Undergraduate Science Policy Fellowship Program
The Global Change Center (GCC) offers competitive fellowships to undergraduate students to cover the cost of tuition (in-state, 6 credits), housing and fees to attend the Washington Semester Program during summer semester. This program offers a unique 11-week immersion into work experience within the nation’s capital. Students work on challenging science policy issues that shape communities locally and nationally while obtaining academic credit.
The School of Public and International Affairs (SPIA) at Virginia Tech offers the Washington Semester program to all undergraduate students, regardless of major, who have earned a minimum of 60 credits (Junior or Senior status) and are in good academic standing. The GCC Science Policy Fellowship is designed to support a unique track for science and engineering majors who are specifically interested in the science-policy interface.
Program Overview
All fellowship recipients in the Science-Policy Track of the Washington Semester program will be placed in an internship within a public, private, or non-profit organization for a minimum of 30 hours per week. Examples of placement agencies in the nation’s capital include USFWS, USAID, USEPA, and USDA. Placements are based on each student’s interests and professional goals.
Students will enroll for 6 credits in SPIA 4964 – Field Study.
In-state tuition, fees, most housing costs, and a small stipend will be covered by the fellowship (~$7,000).
Students will also participate in additional professional development activities throughout the summer.
Program dates: May 21 to August 4, 2018
Application Procedure
To apply, undergraduate students should submit the following materials by December 1, 2017.
A completed application form. (Save the PDF file to your Desktop before completing.)
Two faculty recommendation letters. (Send letters directly to schoeng@vt.edu.)
A one-page resume.
Questions should be directed to Dr. Bill Hopkins (Director, Global Change Center) hopkinsw@vt.edu