Student Programs

TAP Programs for Students

TAP Programs for students include a yearly Research Prize Award and Travel Grants awarded to students for exceptional theoretical astrophysics research and Travel and Training Grants to support students with training, travel for research collaboration, or conference attendance, to support educational and research pursuits and preparation for entering the future job market.

Graduate Student Research Prize


The Theoretical Astrophysics Program (TAP) seeks to award one student at the University of Arizona with the Graduate Student Research Prize. This competition, held annually, is an opportunity to highlight students conducting exceptional theoretical astrophysics research. The application period opens each fall semester with applications due early January. Graduate students are encouraged to apply before the final year of their program. 

The winner of the competition will receive a commemorative plaque, a $1000 cash award, and an invitation to present their work during the spring colloquia series. Review and selection are done by committee and based on the quality and originality of the research.

The 2025 Graduate Student Research Prize was awarded to Eonho Chang (Andrew Youdin, advisor). Eonho Chang gave the TAP Colloquia talk on March 3, 2025.

The 2026 competition will be announced in November, 2025. Awardee will be invited to provide a TAP Colloquia in Spring 2026. Join the TAP mailing list to receive future announcements.

1) Must be either a current grad student or < one-year post-Ph.D. completion and be working with a TAP General Faculty Member.

Note: To increase program impact, applicants must be a current grad student starting in AY26 (fall 2025 application cycle).

2) Have submitted or published a research paper in a peer-reviewed journal within the past two years.

3) Complete the TAP Research Prize application including:

  • Provide a one-page summary outlining the importance and context of the work.
  • Submit endorsement statement by TAP Faculty advisor, including an estimate of the student’s percent contribution to both the research and the writing (minimum 60% student contribution expected).

Please contact Rosie Johnson, TAP Project Manager, with any questions

TAP Graduate Student Research Prize Awardees

Eonho Chang, Applied Math
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Eonho Chang  holding 2025 Research Prize Plaque

Yangyang Kai, Physics
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Yangyang Cai received 2025 Grad Student Research plaque

Haowen Zhang, Physics

Gabriele Bozzola, Astronomy

Nicolas Garavito-Camargo, Astronomy

Joshua Lothringer, Planetary Sciences

Youngmin JeongAhn, Planetary Sciences

Even Schneider, Astronomy

Tim Johannsen, Physics
 

Curtis Cooper, Planetary Sciences
Martin Pessah, Astronomy

Todd Thompson, Physics
Sharada Iyer, Physics

Chris L. Fryer, Astronomy

William Sears, Planetary Sciences

Student Travel & Training Grants

The TAP small matching grants program seeks to provide resources to undergraduate and graduate students to assist with training, travel for research collaboration, or confernece attendance to support their educational and research pursuits and help to prepare them for entering the future job market.

Grant awards up to $1,000 may be used for training opportunities, conferences, research-related travel, or professional supplies/equipment. Preference will be given to new applicants and those in the later stages of their degree program.

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2025 Student Travel Grants

Applications will be accepted Sept 15 - Oct 15, 2025, for AY 2025-2026 events. Link to application. Award decisions will be announced in December.

Applications will be solicited during the 2026 spring semester for travel events between June 2026 – May 2027.

TAP Travel and Training Grant Awardees

2025 Travel Grant Recipients

Jonah BarberPhysics
Haley BowdenAstronomy
Eonho ChangApplied Math
Hayden FooteAstronomy
Nikhil GarudaAstronomy
Waverly GormanPhysics
Lori HusebyPlanetary Sciences
Vikram ManikantanAstronomy
Ian (Iggy) MathesonPlanetary Sciences
Maria MutzPhysics
Mahdi NaseriAstronomy
Himansh RathoreAstronomy
Neev ShahAstronomy
M SmithPhysics
Connor SweeneyPhysics
Erik WesselPhysics
Jackson ZariskiApplied Math

Jonah BarberPhysics
Jose Cisneros CastroPlanetary Sciences
Katie ChamberlainAstronomy
Eonho ChangAstronomy
Emmanouil DrimalasAstronomy
Hayden FooteAstronomy
Soley HymanAstronomy
Ian (Iggy) MathesonPlanetary Sciences
Pranjal RSAstronomy
Himansh RathoreAstronomy
M SmithAstronomy
Jackson ZariskyAstronomy

 

 

Yangyang CaiPhysics
Soley HymanAstronomy
Vikram ManikantanAstronomy
Ian MathesonPlanetary Sciences
Jiachuan XuAstronomy
Eonho ChangAstronomy

Gabriele BozzolaAstronomy
Jose CisnerosPhysics
Emmanouil DrimalasPhysics
Tintin NguyenAstronomy
Chang Tao YangPhysics
Jada WaltersPlanetary Sciences
Xiaozhou ZhaoPlanetary Sciences

Jiachuan XuAstronomy

Gabriele BozzolaAstronomy
Saverio CambioniPlanetary Sciences
Pedro EspinoPhysics
Hamish HayPlanetary Sciences
Rixin LiAstronomy
Rachel SmullenAstronomy
Maria SteinrueckPlanetary Sciences
Adam SutherlandAstronomy
Tyler TrentAstronomy

Carolynn RaithelAstronomy
Etka PatelAstronomy
James T. KeanePlanetary Sciences

Etka PatelAstronomy

Sabina Abate 
Atri BhattacharyaPhysics
Rixin LiAstronomy
Rachel SmullenAstronomy