Most graduate students in Physics at UNH are either supported in their studies by a Teaching Assistantship or by a Research Assistantship sponsored through Research Grants or Contracts of their Advisor. However, there are also a number opportunities out there for graduate students to pursue their own, more independent, funding. It should be noted though that also these opportunities require collaboration with a mentor and/or research group on Campus, as otherwise the necessary infrastructure may not be available.
Starting on the UNH Campus, the Office of Sponsored Research and the Graduate School maintain a database with graduate student funding opportunities. For those of you who are interested in the education aspect of a graduate career check out the PROBE Scholarships of the Leitzel Center for Math, Science & Technology Education here at UNH. Students in the Physical Sciences are in demand.
I found a similar very comprehensive database at Cornell University, with relevant links to funding sources for the Physical Sciences.
Several organizations compile lists of fellowships and stipend
opportunities:
National Physical
Science Consortium
Council
of Graduate Schools
The Oak Ridge National Lab collaborates with universities through the Oak
Ridge Associated Universities consortium. Students can go to an extensive
website with research
and related funding opportunities. There links for undergraduate and graduate
students as well as post-docs.
Here are some interesting specific fellowship opportunities:
For space science and astrophysics interested students NASA offers various opportunities
every year with the NASA Graduate Student
Fellowship Program. Competitions are open every year in January.
The NH Space Grant Program, for which UNH is the lead institution, offers several
Space Grant Fellowships every year with application deadlines each year
in early March.
The Department of Defense offers a National
Defense Science and Engineering Fellowship Program.
Interested in an international experience? A Fulbright stipend may be the way to go.