ESS Scholarships, Fellowships, and Grants

This webpage is a one-stop shop for all information relating to ESS scholarships, fellowships, and grants. These opportunities are available for undergraduates, graduates, and post-doc students. For WCNR-specific opportunities, please visit the WCNR Scholarships and Fellowships website. For NREL opportunities, please visit the NREL Scholarships page. For University-wide and external opportunities, please visit the CSU Scholarship page or the Office for Scholarship and Fellowship Advising.

As a reminder, the 2026-2027 Colorado State University Scholarship Application (CSUSA) is also available to complete! The deadline for the application is March 1, 2026. The CSUSA is an online scholarship application for many of the scholarships at CSU. To complete the application, log in to RamWeb, select financial aid, and then press the CSUSA button.

Scholarships and Grants

• David A. Falletti Memorial Award for Watershed Science ($500) awarded to a Watershed Science undergrad or graduate student as decided by the Watershed faculty and the ASCs
• The Eldor Paul Award for Ecosystem Science is awarded to an Ecosystem Science and Sustainability undergraduate or graduate student as decided by the ESS faculty and ASCs.

Fellowships and Educational Opportunities

• USDA NIFA REEU: The USDA NIFA REEU Fellowship in Integrative Agroecology and Sustainability at Colorado State University (CSU) provides research placements for college-level sophomores and juniors. Fellows participate in work addressing complex challenges to global food security and environmental change. The program is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) to provide a Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduate (REEU) students.
• SUPER: The SUPER (Skills for Undergraduate Participation in Ecological Research) Program combines the teaching of foundational research skills from the Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability (ESS) with research mentoring conducted primarily by scientists from the Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory (NREL), along with a broader set of researchers from the Warner College of Natural Resources. The program is designed primarily for Colorado State University (CSU) sophomores and juniors who are interested in gaining experience in ecological research. First-year students should wait until their sophomore year, but seniors may participate, space permitting. Students from all disciplines who are interested in developing ecological research skills are welcome to apply.
• MRAD: The goal of the Mentored Research and Artistry Distinction (MRAD) is to promote and deepen undergraduate inquiry and creativity at CSU, while recognizing student excellence in undergraduate research, artistry, and other creative work. The experience and designation allow students to distinguish themselves as undergraduate scholars and artists in their disciplines. The program recognizes that exemplary student scholarship encompasses a depth of knowledge in the discipline, strong skills of inquiry, an understanding of ethics, responsiveness to arts and culture (artistry), and strong skills in communication. The MRAD is adaptable to any field in which a student wishes to conduct creative scholarship (research and artistry).

External Scholarships and Awards: Provided from ESS/NREL Weekly Newsletter

• Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants (April 23)
• Colorado Water Center Funding Opportunities
• Colorado State University Attire Fund
• Curriculum Innovation Grants
• EREF Research Grants (May 1)
• MDPI Clean Technologies Journal Awards
• MDPI Climate Travel Award
• SoGES Rapid Response Fund (Proposals accepted anytime, funding varies)
• Summer Graduate Thesis or Dissertation Completion Fellowship (May 1)
• USDA AFRI Grants (December)
• Water Research Foundation Grant
• Women in Water Scholarship Fund
• National Research Council Research Associateship Programs: deadline to apply is May 1.
• Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program: deadline to apply is May 6.
• Fulbright U.S. Student Program (Aug. 28, 2026)
• The Nancy Petry Grant: Download the application as a Word document here and submit it, along with the other requested materials, to Aimee Jones ([email protected]) by the end of the day on April 12, 2026.
• Army Research Laboratory (ARL) Distinguished Postdoctoral Fellowships: Applications open April 14 and close July 10, 2026.
• National Endowment for the Humanities Fellowship: (April 22, 2026)
• The Paul & Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans: Applications open mid-April and close Oct. 29, 2026.

Additional opportunities: 

• Burroughs Wellcome Fund Climate Change and Human Health Seed Grants: This RFP primarily, but not exclusively, is focused on activities that build connections between basic and early biomedical scientific approaches and ecological, environmental, geological, geographic, and planetary-scale thinking, as well as with population-focused fields, including epidemiology and public health, demography, economics, and urban planning. (April 26, $50K)
• MDPI Travel Award: The Climate Travel Award is presented every year to encourage junior scientists to present their latest research at academic conferences in the field of climate processes, which helps them to grow their profile. (November 30, $1K)
• NRDC: The Climate Storytelling Fellowship encourages climate storytelling by supporting the revision of screenplays or pilots that engage with climate change in a meaningful way. (November 28, 20K + mentorship)
• MDPI Clean Technology Thesis Award: This award honors exceptional PhD theses with significant academic potential in clean technologies, encompassing sustainability, engineering, environmental law, and ethics in science and technology. It highlights innovative research advancing sustainable solutions and ethical practices in environmental and technological fields. (May 31, $500)
• NSF: Life and Environments Through Time (LET): supports research that advances knowledge about the patterns and processes relating to the origin and evolution of Earth’s climate, environments, life, and sedimentary record. This research takes place at the molecular, local, regional, and global scales. (Proposals accepted anytime, funding varies)
• National Research Council Research Associateship Programs: deadline to apply is May 1.
• NREL Student Scholarships
• Office of Science Graduate Student Research (SCGSR) Program: deadline to apply is May 6.
• The Water Research Foundation: This RFP focuses on addressing challenges to Source Water Protection (SWP) programs posed by extreme events and climate change. It aims to improve water quality and quantity through adaptation strategies, stakeholder engagement, case studies, and cost-benefit analyses of SWP resilience measures. (November 20, $200K)
• World Food Prize: Nominations are sought of an individual or individuals having demonstrated exceptional achievement in any field involved in enhancing food production and distribution and increasing food availability and accessibility to those most in need.  (May 1, $500K)

Looking for job resources? Check out our ESS Career Page. (Undergraduates, Graduates, and Post-Docs).

Looking for advising and other student resources? Check out our ESS Advising and Student Resources page. (Undergraduates)