vvEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency Office of Communications, Education, and Media Relations (1707) EPA-171-F-98-007 March 1998 College Student Fellowships National Network for Environmental Management Studies Introduction The National Network for Environmental Management Studies (NNEMS) fellowship program was established in 1986 to encourage college students to pursue environmental professions. Since 1992, this program has been managed by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of Environmental Education (OEE). Specifically, the program is designed to provide students with an environmental research or training experience linked directly to their field of undergraduate or graduate study. To date, EPA has provided almost 600 fellowships under this program. ^_^ OEE anticipates awarding an additional 80 to 100 ' .-••..- fellowships in the spring of 1998. The NNEMS program reaches approximately 100 students annually at more than 400 participating universities, offering students the opportunity to gain a valuable educational experience while conducting an environmental research project. Each year, EPA managers and scientists design new research projects based on EPA's environmental and human health protection priorities. Research fellowships ore for the following: Environmental policy, regulations, and law Environmental management and administration Environmental science Public relations and communications Computer programming and development Opportunities The NNEMS program offers a range of fellowship activities designed to help students refine their professional skills and enhance their knowledge of environmental issues. Each participating EPA office, at both Headquarters and regional offices, develops and sponsors projects for student research. The projects are sufficiently narrow in scope to allow the student to complete the research by working full-time during the summer or part-time during the school year. The projects, which students generally are required to perform at the sponsoring EPA office, provide a unique work experience. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Region 5, Library (PL-12J) 77 West Jackson Boulevard, 12th Floor Chicago, It 60604-3590 ------- In a field of more than 1,000 organizations, NNEMS continues to be named "One of America's Top 100 Internships" by the Princeton Review. Selection Process Each year, participating offices within EPA submit to OEE their lists of projects to be offered under the NNEMS program. Research project opportunities are published in the annual NNEMS program catalog and distributed to the program's network of colleges and universities. Program materials are also available to students on the World Wide Web at the address listed below. To ensure that the selection of eligible students is conducted in an open and competitive manner, OEE has adopted the following criteria: • Awards are made only to those projects published in the annual program catalog (projects submitted late are not considered). • Students are selected by internal EPA panels. W/f To be eligible for the NNEMS program, a student must: • Be enrolled during the tenure of the fellowship (part-time is allowable) at an accredited institution in an academic program related directly to protection of human health and the environment. • Submit one letter of reference from a faculty member or department head who is very familiar with the student's work and qualifications. The letter of reference should state how the research project will benefit the student in his or her academic studies. • Be a citizen of the U.S. or its territories or possessions or lawfully admitted to the U.S. for permanent residence. • All undergraduate applicants must have a 3.0 cumulative grade point average or better (on a 4.0 scale) and must have completed four courses related to the environmental field. All graduate applicants must have completed at least one semester of graduate work or at least four undergraduate courses relating to the environmental field. Students who are entering graduate school (i.e., who have not yet completed one semester of graduate work) will be asked to submit proof of application, acceptance, and enrollment if they are selected for a fellowship. Compensation: Recipients of fellowships are awarded a stipend based on their level of education and the length of the project period. Stipend amounts are equivalent to the current GS-04 through GS-09 pay scale. Jo Apply Students interested in a research project listed in the catalog must submit four complete application packages (an original and three copies) consisting of: • One-page work plan proposal • Resume • Official academic transcript • Letter of reference from a professor or advisor • NNEMS liability agreement Complete application information and materials can be obtained from the career service center (or equivalent) of participating universities or on the World Wide Web at the address listed below. Application Deadline The application deadline is generally in December of each year. To obtain application materials: Contact participating universities' career service centers or visit the World Wide Web at: http://www.epa.gov/enviroed (available summer 1998) For additional information, contact: Sheri Jojokian at (202) 260-5283 E-mail: jojokian.sheri@epamail.epa.gov ------- |