2006 ND WRRI Fellowship Program

The ND Water Resources Research Institute (WRRI) announces its 2006 Graduate Research Fellowship program. Projects proposed for fellowship support should relate to water resources research issues in the state or region. Regional, state, or local collaborations or co-funding will strengthen an application.

Eligibility

• NDSU and UND graduate students who are conducting or planning thesis research in water resources areas.

• Multiple applications from a research group are permitted.

• Students who received a 2005 fellowship may apply for a renewal.

Scholarship Duration and Amount

Full year research stipend:   March 2006 to February 2007
Summer research stipend:   Three months between May 2006 and August 2006 Stipend amount:    $800 to $1,400 per month on depending funding availability.   

Each year, the institute must wait for Congress and the President to approve the USGS budget with the national water institutes program funding included in it. It is highly likely (but not guaranteed) that Institute funding will be continued at least the level of 2005.

Application Deadline and Submission

Applications are due in the office of the director not later than 5:00 p.m., November 18, 2005. The proposals will be reviewed by a panel of faculty and state water resources research professionals. Announcement of awards will be made by January 2006.

Send your applications to Dr. G. Padmanabhan, Director, ND Water Resources Research Institute, North Dakota State University, CIE 201E, Department of Civil Engineering and Construction, P.O. Box 5285, Fargo, ND 58105.

Before preparing your application consult the Guidelines for Preparation of Applications. Fellowships have matching requirements. Applicants and advisors who are new to the program are urged to contact ND WRRI Director, Dr. G. Padmanabhan, at 231-7043, or G.Padmanabhan@ndsu.edu

Detailed Information for Proposal Preparation

• Fellowships are available to NDSU or UND graduate students in full-standing who are performing M.S. or Ph.D. thesis research in a water resources area. Fellowships provide the stipend for the graduate student. (Other costs are met by the advisor's research grants, department, college, etc.)

• Applications should be prepared by graduate students with significant input and advice from their thesis advisors.

• Fellowships are competitive, and applications will be evaluated by faculty referees and an external panel. Six to eight fellowships will be awarded depending on the level of funding.

• For 2006, the monthly Fellowship stipend may range from $800 to $1,400. Fellowships may be requested for three summer months, for a semester plus the summer (7.5 mo or 8.0 mo), or a full year. Preference for the full-year awards will be given to students in the later stages of thesis or dissertation research who can demonstrate good research productivity (conference presentation, manuscripts submitted, etc.). Three-month summer awards are preferred for students in their first summer of research. Depending on the overall evaluation of the application, a smaller/shorter award than that requested may be offered.

• Applicants should have a thesis project defined and approved by their graduate advisory committees. The approval requirement does not apply, at the time of the application (Fall 2005) to 2006 summer fellowship applicants in their first semester.

• The advisor (through existing grants, or funding from within the university) will provide for other research support costs (supplies, travel, etc.).

• The fellowship must be matched by twice the amount from non-federal sources. The preferred sources of matching are: (1) auditable CO-funding of the student's thesis project from a non-federal grant, (2) teaching assistantship from academic departments, (3) tuition waiver from UND or NDSU, and (4) in-kind faculty time. An in-kind contribution of 1-3 months (depending on the size of the stipend) of state-funded academic year time of faculty advisor and the student tuition waiver should normally satisfy the matching requirement. (faculty salary plus fringe benefits).

• Fellowships start on 01 March 2006 (or as soon thereafter as the USGS authorizes the ND WRRI funding).

"Leveraging" Funding

• It is strongly recommended that advisors/students consult personnel from:
• the USGS Water Resources Division ND District office, Bismarck http://nd.water.usgs.gov/ - contact District Chief, Gregg Wiche, gjwiche@usgs.gov
• the State Water Commission, Bismarck, http://www.swc.state.nd.us/ - specific contact: William Schuh, bschuh@water.swc.state.nd.us
• the State Health Department, Bismarck, http://www.ehs.health.state.nd.us/ndhd/environ/index.htm - specific contacts: Mike Sauer, msauer@state.nd.us, for water quality related projects; and Jack Long, jlong@state.nd.us, for drinking water related projects.
• Other local or regional water recourses professionals, to explore whether the proposed fellowship research fits with their ongoing or planned research programs. If so, cooperative agreements involving additional funding or in-kind contributions of services to the fellowship project may be possible.

Reporting requirements

• Fellows will be asked to summarize their project at three times during the year:
• May 2006, synopsis of progress on project (submit abstract, without prompting, before leaving the campus for summer activities).
• October 2006, summary of progress for the Institute Newsletter and website.
• May, 2007, thesis abstract or synopsis of progress.

  Guidelines for preparation of applications