Seeking UW System Faculty to Host 2023 FreshWater@UW Summer Research Scholars

Based on the success of a pilot program on the UW-Madison campus during summer 2022, the UW Aquatic Sciences Center announces an expansion of FreshWater@UW summer scholar research program to all UW System campuses. These are unique opportunities for undergraduates to work closely with water-related faculty mentors and graduate students in their major discipline. Students accepted into research programs are matched with faculty whose expertise and interests match the student’s research interest. Students gain valuable skills for success in post-graduate studies and careers in their chosen field. During the summer, students will be offered opportunities for professional development and cross-campus programming. Upon completing their summer research, scholars have the opportunity to present results of their individual projects in a group setting.

The FreshWater@UW program plans to offer up to 25 funded positions for water research projects throughout the UW System during summer 2023. UW System faculty and staff with Principal Investigator status are encouraged to develop opportunities for summer research on their campus. We will encourage student applicants to select projects that are not on their home campus in an effort to increase collaboration among System campuses. A goal of the program is also to create a diverse academic environment by increasing the number of traditionally underrepresented students in Wisconsin graduate programs and ultimately a well-prepared water workforce. Funding for student scholar positions is provided by the Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin, UW Sea Grant, and the UW Water Resources Institute. The program runs from Tuesday, May 31 through Saturday, August 5, 2023^, and all funding is provided through the program (i.e., it’s free for principal investigators). We expect that student summer stipends will be similar to 2022, which were $6000 plus a $600 meal allowance. Housing costs are provided by the FreshWater@UW program.

Recruiting undergraduate students for the program commences on November 1, 2022, and concludes on February 1, 2023, after which applications will be reviewed and students matched with host projects according to student qualifications and project requirements. As a result, not all host projects may be matched with a student. We will post descriptions of each potential project on the FreshWater@UW project page, which will link to the application page.

If you are interested in hosting an undergraduate scholar in summer 2023:

– You must be a faculty member or have achieved Principal Investigator status in the UW System
– You (or your graduate students) commit to mentoring an undergraduate student
– You allow the undergraduate scholar to participate in FreshWater@UW, UW Graduate School, and Freshwater Collaborative of Wisconsin professional development activities for their cohort.
– You fill out the linked form by November 1, 2022 to be listed as a potential host.