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

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.

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 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 |