FEB. 25, 2015 — The Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences (NRES) and the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE) are pleased to announce two new research awards for students of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: the 2014-2015 Warren Lavey and Dr. Holly Rosencranz Research Awards in Climate Change and Public Health.
Interested students can submit applications here by 5 p.m. April 20; a letter of reference should be emailed before then to iSEE.
The purpose of these awards is to encourage student-led research and information dissemination on the impacts of climate change on public health. Relevant research topics are defined broadly and include, but are not limited to:
- the impacts of climate change on incidence of cardiovascular, respiratory, infectious and other diseases;
- public health infrastructure preparedness for climate-related events;
- food/water security and safety in changing climates;
- effectively communicating to the public the connection between climate change and health;
- developing economic mechanisms targeting the public health impacts of climate change; and
- threats of climate change to parks as attractive spaces for healthy exercise.
These awards are intended to foster investigation of the various mechanisms interconnecting climate change and human health, including by affecting environmental quality, ecosystems, crop productivity, food/water security, pests and diseases.
Awards will be made at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Up to two undergraduate awards up to $2,000 each will be available, for conducting either domestic or international research. One award of up to $5,000 will be available to support a graduate student research project, also either domestically or internationally.
NRES and iSEE encourage applications not only from students in the physical, biological, medical sciences and engineering, but also from students in social sciences, education, social work, humanities, and other realms that can help raise public awareness about climate change and its consequences for human health.
Students selected for this award are expected to submit a completed research paper on their project within 12 months of being selected. As part of the project, recipients should disseminate their research in the peer-reviewed or popular literature or by presentation at a conference, seminar or other public event.
Eligibility Requirements: The applicant must be a degree-seeking student of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or better (4.0 scale).
Application Procedure: Information and text or pdf files containing the following items must be submitted by 5 p.m. April 20 here:
- a detailed CV;
- a project narrative (maximum 2 pages, single-spaced, 12 point font, 1-inch margins, Times New Roman) describing the proposed research and plans for disseminating the research (an optional one page of supplementary information to support the project narrative will be allowed);
- a budget narrative (maximum 1 page, single-spaced, 12 point font, 1-inch margins, Times New Roman), including budget and a description of how the money will be used (budget can include project supplies, travel and compensation for the applicant);
- a letter from advisor that supports the student’s proposal and confirms the student’s engagement in activities related to the research proposed for this award (this part should be should be emailed to iSEE); and
- an official transcript.
Selection Criteria: A selection committee will consider each applicant’s academic record and research experience along with the strength of applicant’s proposal. A project that is innovative, realistic in scope and has the potential to be completed in a one-year time frame will be preferred.