Programs - pREDOCTORAL fELLOWSHIP COMPETITION

FACULTY RESEARCH CLUSTER COMPETITION | pREDOCTORAL fELLOWSHIP COMPETITION

2012-2013 Predoctoral Fellowship Competition

Introduction

The UIC Institute for Environmental Science and Policy (IESP) announces the predoctoral fellowship award competition for the 2012-2013 academic year.

The mission of IESP is to advance interdisciplinary inquiry on the environment among the sciences and engineering, economics, social thought, and policy among UIC’s faculty and students, transmit workable solutions for environmental problem to the public sectors, and prepare the next generation of environmental decision-makers. These guidelines set forth the procedures for applying for predoctoral student fellowships supported by IESP.

Background

Exciting thinking often lies at the borders of academic disciplines, including the many that have contributed to advances in environmental scholarship. For IESP fellowships, the program of study, the theme of the proposed research, and the methodologies to be used should seek to be interdisciplinary in nature. Interdisciplinary study is integrative, seeking to forge new models of scholarship which build upon the traditional disciplines. The world of the future will require scholars with a global approach to problem solving. It will no longer be enough to know one area, one discipline, or one field of study. Inquiry and discovery are crossing disciplines. With this in mind, the mission of the IESP predoctoral fellowship program is to span traditional boundaries among disciplines while helping students develop knowledge and skills for independent research on the fundamental questions of the present and the future. Research topics within the IESP predoctoral fellowship program are highly varied. Past areas of research have included the following:

• The development of metrics for assessing sustainability
• Environmental sustainability and the urban environment
• Novel technologies for limiting waste emissions during manufacturing
• Nanotechnology and environmental policy
• New methods for enhancing material recovery and/or recycling
• Applications of total cost accounting for assessment of environmental costs
• Material substitution for improved waste management
• Sustainability theory
• Applications of life cycle and material flow analysis
• Aspects and impacts of local, regional, and global material, energy, or information flows through an economy
• The role of market forces in carrying out environmental regulatory policy
• Valuation of ecosystem services
• Systems approaches for environmental management
• New methods for energy generation that minimize waste production
• Energy efficiency and social policy
• Biomarkers in sediments and soils

These research areas are indicative only; new applications are not limited to these topics.

The UIC IESP Predoctoral Fellowship Program

The IESP predoctoral fellowship program is open to any predoctoral student at UIC whose research is related to interdisciplinary environmental scholarship. All applicants must have been accepted into an existing doctoral program. Successful applicants will be appointed as Predoctoral Fellows of IESP. Each fellowship carries with it an award of up to $15,000 which can be used for all legitimate research expenses except tuition and fees, and capital equipment. All awards are dependent on the availability of funds.
           
For the 2012-2013 year, two categories of fellowship applications are sought: first year students (i.e. entering UIC in the fall 2012 semester), and ongoing predoctoral students.

Criteria for Selection

• Relevance of the research theme to the mission of IESP
• Extent to which the research plan draws upon and synthesizes knowledge from more than one disciplinary area
• Likelihood that the research will lead to new modes of environmental scholarship
• Multidisciplinary nature of coursework, advising strategy, and plans for publication of results
• For ongoing students, willingness of faculty mentors to support, both financially and intellectually, the research described

Application, Schedule, and Deadlines

All full time students pursuing doctoral studies at UIC, regardless of major, are eligible to apply for IESP predoctoral fellowships. Applications must be written and submitted by the student. By submitting an application, students and mentors acknowledge their willingness to participate in the core functions of IESP, and must acknowledge the support of IESP in all publications and presentations that result from the research effort.

Applications must include the following documents (in this order):

1. Cover page (click here to access the cover page)
2. Proof of acceptance into a doctoral program
3. A narrative statement of research interests, including rationale, methodology, and expected outcomes (five pages maximum)
4. A one page statement that addresses how the research is congruent with the mission of IESP
5. All graduate and undergraduate transcripts
6. A brief (two pages maximum) curriculum vita
7. Three letters of reference from UIC faculty members (for ongoing students) or past mentors (for first year students) who are familiar with the student’s record of achievement (for ongoing students, reference(s) from their research advisor(s) must be included)
8. A one page budget indicating how the awarded funds will be allocated

Evaluation of proposals will be made by a panel of independent faculty from UIC and other institutions.

Applications are due Wednesday May 2, 2012, 3PM. Funded fellowships will be available August 16, 2012 and must be used during the 2012-2013 academic year. All application materials must be sent electronically to the Institute for Environmental Science and Policy, iesp@uic.edu, as one PDF packet. Fellowship awardees will be notified by August 1, 2012. Questions regarding the application procedure or the administration of fellowships should be directed to Urszula Lizak (usas1@uic.edu, or 312-996-1081).

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