Overview
This NSF-sponsored Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship
(IGERT) program supports establishment of a multidisciplinary PhD program
in “Water in the Urban Environment” at UMBC. Solutions to complex
problems associated with the effect of urbanization on the water cycle
require integrated ecological, economic and engineering approaches, as
well as innovations in policy-making. This program will train a generation
of PhD students who understand these linkages and are prepared to work
in multidisciplinary teams to improve understanding and management of urban
environmental systems. The program is centered on three interwoven themes:
(1) urban hydrology and contaminant transport; (2) urban biogeochemical
cycles, aquatic ecosystems, and human health; and (3) urban water policy,
management, and institutions.
Elements
of Program
• Trainees earn PhD in one of nine participating departments or
programs: (1) Biological Science; (2) Chemistry and Biochemistry; (3)
Civil and
Environmental Engineering; (4) Geography and Environmental Systems;
(5) Information Systems; (6) Marine, Estuarine and Environmental Science
(MEES); (7) Mathematics and Statistics; (8) Public Policy (including
Economic Policy); and (9) Physics. (See http://www.umbc.edu/academics/degrees.html for
departmental requirements).
• Trainees participate in cross-cutting core courses and team research projects
that span the disciplines
• Trainees complete internships in one of the collaborating organizations
to expand their academic and career path horizons.
• Opportunities are available for collaboration with the Baltimore Ecosystem
Study Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site (http://beslter.org)
• UMBC is close to the Chesapeake Bay, an important coastal ecosystem severely
affected by urban land use change.
Level
of Support
The IGERT Traineeship provides a $30,000 stipend per year plus $10,500
toward cost of education (tuition, fees, health insurance and other
benefits). Assuming satisfactory progress, IGERT Trainees are funded
for two years;
teaching and research assistantships provide additional years of support,
at departmental funding levels.
Application
Procedure
1. Apply to one of the nine participating UMBC PhD programs. (See departmental
details for deadlines at http://www.umbc.edu/academics/degrees.html).
2. Apply for the IGERT traineeship by
February 1 each year. Please note that as of February 2010, we are no longer accepting new applicants to the program.
>> Applicants must identify a faculty mentor of interest.
>> Applicants must submit an essay stating how their interests and background
fit in with the overall IGERT theme.
3. See
detailed application instructions
Restrictions
• Applicants must be US citizens or permanent residents.
• The program is for the PhD degree only.
Additional
Resources
• NSF IGERT program website (including an excellent
FAQ list): http://www.igert.org
• UMBC
participating faculty http://www.umbc.edu/cuere/affiliatedFaculty.html
• UMBC
full proposal (pdf)
• UMBC full proposal summary
(pdf)
• UMBC full proposal references(pdf)
Profiles
of UMBC IGERT Trainees
http://www.umbc.edu/cuere/igert/profiles.html
For
Further Information Contact:
Bernadette
Hanlon, UMBC IGERT Program Coordinator
UMBC, Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education
Technology Research Center, Room 102
1000 Hilltop Circle
Baltimore, MD 21250
E-mail: bhanlon1@umbc.edu
Phone: 410-455-1762
Modified 12/30/10
Feedback/
Corrections
Center for Urban Environmental Research and Education
UMBC, Technology Research Center 102
1000 Hilltop Circle, Baltimore, Maryland 21250
Phone:410-455-1763 Fax: 410-455-1769 Email: cueremail@umbc.edu