U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental Research 
Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Program

Undergraduate fellowships in environmental fields of study such as biology, health, the social sciences, and engineering

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Center for Environmental Research (NCER), invites applications for the Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships for undergraduate environmentally-related study for bachelor’s level students. The fellowship provides up to $20,700 per year of academic support and $8,600 for internship support for a combined total of up to $50,000 over the life of the fellowship. The GRO program enhances and supports quality environmental education for undergraduates, and thereby encourages them to continue their education beyond the baccalaureate level, and pursue careers in environmentally-related fields, such as biology, health, the social sciences, and engineering. The actual amount awarded per year will vary depending on the amount of tuition and fees and the number of months the stipend is required. This fellowship is intended to help defray costs associated with environmentally-oriented study leading to a bachelor’s degree.

The GRO Undergraduate Fellowship program is part of the national effort to help ensure that the United States meets its current and projected human resource needs in the environmental science, engineering, and policy fields.  By enhancing and supporting quality environmental education for undergraduate students, the GRO Undergraduate Fellowship encourages promising students to pursue careers in environmentally-related fields and to continue their education beyond the baccalaureate level. This goal is consistent with the mission of EPA, which is to provide environmental and human health protection as well as reducing pollution.  The GRO Fellowship program has benefited the public by consistently providing the nation with well-trained environmental specialists to meet environmental challenges in our society. GRO supported fellows have provided new environmental research in the physical, biological, health, and social sciences as well as in engineering.

 For more information, please visit the EPA GRO Program website.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Office of Research and Development, National Center for Environmental Research 
Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Program

Graduate fellowships in environmental fields of study such as biology, health, the social sciences, and engineering

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), National Center for Environmental Research (NCER), invites applications for the Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships for graduate environmental study for master’s and doctoral level students. Master’s level students may receive support for a maximum of two years. Doctoral students may be supported for a maximum of three years, usable over a period of five years. The fellowship program provides up to $42,000 per year of support per fellowship. This amount covers a monthly stipend of $2,083 for up to 12 months totaling $25,000 for the year, $5,000 for authorized expenses, and up to $12,000 for tuition and fees. The actual amount awarded per year will vary depending on the amount of tuition and fees and the number of months the stipend is required. These fellowships are intended to help defray costs associated with advanced, environmentally-oriented study leading to a master’s or doctoral degree.

The STAR Fellowship program was initiated in 1995. Approximately 1,600 STAR fellowships have been awarded since the inception of the program. The U.S. is projected to have considerable human resource needs in the science, engineering, and policy fields (Jackson 2002, National Research Council 2007). The STAR Fellowship program is part of the national effort to help meet those workforce needs, especially in the environmental arena (US EPA 2003). The goal of the fellowship program is to encourage promising students to obtain advanced degrees and pursue careers in an environmental field. This goal is consistent with the mission of EPA, which is to provide leadership in the nation’s environmental science, research, education, assessment, restoration, preservation, pollution prevention and sustainability efforts.  The STAR Fellowship program has proven to be beneficial to the public by providing a steady stream of well trained environmental specialists to meet society’s environmental challenges (National Research Council 2003). It has also provided new environmental research in engineering and in the physical, biological, health, and social sciences.

For more information, please visit the EPA STAR Program website.

Faculty Representative

“Jon” Can B. Aktas, Ph.D.
Sustainability Studies Program Coordinator
Buckman Hall, 218
caktas@newhaven.edu
203.479.4131

2013 University of New Haven Recipient

University of New Haven Sophomore Jessica Zielinski Named EPA Fellow
Gets $50,000 In Support

EPA recognizes that scientific, technical, engineering and mathematical (STEM) competence is essential to the Nation’s future well-being in terms of national security and competitive economic advantage.  For instance, the health and vitality of the economy is predicated, in part, on the availability of an adequate supply of scientists, technicians, engineers and mathematicians, to develop innovative technologies and solutions.  In other words, this country must engage all available minds to address the challenges it faces.  Minorities, women, and persons with disabilities historically have been under-represented in the STEM fields.  For this reason, EPA strongly encourages women, minorities, and persons with disabilities to apply.