Princeton University
ER-12: Sustainability Immersive Experience

Through the PEI/Grand Challenges Internship Program, Princeton undergraduates may apply for summer immersion experiences with ties to environment and sustainability themes. Opportunities include internship positions that explore the scientific, technical, policy, and human dimensions of environment/sustainability challenges as well as positions involving multi-disciplinary perspectives. Participating undergraduates spend 8-12 weeks exploring dimensions of global environmental problems related to topics in energy and climate, sustainable development in Africa, infectious disease and global health, and environmental sustainability. More than 90 unique internship positions are offered annually including research fellowships with Princeton faculty and with qualified mentors in select NGO, policy, academic, and industry enterprises. Over 60 percent of the immersion experiences are outside of the United States. Since 2007, students have participated in projects in 46 different countries spanning 6 continents. Students may also seek funding to support immersion experiences that they have identified on their own, pending evaluation of academic merit and with consideration of connection to environment and sustainability themes.

As a culminating experience, students are required to participate in the Summer of Learning (SOL) Fall Symposium: a two-day event where students assemble to share their insights and experiences with one another and faculty in guided discussions centered on such themes as energy and climate, global health and infectious disease, sustainable development in Africa, and environmental sustainability. (http://www.princeton.edu/pei/undergrads/internships/intern-resources/sol.xml) For more information and an archive of past student internship projects, see PEI/Grand Challenges Internship Program. (http://www.princeton.edu/pei/undergrads/internships/)

Princeton sponsors several competitive senior thesis funds to which undergraduates may apply for support of travel, research, and supplies for field research on environmental and sustainability topics in the U.S. and abroad related to their senior theses and junior independent projects. For more information and an archive of past student projects, see Senior Thesis Support. (http://www.princeton.edu/pei/undergrads/funding/)

Graduate students in the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, may pursue a degree in Science, Technology, and Environmental Policy (STEP). Through the Princeton Environmental Institute, non-Woodrow Wilson School students may apply to participate in the STEP Program. Upon selection into the PEI-STEP program, students receive 2 years of support (half tuition and stipend) to pursue the environmental policy dimension of their doctoral work in a science or engineering discipline. Graduate students in social sciences and humanities departments may also apply. For more information and an archive of participating students, see PEI-STEP (Graduate student program). (http://www.princeton.edu/pei/grads/step/)

-In the summer of 2011, more than 100 Princeton undergraduates from 22 academic disciplines participated in the Princeton Environmental Institute/Grand Challenges Summer Internship Program addressing the scientific, technical, policy, and human dimensions of global environmental problems. The interns held a broad range of assignments, including positions with faculty-led research projects and as interns with NGOs, government, industry, and academic affiliates around the globe. An additional 75 undergraduates received support for field research connected to senior theses involving environment and sustainability themed topics.

-For information about the undergraduate sustainability internships, see: http://www.princeton.edu/pei/undergrads/internships/

http://www.princeton.edu/pei/undergrads/internships/intern-resources/sol.xml

-For information about funding for undergraduate sustainability research, see: http://www.princeton.edu/pei/undergrads/funding/

-For information about graduate program in environmental policy, see: http://www.princeton.edu/pei/grads/step/