Pia Gratton Fellowship

Now at the University of California, Irvine

The Pia Gratton Fellowship was established by the family and friends of Maria Pia Gratton. It provides fellowships to graduate students currently enrolled in the UCI Samueli School of Engineering to serve as mentors for undergraduate students in the Research Discovery Program (RDP) through the Division of Undergraduate Education's Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP). The award has also been given to Engineering graduate students serving as mentors in the UROP Interdisciplinary Research Teams (IRT) program.

The goal of this opportunity is to ensure graduate students' continued academic success as well as the development of career readiness skills and mentoring experience.

At a glance

• Host: Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP), UC Irvine
• Eligibility: Graduate students in the UCI Samueli School of Engineering serving as mentors in RDP or IRT
• Award amount: Up to $5,000
• Purpose: To recognize excellent mentorship and support graduate mentors for their time and effort with undergraduate mentees
• Recent recipients: In 2026, four Engineering graduate students received the fellowship
• Disbursement: Typically in early spring quarter