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.
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Regrettably, due to funding limitations, we will not be offering the internship program for Summer 2026. Any updates or changes will be posted on this page.
“This internship made me more aware of the water problems on earth, and made me want to pursue studying water microbiology”
“I had the ability to combine my food microbiology background with the engineering classes I have taken to see how multiple disciplines combine”