George R. Aiken Graduate Fellowship
This fellowship was established to honor USGS scientist George Aiken and is open to ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ graduate students doing water-related research. Students from diverse backgrounds who may be underrepresented in their fields of study are especially encouraged to apply.
ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ graduate students can apply for up to $3,000 of funding in support of their water-related research. Funding can be used for field, lab, publishing, or other research expenses (not including equipment). This fellowship aims to support collaborative research for advancements in water and earth science that contribute to the wise and sustainable management of Earth’s natural resources within the context of current environmental challenges.
Ongoing fundraising helps INSTAAR offer more support to more students.
Eligibility
You must be a current or incoming Masters and/or PhD student at ÃÛÌÒ´«Ã½Æƽâ°æÏÂÔØ doing water-related research in one of the following departments and programs:
- Atmospheric & Oceanic Sciences
- Civil, Environmental, and Architectural Engineering
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
- Environmental Engineering
- Environmental Studies
- Geography
- Geological Sciences
The recipient of the Aiken Fellowship will contribute a news article to INSTAAR about how the funding is used.
The proposal must be for a future need, that is, funds may not be applied retrospectively to past expenses.
2023-2024 Aiken Fellows
Grad student Millie Spencer (Geography) used her Aiken Fellowship to travel to Chile for a project combining glacier mapping, water supply, and Traditional Ecological Knowledge (including with the Mapuche).
Grad student Mackenzie Bowden (Environmental Engineering) is using her Aiken Fellowship to investigate contaminants from fires at the wildland-urban interface that work their way into streams.
Grad student Allison Cook (Environmental Engineering) used her Aiken Fellowship to investigate E. coli contamination in CU campus storm sewers, helping identify sources and guide mitigation efforts.
Grad student Tim Higgins (ATOC) used his Aiken Fellowship to travel to the World Climate Research Program conference in Kigali, Rwanda.
Application instructions
Assemble your application as a single PDF document, numbering the three sections as below. Name your file as YourLastName.pdf and email it to sarah.spaulding@colorado.edu before the June 15 deadline. Please include the words "Aiken Fellowship" in your email subject line.
We encourage applications from students from diverse backgrounds.
A review panel composed of CU faculty and USGS scientists will evaluate the applications, scoring each element according to the schema:
1. Basic information (10 points)
- Name
- Degree program
- Expected graduation date
- Graduate advisor
- Express financial need of funds
2. Research statement (10 points)
Do not exceed 1 page in length. Provide a statement of your broad educational interests and goals. This statement should express your desire and ability to work collaboratively to answer clear, scientifically relevant questions in earth science.
3. Proposed activities (10 points)
Do not exceed 1 page in length. Describe the water-related activities that you will accomplish with the Aiken Fellowship funds. This could include fieldwork, conference travel, sample analyses, or other non-equipment needs.
If you are awarded the Aiken Fellowship, funds will be administered through INSTAAR, including all purchases and any contracts with USGS. Any tuition or salary awards will be deposited into your CU Bursars account.