event 14 janv. 2021

Vacancy // Undergraduate Summer Internship Program: A Collaborative Initiative of the CONSERVE Center and the DAWN Project

CONSERVE Center is partnering with the DAWN project (also funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture) to offer an Undergraduate Summer Internship Program grounded in the nexus of food, energy, and water systems.

Conserve

We are delighted to share that the CONSERVE Center is now partnering with the DAWN project (also funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture) in the administration of our Undergraduate Summer Internship Program. The goals and visions of both programs are firmly grounded in impactful research, extension and education at the nexus of food, energy, and water systems.

CONSERVE facilitates the adoption of on‐farm water treatment solutions that enable the safe use of nontraditional irrigation water on food crops and effectively reduce the nation’s agricultural water challenges that are exacerbated by climate change.

DAWN is developing a decision support system that helps to increase land, nutrient, and water use efficiency in order to maximize crop production in maize, soy, and bioenergy fields.

We seek students who are interested in pursuing higher degrees in the fields of agricultural and natural sciences, water utilization and conservation, public health, data analytics, economics, policy and law, and environmental education and communications.

Students from underrepresented minority groups and/or disadvantaged backgrounds, as well as those who may have a disability, are strongly encouraged to apply. Women are also strongly encouraged to apply.

Goals

The goals of the Undergraduate Summer Internship Program (SIP) are to:

  • Train the next generation of leaders engaged in food-energy-water nexus research, extension and education.
  • Help undergraduate students develop skills in interdisciplinary research and systems-based thinking.
  • Provide undergraduate students with research training and career development to enhance their potential to go on to graduate studies.

Internship Details

Students selected for an internship will receive a stipend of $5000. Additional funds for expenses (e.g., travel, lodging, per diem) are not provided.

Interns are expected to commit 40 hours per week to the internship program, starting on June 14 and ending on August 6, 2021.

During the internship, students will have the opportunity to work on specific research projects (see link to available positions below) with their internship mentor. In addition, students will engage in professional development activities including a writing workshop, as well as career development webinars focused on oral presentation skills, CV development, and the graduate school application process, to name a few. Weekly journal clubs among all interns will also take place. Given that the selected interns will be placed across institutions in multiple geographic areas, the professional development activities will be administered through Zoom.

NOTE: Given the uncertainties around the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, it is unclear at this point in time whether the internship will be fully in-person or mostly online. We will update applicants and accepted interns regarding these details in late Spring 2021.

Eligibility Criteria

Interested candidates must:

  • Be enrolled in a 4-year college or university.
  • Be a rising sophomore or junior (rising seniors may also apply, but preference will be given to rising sophomores and juniors).
  • Have a 3.0 GPA or better.

International students are eligible to apply for most positions.

Process and Timeline

  • Completed application packets are due via the online system (instructions below) by 5:00 PM EST on Friday, February 19, 2021.
  • We will not be conducting interviews. Final selection of candidates will be based on applications only.
  • We will notify candidates of our selection decisions by Friday, March 26, 2021.

Application Instructions

  1. Review our list of DAWN internship available positions and CONSERVE internship available positions
  2. Complete the application form here: https://go.umd.edu/DAWNSIP2021application for DAWN internship and https://go.umd.edu/CONSERVESIP2021application for CONSERVE internship
    • You must be prepared to upload the following items on the application form:
      • Your unofficial transcript (in PDF format)
      • Your resume (in PDF format)
    • You should also have two personal statements prepared to copy/paste into the application form. Your statements must address the following questions:
      • Why are you interested in working on this particular project? What do you hope to learn and gain from this experience? (Please limit your response to 300-500 words)
      • What are your long-term career goals? Make sure to discuss any interest you may have for pursuing an advanced degree. (Please limit your response to 300-500 words)
  3. Submit two letters of recommendation. Both letters should be written by faculty members, with one of your references being a professor from a natural, social, health, or computational science course. Your application will not be complete until these letters of recommendation have been received. Email letters with subject line “CONSERVE/DAWN Summer Internship: [Applicant Name]” to Leena Malayil at lmalayil@umd.edu.

The application platform will automatically close on Friday, February 19, 2021 at 5:00 PM EST. Letters of recommendation are to be emailed to lmalayil@umd.edu by the same deadline.

If you have any questions about this internship program or the available positions, email Leena Malayil (lmalayil@umd.edu).

Vacancy originally posted here by CONSERVE

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