University of California, Irvine
ER-18: Sustainability Research Incentives

UC Irvine’s Environment Institute makes stipends available to members of its Sustainability Science Team, a cohort of doctoral students from across the UCI campus. This opportunity to participate on the team is presented to doctoral students in the natural sciences, engineering, health sciences, social sciences, social ecology, humanities, law, and the arts. Participation begins after the selected students complete at least one year of their doctoral degree program, and may continue for one or two years. Team members are expected to maintain doctoral standing in their department and their adviser’s research group while working during the summer and part-time during the year to address a common problem in sustainability science. Each year the cohort will define a specific problem in sustainability science and develop an approach to understanding the problem and moving toward solutions by working together and with affiliated faculty of the Environment Institute. The cohort will take an introductory course in sustainability science, organize seminar series in support of their selected topic, and present a mini-conference for the campus and community that highlights their research and pragmatic solutions to the problem. See: http://environment.uci.edu/SustSciTeam.php

UC Irvine’s Graduate Division administers Public Impact Fellowships that support doctoral students whose current research has the potential for substantial impact in the public sphere. Ideal candidates are engaged in research designed to significantly improve or enrich the lives of Californians and/or national and global communities. A number of current recipients are engaged in sustainability-research. Four $10,000 fellowships are awarded annually as well as 10 $1,000 fellowships. Examples of relevant research include studies that aim to improve economic opportunity and well-being, health care, social justice, political participation, cultural engagement, and scientific or technical solutions to pressing social issues. See: http://www.grad.uci.edu/funding/fellowships-awards/internal/public-impact.html

UC Irvine’s Environment Institute grants program funds to UCI researchers for short-term projects (up to one year) that involve two or more principal investigators; reach across disciplines, and ideally across UCI schools or departments; form new collaborations; and build upon the internationally recognized environmental and sustainability-related research at UCI. It is expected that each investigator has an ongoing successful research program and that this grant will expand that research through new collaborations. The only requirement at the end of the project will be delivery of a product that the Institute can assemble into a portfolio to highlight new dimensions in environmental research at UCI. Grants are typically funded at a level of $10,000 to $30,000 in direct costs for up to 12 months.