Environmental Studies
Research Opportunities
Mellon Environmental Studies Summer Experience Fellowship
Mellon Environmental Studies Fellowships are intended to support continuing Reed students pursuing environmentally-themed summer opportunities for which no compensation is otherwise available. These opportunities might include internships at nonprofit agencies or field research internships/training (on or off-campus). Award amount is $3800 stipend for a minimum 10 weeks fulltime engagement, with up to $700 additional funds for budgeted travel and supplies. Previous MESSE awards are listed below.
Proposals will be judged on their environmental focus and relevance to your field of study or professional goals. Opportunities that expand beyond the Reed curriculum will be given priority. Faculty recommendation and appropriateness of sponsoring institution will also be considered. All applicants are strongly encouraged to consult with members of the Environmental Studies committee in preparing the application. A flyer announcing the 2012 fellowship and application procedures can be downloaded here.
Submission deadline for Summer 2012 Fellowships: Monday, March 5, 2012
Please submit electronically to the Environmental Studies Committee, c/o Susan Buttrick the following application materials:
1. One confidential letter of support (e-mailed directly to Susan Buttrick) from a Reed faculty or staff member who can speak to your qualifications and your proposed project.
2. A resume describing your relevant work, volunteer, and course experiences
3. Project description (1,000-word limit) detailing the internship or research experience you plan to undertake. Include a description of your activities and how the opportunity will benefit your educational progress. What will you bring back to Reed from the experience? How does the project fit into your broader environmental training and build off your prior experiences? What are the desired outcomes of the experience, and how do they relate to your career goals?
4. A letter of support from the sponsoring organization or faculty member (e-mailed directly to Susan Buttrick). The letter should indicate support for the project as described in your proposal.
5. Detailed budget of your expenses (travel and equipment/supplies) needed to complete your project. (Any non-consumable equipment or supplies will be returned to the college at completion of the project.) Also list other funding sources you will apply for or use, including any pay you will receive from your sponsoring organization. The $700 travel/supplies supplement is by no means automatic; you must include text justifying any additional expenses that you will require.
In the Fall semester following your Fellowship, you will be expected to present the outcome of your project to the Reed community.
Late or incomplete applications will not be considered.
The Environmental Studies committee will evaluate the applications shortly after the application deadline.
Contact the ES committee with any questions.
Past MESSE Fellowship awards
Summer 2012 MESSE: Rhiana Meade, "Environmental Aquatic Chemistry: Indirect Photodegredation of Dissolved Combined Amino Acids"
Project Summary: In order to better understand the nitrogen cycle, it is crucial to understand mechanism of degradation and the fate of proteins and amino acids in sunlight waters. Thanks to the funding provided by the MESSE fellowship, I was able to spend my summer working in one of the best environmental chemistry labs at one of the finest scientific institutions in the world: the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) in Zurich. In the lab of Prof. Dr. Kris McNeill, I studied the photodegredation of a model protein, GAPDH, when attacked by singlet oxygen.