Published: Dec. 5, 2007

The Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences is teaming up with NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, one of the nation's pre-eminent research labs, to offer a new, competitive fellowship to earth science graduate students at the University of Colorado at Boulder.

The fellowship will allow students to pursue a master's degree or doctorate in one of 10 CIRES-affiliated departments at CU-Boulder while simultaneously working with the world-class research team at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration labs in Boulder.

In fall 2008 CIRES and ESRL expect to award six fellowships, each for up to $45,000 per year. Selected students may be funded for up to two years in a master's degree program and for up to four years in a doctoral program. The annual funding is expected to cover tuition, partial health insurance, a half-time stipend during the academic year, a full-time stipend during the summer and participation in one professional meeting.

"Today's pressing environmental issues cut across traditional academic disciplines. That's why the new CIRES-ESRL scholarship is designed to foster interactive and interdisciplinary research in earth system sciences and environmental science policy, as well as to help educate the next generation of researchers in science fields important to NOAA's mission," said CIRES Director Konrad Steffen. "We're very excited to offer this new award in addition to our existing Graduate Student Fellowship Program."

Students may apply to work with a CU-CIRES faculty adviser and a NOAA-ESRL science adviser in one of several areas of cutting-edge research, including aerosols and climate, trace gases and non-CO2 greenhouse gases, the Arctic atmosphere, regional weather prediction, optical remote sensing, the carbon cycle, and linking weather and climate.

The application deadline is Jan. 31, 2008, which may not be the same as departmental deadlines. More information about the application process is available at cires.colorado.edu/education/cu/esrl.