Saint Louis University’s Water Access, Technology, Environment, and Resources (WATER) Institute invites applications for a two-year graduate research fellowship. The fellowship is designed for students who have an interest in water-related research topics and are seeking a graduate degree in engineering with a concentration in civil engineering or geoscience with a concentration in environmental geoscience.
The WATER Institute is an interdisciplinary research institute that focuses on three main areas:
- Water in the built environment
- Aquatic ecosystems
- Social justice issues related to water
The fellowship will provide opportunities to gain research experience in interdisciplinary programs positioned in a supportive, nurturing environment designed to promote success. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to collaborate with diverse researchers, interact with graduate and undergraduate students from different programs, and make research contributions to address critical environmental challenges. Applicants with diverse backgrounds and an interest in contributing to outreach and mission-oriented community engagement activities are particularly encouraged to apply.
Saint Louis University is a Catholic, Jesuit institution dedicated to student learning, research, health care, and service. The School of Science and Engineering offers academic programs of excellence that integrate the education of the whole person with classroom and hands-on experiences in a student’s major field of study. Academic and research rigor are hallmarks of the student learning experience at Saint Louis University.
The WATER Institute Graduate Research Fellow’s primary role will be to participate in collaborative research projects led by WATER Institute Primary Investigators (PIs). Information about faculty PIs with the WATER Institute, their areas of expertise and examples of potential research projects can be found on the WATER Institute website (www.slu.edu/water). Research responsibilities may include activities such as field work, lab work, data collection, data analysis, compiling academic literature or contributing to research proposals.
The Fellow may also be asked to participate, as part of their overall graduate education, in the outreach activities of the WATER Institute. Such activities are for enhancing career and academic opportunities and/or providing service to the local community aligned with the WATER Institute’s mission.
Fellows are expected to work 20 hours per week on research and outreach activities.
To continue a fellowship appointment from semester to semester during the academic year, all fellows must remain in good academic standing. A fellow must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 during each academic year of appointment. Fellows who receive a grade of "I", (Incomplete) must comply with SLU’s academic standards as outlined in the Graduate Education Catalog.
The WATER Institute is responsible for endorsing a faculty mentor to work closely with the fellow by providing guidance and support regarding research, scholastic achievement, teaching, grant writing and publishing. The assigned faculty mentor will be a primary investigator with the WATER Institute whose appointment is within the fellow’s academic department. Annual reviews will be conducted in accordance with the fellow’s academic department’s policy.
The WATER Institute Graduate Research Fellowship is a continuous appointment from August 1, 2023, to May 31, 2025. The first year of the fellowship term will be from August 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024, unless otherwise arranged. The term will be updated to July 1, 2024, to May 31, 2025, in the second year upon successful completion of the first year. Fellows will be expected to continue research and other responsibilities over the 2024 summer months, even if they are not enrolled in a course.
The WATER Institute graduate research fellowship is intended for students seeking a graduate degree in engineering with a concentration in civil engineering or geoscience with a concentration in environmental geoscience, corresponding with the WATER Institute Primary Investigators’ areas of expertise. More information about the WATER Institute faculty PIs can be found on the WATER Institute website (www.slu.edu/water).
The maximum length of time a student may hold the WATER Institute Fellowship is two years while pursuing a graduate degree. Additional funding beyond these terms may be provided by individual departments but cannot be guaranteed by the WATER Institute. The WATER Institute Graduate Research Fellowship is funded once every two years.
Re-Appointment
Funding for the second year of the WATER Institute graduate research fellowship is contingent on meeting general requirements for the student’s academic department and making satisfactory progress on assigned WATER Institute research responsibilities.
WATER Institute Graduate Research Fellows will earn a tuition scholarship from the School of Science and Engineering for 15 credit hours per year for two years. Fellows will also earn a monthly stipend of $2,500 and are also eligible for the SLU student health insurance during the dates of employment (August 1, 2023, to May 31, 2025, with second-year funding contingent upon meeting requirements during the first year).
Interested students should first apply to a graduate degree program in either engineering with a concentration in civil engineering (Department of Civil, Computer and Electrical Engineering), or geoscience with a concentration in environmental geoscience (Department of Earth and Atmospheric Science). Please visit the following links for more information and instructions on applying to one of these graduate programs at Saint Louis University:
After submitting the program application to SLU, a student can apply to the WATER Institute graduate research fellowship by submitting the application form. The fellowship application form will ask for the following:
- Name and Contact Information
- Graduate Degree and Program at SLU
- This information will be used to connect your fellowship application to your graduate degree program application. Only students who are accepted into a graduate degree program at SLU in either engineering with a concentration in civil engineering or geoscience with a concentration in environmental geoscience will be eligible for the WATER Institute graduate research fellowship.
- Cover Letter for the WATER Institute Graduate Research Fellowship
- This letter should explain why you are applying to the WATER Institute fellowship, what you hope to accomplish as a fellow with the WATER Institute, and what you will contribute to the WATER Institute during your fellowship.
- You will be asked to paste the full text of your cover letter into the application form.
- Consent to Request Additional Application Materials from Your Academic Department
- The fellowship application form will ask for your permission to allow your academic department to share your graduate program application materials with the WATER Institute Faculty Governing Board, including your resume/CV and transcripts, to complete your application packet for consideration for the fellowship. This step will prevent you from having to submit the same materials multiple times and streamline the application process.
The priority deadline for fellowship applications has been extended to March 1, 2023.
Applications submitted after the priority deadline will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled. Applications will be reviewed and evaluated by the WATER Institute Faculty Governing Board.
WATER Institute Graduate Research Fellowship Application Form
Please note: You must submit your complete application to your academic program prior to submitting the fellowship application as detailed in the application instructions.
Please direct questions to water@slu.edu.