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.
Each year, the competition will be announced in the Fall. Awardee will be invited to provide a TAP Colloquia in Spring. Join the TAP mailing list to receive future announcements.
1) Must be either a current grad student and working with a TAP General Faculty Member.
2) Have submitted or published a research paper within the last 2-years in a peer-reviewed journal.
3) Complete the TAP Research Prize application including:
- Provide a one-page summary outlining the importance and context of the work. See instructions at the application link.
- 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
2026 Graduate Student Research Prize Competition
Application Deadline: December 15
2026 Graduate Student Research Prize Applications are currently being accepted.
TAP Graduate Student Research Prize Awardees
Eonho Chang, Applied Math
Yangyang Kai, Physics
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.
FY26 Award decisions will be announced in November.
Applications will be solicited during the 2026 spring semester for travel events between June 2026 – May 2027.
TAP Travel and Training Grant Awardees
Mahdi Naseri attended the American Physical Society (APS) Global Summit in Anaheim, CA, March 2025.
Haley Bowden attended the Simulation Based Inference (SBI) for Galaxy Evolution in Bristol, UK, May 2025
Vikram Manikantan attended the American Physical Society (APS) Global Summit in Anaheim, CA, March 2025.
Maria Mutz attended the American Physical Society (APS) Global Summit in Anaheim, CA, March 2025.
M Smith attended the 24th International Conference on General Relativity and Gravitation & 16th Edoardo Amaldi Conference on Gravitational Waves & Early Career Workshop in Glasgow, UK, July 2025.
Neev Shah attended the Modules for Experiments in Stellar Astrophysics (MESA) Summer School in KU Leuven, Belgium, July 2025.
Himansh Rathore attended XMCII: Clouds over Yellowstone at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT, May 2025.
Himansh Rathore attended XMCII: Clouds over Yellowstone at Montana State University in Bozeman, MT, May 2025.
Connor Sweeney attended Cosmological Surveys and Synergies (COLOURS) program, a 2-week summer school and workshop intended for Early Career Researchers, in Paris, France, June 2025.
Connor Sweeney attended Cosmological Surveys and Synergies (COLOURS) program, a 2-week summer school and workshop intended for Early Career Researchers, in Paris, France, June 2025.
Erik Wessel attended the American Physical Society (APS) Global Summit in Anaheim, CA, March 2025.
Jackson Zariski attended the Research collaboration with the MIT Kavli Institute to apply AI-based telescope pointing techniques in Boston, MA, January 2025.
2025 Travel Grant Recipients
| Jonah Barber | Physics |
| Haley Bowden | Astronomy |
| Eonho Chang | Applied Math |
| Hayden Foote | Astronomy |
| Nikhil Garuda | Astronomy |
| Waverly Gorman | Physics |
| Lori Huseby | Planetary Sciences |
| Vikram Manikantan | Astronomy |
| Ian (Iggy) Matheson | Planetary Sciences |
| Maria Mutz | Physics |
| Mahdi Naseri | Astronomy |
| Himansh Rathore | Astronomy |
| Neev Shah | Astronomy |
| M Smith | Physics |
| Connor Sweeney | Physics |
| Erik Wessel | Physics |
| Jackson Zariski | Applied Math |
| Jonah Barber | Physics |
| Jose Cisneros Castro | Planetary Sciences |
| Katie Chamberlain | Astronomy |
| Eonho Chang | Astronomy |
| Emmanouil Drimalas | Astronomy |
| Hayden Foote | Astronomy |
| Soley Hyman | Astronomy |
| Ian (Iggy) Matheson | Planetary Sciences |
| Pranjal RS | Astronomy |
| Himansh Rathore | Astronomy |
| M Smith | Astronomy |
| Jackson Zarisky | Astronomy |
| Yangyang Cai | Physics |
| Soley Hyman | Astronomy |
| Vikram Manikantan | Astronomy |
| Ian Matheson | Planetary Sciences |
| Jiachuan Xu | Astronomy |
| Eonho Chang | Astronomy |
| Gabriele Bozzola | Astronomy |
| Jose Cisneros | Physics |
| Emmanouil Drimalas | Physics |
| Tintin Nguyen | Astronomy |
| Chang Tao Yang | Physics |
| Jada Walters | Planetary Sciences |
| Xiaozhou Zhao | Planetary Sciences |
| Jiachuan Xu | Astronomy |
| Gabriele Bozzola | Astronomy |
| Saverio Cambioni | Planetary Sciences |
| Pedro Espino | Physics |
| Hamish Hay | Planetary Sciences |
| Rixin Li | Astronomy |
| Rachel Smullen | Astronomy |
| Maria Steinrueck | Planetary Sciences |
| Adam Sutherland | Astronomy |
| Tyler Trent | Astronomy |
| Carolynn Raithel | Astronomy |
| Etka Patel | Astronomy |
| James T. Keane | Planetary Sciences |
| Etka Patel | Astronomy |
| Sabina Abate | |
| Atri Bhattacharya | Physics |
| Rixin Li | Astronomy |
| Rachel Smullen | Astronomy |