About the Program
The Earth, Environmental and Planetary Sciences Department is excited to announce the new Human Impacts Summer Fellowship for Rice undergraduates interested in pursuing research. The fellowship is enabled by the Human Impacts on the Earth Endowment* and is open to undergraduate students who want to contribute to scientific discovery through research to enhance their understanding and appreciation of the Earth, our solar system, and beyond. This opportunity is open to all EEPS and ENVS majors and EEPS minors. Non-majors who have worked on EEPS-related research with department faculty will also be considered. Students who are accepted into the program are eligible to receive full support through a summer research experience (typically 10 weeks). Full support can include on-campus living expenses and a ~$600 weekly stipend (equivalent to 40 hours/week).
*The Human Impacts Summer Fellowship is made possible through the Human Impacts on the Earth Endowment - a generous gift challenge initiated and supported by Mary Anne and William Dingus (BA ‘81) and other generous donors. This endowment helps us provide unique educational experiences and opportunities for students, with a particular focus on understanding human impacts on the Earth.
Departmental Research
EEPS research covers a broad range of disciplines that seek to answer questions about the Earth, its interrelated systems (oceans, atmosphere, biosphere, and geosphere), and other planetary bodies. EEPS research also involves a variety of approaches and methods, from direct field observations and measurements to analytical laboratory techniques, physical experiments, and numerical modelling. You can explore the departmental research pages for further information about the faculty and their various areas of research that are available. You can also contact Dr. Tim Diedesch (tdiedesch@rice.edu) for more information about available research opportunities.
Program Eligibility and Application Requirements
Students who wish to be considered for the application must be currently enrolled at Rice University and in good academic standing. Priority will be given to EEPS or ENVS majors and EEPS minors, but non-majors with an established record of EEPS-related research will also be considered. A good way to get involved in EEPS research ahead of time is to apply to the EEPS EXPLORE program. Fellowship applicants do not need to submit a letter of support from a research advisor, but the review committee will require research advisors to confirm their willingness to support students who are selected for the fellowship. Therefore, we strongly encourage you to identify and contact potential research advisors ahead of time.
When you are ready, you will need to prepare the following application materials:
- Research plan – one page (250-500 words) outlining the specific topic you will study, a description of what you will be doing, and a discussion of what you hope to learn. This is also where you should indicate your preferred research advisor(s)
- Resume/CV
- Unofficial transcript
When you are ready to submit your application materials, please proceed to the Natural Sciences Fellowship Application Portal to begin your submission. The deadline to apply is March 1 2025.
For questions about the application process, the fellowship, or general undergraduate research in EEPS, please feel free to contact the Department Chair, Julia Morgan (morganj@rice.edu) or the EEPS EXPLORE program coordinator, Tim Diedesch (tdiedesch@rice.edu).