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2013 WRPI/USDA Watershed Management Doctoral Scholarship

Published May 14, 2013 by Eric Pamintuan

Information and Application Form

Final_USDA Year 1 Scholarship_8May2013

Through funding from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Water Resources and Policy Initiative (WRPI) invites applications for the WRPI/USDA Watershed Management Doctoral Scholarship. One (1) $40,000 scholarship will be awarded in 2013. The USDAs goal of providing this scholarship is to address the underrepresentation of Hispanics/Latinos in professional careers in the food, agricultural, and natural resource system as well as the government, and to attain post graduate degrees in the food, agricultural, and natural resource sciences.

Scholarship funds are to be used in pursuit of a Ph.D. and may cover tuition, books, reasonable stipend, computer, travel to one professional conference in their field of study, and travel to a one-week leadership training workshop. Funds must be used for the 2013-2014 and 2014-2015 academic years ($20,000 each year) and they will be given directly to the recipient’s university for disbursement to the recipient. The recipient must be classified and retain status as a full-time student in good standing for the duration of this scholarship award.

Eligibility Requirements

To be considered for a Watershed Management Scholarship, a student must:

  1. be a citizen or national of the United States; or a citizen of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, or the Republic of Palau. Where eligibility is claimed on the basis of owing permanent allegiance to the United States, documentary evidence from the Immigration and Naturalization Service as to such eligibility must be made available upon request.
  1. be of Hispanic/Latino ethnicity.
  1. attend or have attended a Hispanic Serving Institute (HSI) California State University (CSU Bakersfield, Channel Islands, Dominguez Hills, Fresno, Fullerton, Long Beach, Los Angeles, Monterey Bay, Northridge, Cal Poly Pomona, San Bernardino, San Marcos, Stanislaus, or San Diego State) for their master’s or undergraduate degree (if going directly into a Ph.D. program).
  1. have a strong desire to pursue a career with the USDA.
  1. have a confirmed acceptance to a Ph.D. program.
  1. The students program of study for their Ph.D. must be within a USDA-relevant discipline related to food and agricultural sciences, and natural resource systems of the United States. Examples of such majors include, but are not limited to: General Food and Agricultural Sciences; Agribusiness Management and Marketing (includes Agricultural Economics); Agricultural/Biological Engineering; Agricultural Social Sciences (includes Agricultural Education, Agricultural Communications, and Rural Sociology); Animal Sciences; Aquaculture; Conservation and Renewable Energy and Natural Resources (includes Forestry and Ecology/Wetlands); Entomology, Animal; Entomology, Plant; Environmental Sciences/Management; Food Science/Technology and Manufacturing (including Food Safety); Human Nutrition; Human Sciences/Family and Consumer Sciences (excludes Human Nutrition); International Education/Research (enhancement of U.S. programs); Plant Sciences and Horticulture (including Turf Sciences); Related Biological Sciences (includes General/Basic Biotechnology, Biochemistry, and Microbiology); Soil Sciences; Veterinary Medicine/Science; Water Science/Water Resources; (including Water Quality and Watershed Management); and “other” relevant and subject matter areas. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines that support the disciplines listed above are encouraged.

Competitive Priority

Eligible students that have or will have successfully completed a WRI Watershed Management Internship by the due date will be given preference in this scholarship competition.

Procedures and Selection Criteria

The deadline is 5 pm (Pacific) on Monday, June 10, 2013. By the application deadline, each applicant shall forward their application packet with the following information:

  1. completed application form (see attached);
  2. current official transcript (sent directly to WRI by the applicant’s college);
  3. resume or curriculum vitae;
  4. copy of the acceptance letter to a Ph.D. program;
  5. three letters of recommendation (sent directly to WRI by the recommenders) – at least two letters should be from faculty. For students in the WRI Watershed Management Internship program, one letter of recommendation must be from your Internship Advisor; and

6. statement of purpose of between 500 (minimum) but not to exceed 1000 words (maximum) describing your educational and career plans.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applications should be either: mailed to Water Resources Institute, CSUSB, Attn: Julie Lappin, 5500 University Parkway, PL-401, San Bernardino, CA 92407; emailed to jlappin@csusb.edu; or faxed to (909) 537-7682. Mailed applications must be postmarked by June 10, 2013. You will receive verification upon receipt.

A WRPI/USDA Scholarship Committee, composed of CSU faculty and staff, shall evaluate applicants on the basis of the quality of submitted materials, i.e., information on the completed application form, scholastic achievement, strength of letters of recommendation, commitment to career pathway, and clarity and content of the written statement of purpose. The Committee also may consult faculty and/or advisors.

The Committee shall rank order the applications and prepare written evaluative comments regarding each. The applicants’ submitted materials and the Committee’s rank ordering and written comments will be kept on file for the USDA. The Committee will make the final selection decision of the scholarship recipient.

If you have questions about the application process, contact Julie Lappin, Program Manager (909-537-3687, jlappin@csusb.edu) or Dr. David Zoldoske, Executive Director (559-278-2066, davidzo@csufresno.edu).

Published in Scholarships