Office for Sustainability Division of Facilities Planning and Operations

About the Program:

The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) will competitively award up to 10 fellowships to outstanding graduate students to engage in projects addressing sustainability and community resilience on campus and in the Rio Grande Valley under the mentorship of a faculty member and coordinated by UTRGV’s Office of Sustainability. Fellows will be selected each Fall & the fellowship runs consecutively from Fall-Spring semesters.

Eligibility:

All new and continuing full-time graduate students enrolled in any on-campus master’s program at UTRGV. New students must have been admitted unconditionally and continuing graduate students must have a 3.2 or higher GPA.

Amount:

Up to $7,500 will be awarded in two equal installments over two consecutive long semesters (Fall and Spring only) for students taking a minimum of 9 credit hours per semester; the funding will only be applied to students’ tuition & fees bills. Students may combine this fellowship award with graduate assistantships (GAs), graduate teaching assistantships (GTAs) or graduate research assistantships (GRAs). For assistantship employment opportunities at UTRGV, please VISIT or contact your academic department.

Expectations:

In addition to their program of study, the Graduate Sustainability Fellows are expected to engage in impactful sustainability and community resilience research project within or outside the university under the mentorship of a faculty member/faculty advisor and coordinated by the UTRGV’s Office for Sustainability. To maintain the fellowship, student awardees must submit a project progress report at the end of the first semester, as well as a project research paper, PowerPoint, video, and poster for final deliverables and maintain a minimum GPA of 3.20.

Benefits of the Experience:

• Pioneer sustainable solutions
• Learn new skills and knowledge
• Improve collaboration skills
• Access to extensive professional networks
• Outstanding portfolio and resume material
• Competitive compensation
• Potential for integration of Fellowship project into thesis/dissertation work

Application Procedure:

Update as of 05/01/23: All fellowship applications are on hold. The Office for Sustainabilty administration appreciates your patience and understanding during this time.

Submit a one- to two-page statement of interest and experience in sustainability. All new students must also complete their application for admission to a master’s program at the UTRGV Graduate College Website.

Selection Criteria and Process:

The Office of the EVP of Research and UTRGV’s Chief Sustainability Officer will review all applications and will select the fellows each semester. The Office of the EVP of Research will notify the successful student of the award and their graduate program advisor, department chair, and college dean.

Assistance

"The Graduate College sponsors the Graduate Student Travel Awards to support research-related travel expenses. Eligible students will be provided with a maximum award of $500 to help defray the costs associated with presenting at a conference." Learn more about the Graduate Student Travel Awards