EPA Awards Research Fellowships

To help educate America’s future environmental scientists, Dr. Paul Gilman, EPA Science Advisor and Assistant Administrator for Research and Development today announced the award of 156 research fellowships for students pursuing degrees in environmental studies. Chosen after their applications underwent a rigorous review process, the selected fellows represent 95 universities in 40 states.

“One of EPA’s highest priorities is ensuring that we have a well-trained scientific workforce that can address tomorrow’s complex environmental issues,” said Gilman. “Our fellowship programs are helping to produce new government scientists, academic researchers, and excellent science teachers.”

EPA’s research office supports several fellowship programs designed to address our country’s most important environmental workforce needs. Awards are announced in two programs: the Science to Achieve Results, or STAR, graduate fellowship program and the Greater Research Opportunities or GRO fellowship program.

EPA’s Science to Achieve Results or STAR graduate fellowship program supports some of the nation’s most promising masters and doctoral candidates. This year, nearly 1,700 applicants competed for 124 fellowships. These students are pursuing degrees fields such as biology, toxicology, ecology, and environmental sciences.

EPA’s Greater Research Opportunities, or GRO, fellowship program helps to build capacity in universities with limited funding for research and development by awarding fellowships to students in environmental fields. The GRO fellowship program supports some of the nation’s most promising undergraduate and graduate degree candidates in environmental studies. More than 200 applicants competed this year for 32 fellowships.

EPA is now accepting applications from students for 2005 STAR and GRO fellowships. The deadline for preliminary applications is Nov. 23, 2004. Projects undertaken by previous fellows have included genetic approaches to biodiversity, environmental toxicology, and research on watersheds and the impact of human behavior on the environment. Applicants must be U.S. citizens or be lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence. Application information can be found on the Internet at: http://es.epa.gov/ncer/rfa/.

The names of the 2004 STAR and GRO Fellows can be found at http://es.epa.gov/ncer/fellow/recipients/star_fellow04.html and http://es.epa.gov/ncer/fellow/recipients/gro_fellow04.html.

For more information about the STAR and GRO research fellowship programs, please visit: http://www.epa.gov/ncer/fellow.