Two FSU graduate students awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships

Two Florida State University graduate students, Chloe Britton Naime and Ana Julia Ferrugini Souza, have been awarded the 2026 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (NSF GRFP). The five-year program supports students pursuing research-focused graduate degrees in science, technology, engineering and math. 

Designed to boost the quality and reach of scientific innovation across the country, the fellowship provides recipients with three years of financial support, including an annual $37,000 stipend. The national recognition also highlights both the recipients’ undergraduate schools and current graduate institution. 

“Florida State University attracts world class graduate students to conduct research in innovative and impactful ways,” said Craig Filar, associate dean of Honors, Scholars, and Fellows. “Their dedication to scholarship grounded in academic rigor toward a goal of improving the lives of others illustrates the ideal character of an FSU student. It is this level of excellence that has been recognized by the National Science Foundation and elevate all the work that we do across campus in our celebration of these two students’ success.” 

Three current FSU graduate students, Tan Duy Dao, Elizabeth Holyat and Zachary Levy, also received honorable mentions in the latest program. 

Chloe Britton Naime 

Chloe Britton Naime received a fellowship for neuroscience research investigating the reading skills of young adolescents. Growing up in Los Angeles, Britton Naime struggled with dyslexia. 

That personal experience inspired a career in neuroscience, with the goal of helping children in similar situations. 

“I was always wanting to give back to my community, and this is how I’m doing it: through research and bringing that lived perspective to the field,” Britton Naime said.

During undergraduate studies at Syracuse University, Britton Naime pursued a double major in Neuroscience and Mechanical Engineering. At Syracuse, Britton Naime conducted research at the Center for Autism Research and Electrophysiology lab, focusing on identifying and understanding sensory and perceptual differences within autism and ADHD. 

In the summer of 2024, Britton Naime was named a Fulbright-Mitacs Globalink scholar and joined the Baby Learning Lab at the University of British Columbia to help develop the lab’s first processing pipeline for high-density functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). 

In the fall of 2025, Britton Naime began a doctoral degree in neuroscience at Florida State University after earning a McKnight Doctoral Fellowship. 

“The research at FSU was a very good match,” said Britton Naime. “I’m part of The Learning Brain Lab, we study children with neurodevelopmental, specifically ADHD and learning differences or disorders, and work towards understanding how their brains are processing information and developing.” 

FSU played an important role in securing the fellowship. 

“The support I have received from the department as a grad student has been great. I also think FSU has done a wonderful job supporting graduate students and helping provide an environment where we can continue making progress toward our academic and professional goals,” Britton Naime said.

Ana Julia Ferrugini Souza 

Souza grew up in Volta Redonda, Brazil, but her love for chemistry brought her all the way to Tallahassee. Receiving an NSF GRFP means continuing her path toward innovation in the pharmaceutical industry. 

Souza spent her undergraduate years at Universidade Federal Fluminense in Volta Redonda, Rio de Janeiro. Attending lectures, research conferences and seminars helped her to decide what she would pursue later in life. 

“My time at UFF allowed me to explore all different parts of chemistry,” said Souza. “I got to understand what aspects I liked the most.” 

After receiving her bachelor’s degree in chemistry, FSU seemed like the perfect next step. 

“The research being done at FSU really piqued my interest. It was in line with my interests and future goals,” Souza said. 

Working in the Smith Lab, Souza takes part in research on synthesizing biologically relevant natural products with complex structures, including molecules that have never been made before Souza hopes to help make the synthesis of these structures simpler, taking less steps and less time to complete. This comes with a purpose. 

Souza hopes that her work in organic chemistry will help others. In return, the NSF helped her out with a GRFP. Souza is incredibly grateful for this recognition. 

“Now that I am in my doctoral degree, and all of the work I did is being recognized, it’s really worth it,” Souza said. 

Souza notes the role that FSU played in her big achievement. 

“Having time to get preliminary data in the lab made my proposal much more successful than it would have been without it,” Souza said. “FSU gave me that opportunity.”