Fellowship Opportunities in MEM

Fellowship Opportunities in the
Master in Environmental Management Program

Western’s MEM offers a suite of graduate fellowships to reduce tuition, to enhance organizational partnerships, to elevate master’s project quality, and to improve career competitiveness for select MEM students. Over 80% of our master’s students, regardless of residential or distance student status, receive some financial assistance through fellowships, internships, and grants. If you are applying to the MEM program, please indicate your interest in specific fellowships in your personal statement. The number of program fellows will be determined each year by the quality and quantity of the candidate pool. Note that only a few require additional application processes. Most fellowships are applicable to year one of the program, students are encouraged to work with their faculty mentor to apply for project-based funding for year two.

Track Specific Fellowships

Integrative and Public Lands Management (IPLM) Track Fellowships

Contact Dominique Naccarato, MEM (dnaccarato@western.edu) for more information.

Each year the IPLM selects multiple first-year students to receive fellowships that reduce tuition. Students are selected based on the strength of their application, their potential for leadership within the program, and the professional skills and interests they bring with them. These fellowships do not require working or subject-matter commitments. Rather, they are simply an incentive to join our graduate school community. Previous awardees have conducted masters project work that involves watershed restoration, environmental monitoring, geospatial data applications, endangered species recovery, wildlife-recreation interactions, mining reclamation, land management governance and policy, and so much more.

Global Sustainability (GS) Track Fellowships

Contact Gillian Bauer (gbauer@western.edu) for more information.

Each year the GS track selects multiple first-year students to receive fellowships that reduce tuition.  Students are selected based on the strength of their application, their potential for leadership within the program, status as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, and the professional skills and interests they bring with them. These fellowships do not require working or subject-matter commitments. Rather, they are simply an incentive to join our graduate school community. Previous awardees have conducted masters project work that mitigates the impacts of globalization on indigenous communities, provides platforms for marginalized communities to communicate their stories, examines alternative systems of governance and infrastructure, and so much more.

Sustainable and Resilient Communities (SRC) Track Fellowships

Contact Dr. Ricardo Vazquez-Perales (rvazquezperales@western.edu) for more information.

Each year the SRC track selects multiple first-year students to receive fellowships that reduce tuition.  Students are selected based on the strength of their application, their potential for leadership within the program, and the professional skills and interests they bring with them. These fellowships do not require working or subject-matter commitments. Rather, they are simply an incentive to join our graduate school community. Previous awardees have conducted masters project work that involves innovative food and water systems, green energy and infrastructure, municipal sustainability plans, conflict resolution and collaboration models, and so much more.

National Service Fellowships

Americorps Education Award: $6,300

Up to 5 accepted MEM students who have finished AmeriCorps, are midway through AmeriCorps, and/or who are committed to AmeriCorps service in the coming year are eligible for this award.  Please describe your eligibility and interest in your MEM program application. Contact Dr. Micah Russell (mrussell@western.edu) for more information.

Fellowship Award for Veterans, Active-Duty Personnel and Military Retirees: $5,000
Veterans who receive the fellowship will receive a one-time payment to be applied to their tuition for their first year in the program. Contact Dr. Micah Russell (mrussell@western.edu) for more information.

Other Funding Opportunities

Restoration Fellowship: Up to $20,000 over two years

Join the innovative research efforts at Western Colorado University’s (WCU) Clark Family School of Environment and Sustainability as a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) focusing on the groundbreaking application of ecological restoration and virtual fencing technology in environmental conservation. Collaborating with the WCU Center for Public Lands, this position offers unparalleled opportunity for Masters in Environmental Management (MEM) and/or Masters in the Science of Ecology (MSE) students to spearhead ecosystem restoration projects in the scenic landscapes of Gunnison/Crested Butte, CO. The selected GRA(s) will work closely with stakeholders to implement virtual fencing strategies, conduct resource inventories, and design long-term monitoring protocols and management planning using cutting-edge technologies and Low-tech Process Based restoration techniques. Ideal candidates will demonstrate a passion for conservation, possess strong communication skills, and exhibit a willingness to engage with diverse communities. With a generous funding package of up to $20,000 over two years, interested applicants are encouraged to submit their materials by April 19 to Dominique Naccarato at dnaccarato@western.edu to embark on this transformative research journey.

EMPLOYS Traineeship: tuition waiver (year one)
Western Colorado University seeks outstanding applicants for a National Science Foundation-funded graduate traineeship to prepare diverse future scientists for public land management careers. Over three years, these scholars earn both a Master of Science in Ecology degree and a Master in Environmental Management degree, with an emphasis in Integrative and Public Land Management.  A limited number of competitive EMPLOYS assistantships are available each year to applicants who are US citizens or permanent residents. Assistantships are generally awarded for a one-year term and include a tuition waiver and stipend. Applications must be received by February 15 to be considered for an assistantship. Please contact Dr. Jonathan Coop (jcoop@western.edu) for more information.

Coldharbour Institute Fellowships: $5,000/each
Four recipients of a Coldharbour Clark Fellowship, available to both first and second year MEM students, aid the Coldharbour Institute in realizing its mission on the Coldharbour property. June through May, students work 10 hours per week with Coldharbour staff in one of four areas: Applied Sustainability Program, Colorado Regenerative Network, Nonprofit/Homestead Development, and Research. For more information contact director@coldharbourinstitute.org. To apply, send your resume and a cover letter expressing your interest, qualifications, and alignment of these opportunities with career goals. Applications must be received before 5 p.m. MT on February 14th.

Funded Graduate Assistantships in the Food Systems, Public Lands & Hunting Program: $20,000, 20hrs/week:

The Food Systems, Public Lands, and Hunting Program is hiring three Graduate Assistants to work with one of three organizations: the Center for Public Lands, Hunters of Color, or the Coldharbour Institute, to establish and expand a new array of internship positions for undergraduate students. Graduate Assistants will: Identify new internship pathways in partnership with their host organization, develop curriculum designed to onboard and train undergraduate interns, and mentor and support undergraduates through their internships. For more information, please contact Dr. Kate Clark (kclark@western.edu).

Mountain Roots Food Systems Graduate Fellowships: $40,000
This two-year award includes both tuition assistance paid to Western and a work study AmeriCorps position that pays a cash living allowance directly to the student. Each of the two fellows will work on Mountain Roots Food Project’s regular operations, while also developing and implementing a MEM project pertaining to one of the following strategic plan areas: a) cafeteria Reform, b) DEI in outdoor education and farming, c) food rescue for food security, or d) food hub networks development. For more information and application instructions, please contact Dr. Ricardo Vazquez Perales (rvazquezperales@western.edu

JEDI+ Fellowship: Tuition Waiver

The JEDI+ (Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Plus) Fellowship is an exceptional opportunity offering one full year of tuition support to passionate students at the Clark School of Environment and Sustainability. We encourage and welcome students from diverse backgrounds to apply, as this fellowship is dedicated to promoting justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion within our program. To apply, please submit a 2-page maximum application describing how this aid will enable your educational journey at the Clark School of Environment and Sustainability. Join us in our mission to create a more inclusive and equitable future in the field of environmental management.

LEAD Office Sustainability Mentor: $5,000
The MEM program and Western’s LEAD (Leadership, Engagement & Development) Office co-sponsor Sustainability Mentor positions to provide broad leadership and mentoring to undergraduate students serving as sustainability coordinators and leaders within the Western community. The positions are housed within LEAD Sustainability or the student-led Organics Guild. Please contact Dr. Kate Clark (kclark@western.edu) for more information.

Environmental Justice Fellowship: $5,000

The MEM program is committed to addressing issues of environmental justice in its curriculum, masters projects, and relationships across campus and with external organizations. MEM applicants with a strong and demonstrated interest in environmental justice, as well as a desire to express leadership in this area while in the program, are encouraged to contact Dr. Micah Russell (mrussel@western.edu) for more information.

Writing Center Tutors: up to $1,000
Writing Workshop tutors offer assistance at any point in the writing process: brainstorming, outlining, polishing a final draft, or preparing a piece to submit for publication. For more information, please contact Karen Hausdoerffer, khausdoerffer@western.edu.

Elsewhere Studio: up to $1,000
Are you passionate about both art and the environment? Please contact the MEM program facilitator at mem@western.edu for more information about our special partnership between MEM students and artists in Paonia studios.

Teaching Assistants: variable amounts
Selected MEM students assist Clark Family School of Environment and Sustainability (ENVS) faculty with course delivery, scheduling and logistics, and more at $18/hour.  Opportunities to TA in undergraduate or graduate courses are advertised to MEM students on an as-needed basis prior to each term. Please contact the MEM program facilitator at mem@western.edu for more information.

Mining Reclamation Fellowship: $5,000
Recognizing the growing needs and opportunities in the field of mining reclamation, the MEM program invites students with an interest in this subject, and experience in relevant fields of study (e.g., earth science, environmental monitoring, engineering), to apply for this fellowship. The awardee is encouraged to explore opportunities to serve the Western Alliance for Restoration Management (WARM) through their masters project work. In addition, WARM may also be able to offer summer internships to students interested in field work associated with environmental characterization of abandoned mine sites. Please contact Dominique Naccarato (dnaccarato@western.edu) for more information.

DOE Renew Fellowship: One Year Tuition Waiver

RENEW graduate fellows will work with Western faculty and National Laboratory scientists to conduct research on the effects of changing climate, disturbance regimes, and management interventions on forest watershed ecosystem function. We encourage applications from prospective students who are especially intent on contributing to efforts to enhance diversity and inclusivity in the fields of ecology and environmental science. Please contact Dr. Jonathan Coop (jcoop@western.edu) with any questions.

Biosecurity Research Fellowship

Western Colorado University’s Masters in Environmental Management (MEM) program is offering a $10,000 fellowship for a graduate student project working at the intersections of biological security and technology to better mitigate threats to our environment(s). The global pandemic beginning in 2020 has brought new attention to microbiological life and how such threats affect nearly all elements of human life (from the world economy & supply chains through to homeland security). Objectives which set out to better manage a microbial world will lead to a range of technological innovations, all of which influence how our species will both learn and move forward from these events.

Ecosystem Restoration Fellowships

The MEM program has a robust ecosystem restoration program that has helped many students obtain work as leaders within environmental agencies and non-profits.  New fellowship opportunities for residential students include assisting Wetland Dynamics LLC, Ducks Unlimited and other partners with implementation of stream and wet meadow restoration in Colorado’s San Luis Valley.  The MEM program will also be placing distance students in a variety of paid, two-year fellowships with Youth Employment Program in Dillon, Montana, some of which include housing assistance.  One such position includes writing curriculum for their “Conservation Building Methods” program, coordinating with contractors and partners, and training a field crew performing on-the-ground restoration work