We welcome curious and motivated students and researchers with a background in engineering or physics who want to build models and simulations of plasmas and their interactions with materials. Experience with programming (for example Python or C++) and numerical methods is helpful, but curiosity and motivation matter most. To see what we work on, visit our research page.
Prospective PhD students should apply to the Doctoral Program in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at UCLA and mention their interest in our group in the application.
We strongly encourage you to apply for external fellowships as well (see below).
MAE graduate admissionsResearch opportunities are available during the academic year and over the summer. Email Prof. Vialetto with your CV and transcript.
Most summer funding requires a faculty mentor before you apply, so reach out in the fall or early winter (see below).
Email Prof. VialettoWe welcome interest from prospective postdocs. At this time, we can only consider applicants who have secured their own external funding, such as a fellowship.
Get in touch to discuss research fit.
Email Prof. VialettoWhen you email vialetto@ucla.edu, please include:
A subject line like Prospective PhD student: Your Name helps us find your message.
We strongly encourage students to pursue external fellowships. Outside funding gives you more freedom in choosing your research direction, and we are glad to help you prepare an application. Reach out early to talk through your interests, and we can advise on fit and give feedback on drafts.
Support: three years of graduate study in NSF-supported fields.
Eligibility: U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents.
Support: up to five years of PhD work.
Fields: applied physical and biological sciences, mathematics, and engineering.
Support: three years of doctoral study.
Fields: DoD-relevant science and engineering.
Support: up to four years.
Fields: using computing to solve science and engineering problems.
Support: fellowship plus paid internships.
Eligibility: students from groups underrepresented in engineering and science.
Eligibility: women in PhD programs in aerospace-related science and engineering.
Support: up to four years of space-technology research aligned with NASA's priorities, including a Visiting Technologist Experience at a NASA center.
Eligibility: U.S. citizens, nationals, and permanent residents at U.S. institutions.
How to apply: the faculty advisor submits the application through NSPIRES, typically due in late January. Contact us by early January if you want to apply.
Eligibility rules and deadlines change from year to year. Always check the program's own site before you plan around them.
UCLA undergraduates who want to do research with the lab over the summer have several funding options. Most deadlines fall between January and March, and nearly all require a faculty mentor before you apply, so talk to us in the fall or early winter rather than in the spring.
The main option for most students: ten weeks of full-time research with a UCLA faculty mentor.
Support: up to $6,000 full-time, or $2,000 part-time alongside Summer Sessions.
Eligibility: UCLA undergraduates with a 3.0 GPA who intend to pursue a PhD, have a faculty mentor, have completed lab safety training, and are not receiving other summer funding for lab work.
How to apply: through MyUCLA, typically between January and early March.
A two-year fellowship (not only a summer program) for nine UCLA students per cohort. The second summer is spent at a different UC campus.
Support: up to $6,000 per year for academic-year research, plus a $5,000 summer scholarship.
Eligibility: rising juniors in the physical sciences or engineering who are educationally or economically disadvantaged; U.S. citizens, permanent residents, or AB-540 students.
Deadline: typically early March.
A ten-week program (late June to late August) for students who are new to research, with workshops, progress reports, and a closing poster symposium.
How it works: SURP does not place or fund students. Once you have joined our lab, we enroll you and provide your stipend; your part is to fill out an interest form.
For more options, browse the UCLA Research Programs directory, the central list of undergraduate research programs, scholarships, and awards across disciplines.
Program details and deadlines change every year. Always confirm on the program's own site, and contact us early: for most of these programs, we need to be involved before you apply.