1. How will the GATE Fellows be selected? The GATE Fellows will be selected based on their academic and professional experience, the completion of a twelve month research plan consistent with the goals of the FCH2V Center and a commitment from a faculty to advise and cover the cost share requirement. The GATE awards will be determined by an executive committee of the GATE program and the determination should be made by April 2007.
2. What research plans will qualify for GATE funding? The focus of the UC Davis GATE Center of Excellence is the study of fuel cells, hydrogen and hybrid vehicle technology. Please see the full program description for a listing of current research activities at UC Davis that would qualify at: http://gate.its.ucdavis.edu/enrollment/fellowshipinfo. Note that other research (not listed in the proposal) that is consistent with the theme of the GATE Center can qualify for GATE funding. The most important aspect of the research plan is that it is consistent with the GATE theme AND that it is sponsored by a professor or research faculty.
3. Will I receive special recognition as a GATE Fellow? Yes! The GATE Fellowship is a prestigious award that goes to the top Graduate students working in the area of fuel cells, hydrogen, and hybrid technologies. You will be recognized by the DOE as a GATE recipient and will be listed on the UC Davis GATE website along with a description of your research. The quarterly and final reports from your research will be delivered to DOE’s FreedomCAR (http://www.eere.energy.gov/vehiclesandfuels) program and there will be opportunities to present your research at national conferences and meetings. There will also be several opportunities to interact with potential industry representatives for internships and permanent employment. Previous GATE Graduates have gone on to influential positions within academia, industry, and government.
4. What is the commitment for the GATE Fellowship? If you are selected for the GATE fellow award and accept the award, you are committing to accomplishing the research described in your twelve month research plan. You will need to complete and present a final report on this research for delivery to the DOE at the end of the award (October 15, 2008). In addition, you will need to provide quarterly research reports to the DOE on the following dates: January 10, April 10, and July 10, 2008.
5. How long is the GATE Fellowship position good for? The GATE Fellowship is good for twelve months for a period of October 1, 2007 through September 30, 2008. Those GATE students who are awarded the fellowship and are interested in funding beyond September 30, 2008 should talk with their sponsoring professor about funding availability beyond this date. GATE funding is non-renewable.
6. How much will I receive as a GATE Fellow? You will receive full compensation for your tuition and fees for the fall 2007, winter and spring 2008 quarters AND a 50% stipend (20 hours/week) during school (Fall/Winter/Spring 2007 - 2008) and a 100% stipend (40 hours/week) during the summer (Summer 2008). Your exact fees and stipend will depend on the program you are enrolled in, your current position with the program (e.g. MS, PhD) and your classification within the program. The stipend is competitive with other fellowships.
7. What if I already have research funding, should I still apply for GATE? Even if you already have funding, you might still want to apply for the GATE Program. The GATE fellowship could free up funds from your current research program that could be used to extend your research assistance-ship. You should discuss with your sponsoring professor what options exist.
8. What is required of the sponsoring professor? The sponsoring professor must provide a letter that indicates that he/she will be responsible for advising and reviewing your research described in your research plan. The Professor must also commit to providing cost-share funding equivalent to a summer salary at 100% time (40hrs/week) to cover the cost share requirement for the fellowship from GATE. The cost share from your sponsoring Professor must be non-federal funds. The sponsoring professor should also commit to reviewing the quarterly research reports and the final research report to DOE. Note that it is possible to have a research faculty as your sponsoring professor.
9. What does the cost share entail? The cost share is a requirement of the federal government for the GATE program. This requirement means that a portion of the cost of the entire program must be covered by funds provided by the University. The cost share must be covered by the sponsoring professor or research faculty and will be used to pay your summer salary and benefits (40 hrs/week). The total amount of the cost share is dependant on your fellowship level and is as follows.

For example – for a second year master’s student, this cost is approximately $8320 and must come from non-federal sources (one cannot cost share federal $$ with federal $$). It could, however, come from California state research funds, non-federal fellowships, etc. This money must be capable of paying the salary for the summer period. If your sponsoring professor or research faculty is interested in more information on this issue, please have them contact Ernie Hoftyzer (eahoftyzer@ucdavis.edu, 530-752-1914) or Peter Dempster (pgdempster@ucdavis.edu, 530-752-1914).