Undergraduate Summer Internship Program
Come train with us and become a changemaker at the
nexus of food, energy, water, climate and health!
Our Undergraduate Summer Internship Program began in 2016 as part of the CONSERVE Center of Excellence, which was launched through funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, National Institute of Food and Agriculture (USDA NIFA). In 2020, we proudly expanded the program through a collaboration with the DAWN Project, which is also funded by USDA NIFA. Today, we are excited to announce the expansion of this program under the new Global FEWture Alliance, which is generously supported through a University of Maryland Grand Challenges Institutional Grant, and includes partnering organizations such as CONSERVE and DAWN. The goals and visions of these programs are firmly grounded in impactful research, extension, and education at the nexus of food, energy, water (FEW), climate, and health.
CONSERVE advances transformative agricultural and municipal water reuse research, education and policies to protect public health and accelerate climate resilience across the diverse communities of our nation and the globe.
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.
Global FEWture Alliance advances systems-based interdisciplinary research-to-action, community-driven capacity building, and experiential education to effect positive change in underserved communities at the nexus of food, energy, water, climate, and health. Through our holistic systems-based approach, we alleviate food, energy and water insecurity, protect environmental and global public health, and bolster community resilience in a changing climate.
Collectively, we seek undergraduate students who are interested in pursuing graduate degrees in the fields of environmental health sciences, agricultural and natural sciences, public health, atmospheric and oceanic sciences, water resources management, data analytics, policy and law, environmental education and communications, and other relevant areas.
Goals
The goals of the Undergraduate Summer Internship Program (SIP) are to:
Train the next generation of leaders engaged in FEW nexus research, extension and education.
Advance the representation of BIPOC (black, indigenous and people of color), women and persons with disabilities in STEM fields relevant to the FEW nexus.
Impart skills in interdisciplinary research and systems thinking.
Equip undergraduate students with the ethics, communication and other professional skills necessary to apply to and complete graduate programs, and succeed in the workforce.
“While working virtually was not what I anticipated this summer, the projects fitted a virtual scenario very
well and I learned a lot from the internship. Working on two writing pieces helped me to understand the
publication process and elements of research beyond the experiments alone.
”
Internship Details
Both in-person and fully virtual national and international internship positions are available.
Interns selected for positions within the United States will be granted a stipend of $6,000. Those chosen for positions outside the United States will receive a competitive wage for that country, as outlined on the individual position pages. Please note that supplementary funds for expenses, such as travel, lodging, and per diem, are not included.
Interns are expected to commit 40 hours per week to the internship program, starting on June 2 and ending on August 8, 2025.
During the internship, students will have the opportunity to work on specific research, extension or education projects (see links to available positions below) with their internship mentor. In addition, students will engage in professional development activities including those focused on oral presentation skills, CV development, and the graduate school application process, to name a few. Given that the selected interns will be placed across institutions in multiple geographic areas, the professional development activities will be administered through Zoom.
Eligibility Criteria
Interested candidates must:
Be enrolled in a 4-year college or university or a community college
Have a 3.0 GPA or better.
International students are eligible to apply for most positions.
“This internship made me more aware of the water problems on earth, and made me want to pursue studying water microbiology”
Process and Timeline
Completed application packets are due via the online system (instructions below) by 5:00 PM EST on Friday, February 21, 2025.
Phone or Zoom interviews may be conducted for some positions.
We will notify candidates of our selection decisions by Tuesday, April 01, 2025.
“I had the ability to combine my food microbiology background with the engineering classes I have taken to see how multiple disciplines combine”
Application Instructions
Review our list of internship available positions for DAWN and the Global FEWture Alliance
Complete the application form
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)
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 the subject line “CONSERVE/DAWN/GFA Undergraduate Summer Internship: [Applicant Name]” to Leena Malayil at lmalayil@umd.edu.
The application platform will automatically close on Friday, February 21, 2025, 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).