All graduate students completing Ph.D. theses judged to be of outstanding merit are eligible for the Potter Prize. This prize is awarded annually to the most exceptional chemistry Ph.D. dissertation as judged by a faculty committee. In addition to a monetary award of $2,500, this distinguished award is announced at the Chemistry Department Diploma Ceremony during Commencement.

• 2026 Potter Prize Recipient: Timea N. Kolozsvary

The King Prize recognizes superior performance as a teaching assistant during the academic year. The prize is awarded annually to graduate students whose efforts as a teacher and facilitator of chemical learning go beyond normal expectations.

• 2026 Recipients: Morgan Andrews, Kristina Spiru, Andes Willemsen

The Sigma Xi Award for Excellence in Graduate Research recognizes outstanding research accomplishments during a graduate student's career. Students in their last year of graduate study are eligible.

• 2026 Recipients: To Be Announced

Ken Hong (Advisors Yusong Bai and Ou Chen) is the 2026 Vince Wernig Fellowship Awardee for Academic Year 2026-27. The Vince Wernig Fellowship is competitively awarded to advanced graduate students. The level of support includes stipend, tuition, health insurance, and health services fees.

The Chase Award recognizes the students whose extraordinary leadership and service contributions during their years at Brown improved the department or the academic and educational experiences of all graduate students.

• 2026 Recipients: Samantha Renard and Natalie Warren

The William R. Potter Fund provides grants to graduate students specializing in chemistry to support their travel to and participation in national chemistry conferences at which they present thesis research.

Eligibility

All Chemistry graduate students and graduate students whose doctoral studies are directed by a Chemistry faculty member are eligible to apply. Download the application and Submit to Rose Barreira, Graduate Program Coordinator.

Deadlines

May 1 for conferences in the months of July - December, and November 1 for conferences in the months of January - June.

Download the Application

The Dwight A. Sweigart Travel Award was established to honor Professor Dwight Sweigart, a dedicated scientist, teacher, and mentor. Each year, the presenter of the best inorganic chemistry / materials poster at the Chemistry Department's Annual Poster Session will receive the Sweigart Travel Award to support travel to a national conference.

Dr. Prabu Nambiar, a former post-doc in the research group of David E. Cane, Vernon K. Krieble Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, established the Cane-Nambiar Graduate Student Travelship in Professor Cane's honor. Each year, the presenter of the best organic / biological chemistry poster at the Chemistry Department's Annual Poster Session will receive the Cane-Nambiar Award to support travel to a national conference.

Each year, the presenter of the best physical / theoretical chemistry poster at the Chemistry Department's Annual Poster Session will receive the Physical / Theoretical Graduate Student Travel Award to support travel to a national conference.

The Phyllis R. Strauss Fund supports travel and registration costs for women in Brown's Chemistry Graduate Program to participate in scientific development activities including, but not limited to, scientific workshops or professional conferences to present a poster or a talk. Recipients will write a follow-up message to Dr. Strauss to describe the experience.