UIC Institute for Environmental Science & Policy Predoctoral Fellowship Award - Chicago

The UIC Institute for Environmental Science and Policy (IESP) announces the predoctoral

fellowship award competition for the 2014-2015 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

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.

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

• 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) A 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 specifically identifies the disciplines upon which the research

is based and the strategy for integrating these disciplines.

5) All graduate and undergraduate transcripts

6) A brief (two pages maximum) curriculum vita

7) Three letters of reference from UIC faculty members or past mentors who are familiar

with the student’s record of achievement (reference(s) from their research advisor(s) must

be included)

8) A one page budget indicating how the awarded funds will be allocated

Omission of any of these items will result in the proposal being returned without review.

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

institutions.

Applications are due Friday May 2, 2014, 3PM. Funded fellowships will be available August

15, 2014 and must be used during the 2013-2014 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 on or about August 1, 2014. Questions

regarding the application procedure or the administration of fellowships should be directed to

Tasneem Chowdhury (tasneem@uic.edu, or 312-996-1081).