation, the Materials Research Laboratory (MRL) is accepting applications for PPG-MRL Graduate Research Assistantship Awards. The PPG-MRL program will support up to six doctoral-level students conducting research broadly related to coatings science and specialty materials. Targeted areas include materials science and engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, chemistry, condensed matter physics, and related areas of study. We strongly encourage women and students from underrepresented groups to apply. To learn more about PPG, visit http://corporate.ppg.com/Home.aspx.
Each PPG-MRL Graduate Research Assistantship Award provides one year of support at the 25% level. The remaining 25% to bring the appointment up to the normal 50% appointment of a graduate student will need to be supplied by other sources (typically from the student’s advisor or a teaching assistantship). Each award recipient will also be provided a travel award of up to $2,000 to present their research accomplishments as a PPG-MRL Graduate Research Assistant at a major scientific meeting. Funds for travel must be used within 1 year of the end of the award. Award winners may not apply for the 2025 PPG Independent Research Award.
The PPG-MRL Graduate Research Assistantship Award recipients will:
- Acknowledge support of the PPG Foundation in publications and presentations based upon work performed while supported by the PPG Foundation
- Meet with representatives of PPG, either in person on campus, or via video conference when requested.
- Applicant’s primary advisor must be affiliated with the MRL.
- Applicant should be entering their second to fourth year of graduate school at the University of Illinois (started graduate school between August 2022 and August 2024). With appropriate justification, this requirement can be waived.
- Applicant is a graduate student in good standing.
The applicant should complete the on-line application and upload pdf files of items 1-3 below. The applicant’s advisor should email item 4 to mrl-director@illinois.edu. The deadline to apply is 5:00 pm on July 18, 2025.
For full consideration, the following documents are required:
- CV.
- Statement of Interest (maximum two pages, single-spaced, with one-inch margins, 12 point font). The Statement of Interest should describe the applicant’s research, including research question (and/or hypothesis or goal), significance, methodology, and preliminary research (if applicable), along with language explaining the relationship of the applicant’s research interests to the interests of PPG. The statement must be clear to readers outside of the applicant's particular area of research.
- Unofficial transcript of current graduate degree program.
- Letter of recommendation from primary research advisor.
Professor Joe Greene Postdoctoral Fellow Program
These prestigious postdoctoral positions are designed to support outstanding early-career scientists and engineers specializing in Materials Science, Physics, Chemistry, and related fields. Successful candidates will initially be appointed as full-time Postdoctoral Research Associates for one year, with the option of a second year. This program is available thanks to an endowment created by Phyllis Greene, Joe’s wife of 55 years, to honor Professor Joe Greene (Dr. J.E. Greene), who was a distinguished faculty member in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and a former director of The Materials Research Laboratory. Prof. Greene was renowned for his enduring impact and dedication to fostering the careers of young scientists and emerging leaders in the fields of materials science engineering, basic science, and applied technology. Read more about Professor Joe Greene's Legacy.
Information on the application process will be available in the fall 2025.