A number of governmental and non-governmental organizations provide scholarship and fellowship opportunities to students in Environmental Studies or those committed to a career in Environmental Studies. Check out the scholarship and fellowship opportunities, and take note of when you should apply.
The Udall Scholarship (for sophomores and juniors)
http://www.udall.gov/OurPrograms/MKUScholarship/MKUScholarship.aspx
These scholarships are ideally suited for environmental studies students having a strong interest in environmental policy, Native American/Alaska Native policy, or having an interest in the intersection of science, health, justice and enviornmental policy. The scholarships are named in honor of Morris and Stewart Udall, former members of Congress and Secretary of the Interior. Scholarships are offered in any of three categories:
To students who have demonstrated commitment to careers related to the environmentincluding policy, engineering, science, education, urban planning and renewal, business, health, justice, economics, and other related fields; or
To Native American and Alaska Native students who have demonstrated commitment to careers related to tribal public policy, including fields related to tribal sovereignty, tribal governance, tribal law, Native American education, Native American justice, natural resource management, cultural preservation and revitalization, Native American economic development, and other areas affecting Native American communities; or
To Native American and Alaska Native students who have demonstrated commitment to careers related to Native health care, including health care administration, social work, medicine, dentistry, counseling, and research into health conditions affecting Native American communities, and other related fields.
In 2014, the Foundation expects to award 50 scholarships of up to $5000 and 50 honorable mentions to sophomore and junior level college students committed to careers related to the environment, tribal public policy, or Native American health care.
St. Olaf deadline is typically mid-February to 01 March. For more information, contact Professor Kathryn Ananda-Owens, Co-Director of External Fellowships and Scholarships.
St. Olaf recipients include:
Katie Handler ’08
Nicole Novak ’08
The Boren Scholarship (for soph, juniors & seniors)
http://www.borenawards.org/boren_scholarship
Boren Scholarships provide up to $20,000 to U.S. undergraduate students to study abroad for at least one semester and study less commonly taught languages in areas of the world that are critical to U.S. interests and underrepresented in study abroad, including Africa, Asia, Central & Eastern Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Middle East.
The Boren Scholarships offer a special initiative for undergraduate STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) majors. The scholarships fund up to $8,000 for summer study (minimum of 8 weeks) for students majoring in the STEM fields. STEM field majors may also apply for semester and year programs.
St. Olaf Application Deadline is mid January. For more information or to apply, contact Professor Kathryn Ananda-Owens, Co-Director of External Fellowships and Scholarships.
USEPA Greater Research Opportunities Fellowships (sophomores)
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), as part of its Greater Research Opportunities (GRO) Fellowships program, previously offered undergraduate fellowships for bachelor level students in environmental fields of study. The program no longer funds opportunities.
St. Olaf recipients include:
Will Lutterman ’15 (2013)
Serina Robinson ’15 (2013)
Brooke Weigel ’13 (2011)
Ben Auch ’12 (2010)
The Garden Club of America (undergrad and graduate scholarships)
The Garden Club of America offers 25+ merit scholarships ranging from $1500 to $8000 for undergraduate and graduate students for field work, research and/or laboratory studies in areas such as desert studies, urban forestry, ecological restorations and landscape architecture. Applications and information can be found under the “Scholarship” tab at gcamerica.org.
Lake Minnetonka Garden Club
LMGC will provide up to $2000 annually, awarded to one student or divided between two students. Preference will be given to non-freshmen students enrolled in a Landscape Architecture, Horticulture, Botany, Ecological Restoration, Garden History & Design, Urban Forestry and Environmental Science. Students must attend either a Minnesota two-year technological school or an undergraduate program at a Minnesota university or college. Scholarships will be awarded on merit with consideration given to GPA, letters of recommendation, community activities, associations or organizations, work experience and plans after graduation. Application deadline is early December with recipient(s) being selected before year-end. Monies will be dispersed in time for the Spring Term’s tuition of the current academic year. Find more details at the LMGC Scholarship site.
RAY Conservation Diversity Fellowship Program (for recent grads!)
The Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Conservation Diversity Fellowship program focuses on increasing opportunities for people of color to learn about, engage with, and enter the environmental conservation NGO sector. The Fellowships will be designed to support and attract recent college graduates of color with exceptional promise and demonstrated accomplishment who seek to be leaders in the nonprofit and philanthropic sectors. A list of fellowship opportunities and links to the applications process can be found here. Note that applications are accepted on a rolling basis beginning in mid-January.
Dr. Roger Arliner Young (1889 – November 9, 1964) was an American scientist of zoology, biology, and marine biology. She was the first Black woman to receive a doctorate degree in zoology. She was recognized in 2005, in a Congressional Resolution celebrating the accomplishments of those “who have broken through many barriers to achieving greatness in Science”. Among the others recognized were Ruth Ella Moore, Euphemia Lofton Haynes, Shirley Ann Jackson, and Mae Jemison.
Learn more about Dr. Young and how her legacy has influenced the RAY Fellowship Program and a new generation of conservation leaders in “The Little-known Life of the First African American Female Zoologist” by Emi Okikawa (RAY ’17)
Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program
The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (DDCSP) at the University of Washington is a multi-summer, undergraduate experiential learning experience that explores conservation across climate, water, food and ecosystems of the Pacific Northwest. DDCSP@UW supports emerging conservation leaders to develop unique perspectives and skill sets by drawing connections between conservation, individual and community identities, biodiversity and environmental justice.
Effective conservation strategies are inclusive, involving a diversity of stakeholders and incorporating multiple values. Yet, the conservation community does not reflect the collective voice of our country. Without a significant, serious and immediate increase in diversity and inclusion, the conservation community will become a movement of the past instead of a guiding principle of the future. DDCSP aims to change that.
See also UMichigan and UC-Santa Cruz – these programs also seek to prepare a diverse group of early-career students to lead the future of environmental conservation.
ReUseThisBag
ReuseThisBag.com is proud to offer 2 scholarship awards, each for $1,000 to college or high school students, student groups, or classrooms whose scholarship essay application most effectively answers the prompt question through creativity, community engagement, and activism. Scholarships are offered every September 1st and February 1st.
Winners will be announced in Fall and Spring of each year. Awardees are free to use their awards however they choose, but they are encouraged to use their awards for continued study, development of their advocacy campaigns or simply to help fund their environmentally themed classroom activities.
Scholarship page: https://www.reusethisbag.com/articles/environmental-awareness-scholarship/
Extreme Terrain
Offers two $3000 scholarships for students pursuing a degree in Environmental Studies, Environmental Research, Land Use, Earth and Atmosphere Studies, Sustainable Land Management, Parks and Recreation, or Sustainable Agriculture Systems. One scholarship will be awarded for the fall semester and another for the spring semester each year.
Scholarship page: https://www.
Programs for Postgraduates:
(think about these just before the start of your senior year!)
U.S. Student Fulbright Program
http://us.fulbrightonline.org/
The Fulbright program, sponsored by the United States Department of State, aims to “increase mutual understanding between the people of the United States and the people of other countries.” Program participants are chosen based on academic merit and leadership potential, and are given opportunities to study, research, and teach English all over the world.
St. Olaf recipients include:
Sonja Smerud ’14 (Germany)
Erin Seybold ’11 (Norway)
Shoshana Blank ’10 (India)
The next St. Olaf deadline will be in mid-September. For more information, contact Dana Gross, grossd, Professor of Psychology.
Fulbright Canada STEM Program
http://www.fulbright.ca/programs/american-students/STEM_program.html
The Fulbright Canada Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Award is a new initiative of the Foundation for Educational Exchange between Canada and the United States of America (Fulbright Canada), in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada and six of Canada’s leading research universities. The STEM award, which is a three year award valued at some $120,000 (tuition, fees, and an annual stipend of $20,000), is the counterpart to Fulbright’s International Science and Technology award for foreign students coming to the United States.
The next deadline is mid-November. For more information, contact Dana Gross, grossd, Professor of Psychology.
Carnegie Junior Fellows Program
http://carnegieendowment.org/about/index.cfm?fa=jrFellows
A yearlong research opportunity in Washington, DC, focusing on one of the following topics: democracy, nuclear policy, energy and climate, international economics, Middle East Studies, South Asian Studies, South East Asian Studies, Asian Studies, and Russian/Eurasian Studies.
St. Olaf deadline is end of November. For more information, contact Dana Gross, grossd, Professor of Psychology.
Rotary Global Grant
http://www.rotary5960.org/scholarships
$30,000 to fund graduate studies, with a focus in one of six designated areas:
- Peace and conflict prevention/resolution
- Disease prevention and treatment
- Water and sanitation
- Maternal and child health
- Basic education and literacy
- Economic and community development
Scholarship funds may be used for tuition, room and board, books, travel expenses, visas, inoculations, as well as any humanitarian projects the club or district has planned that relate to the scholar’s studies
Region deadline is mid-March. For more information, contact Dana Gross, grossd, Professor of Psychology, or Chris Weber (chrisw@community-resourcebank.com).
The St. Olaf Directory of National and International Postgraduate Scholarships and Fellowships
https://www.stolaf.edu/pipercenter/students/post-grad-opp.html
Some examples of these include, the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship program and the US EPA Science to Achieve Results (STAR) Fellowships for Graduate Environmental Study.
For more information about any of the programs listed, contact Dana Gross, grossd, Professor of Psychology.