Funding and Awards

Student Funding Opportunities

Funding for Unpaid Internships

Career Center Summer Internship Grant Program
Amount: $4,500 | Deadline: March
The Summer Internship Grant Program supports students through funding, materials, resources, and support before, during, and after their summer internships, with the goal of helping students prepare for, and thrive, during their summer experience. During the program, students will attend a pre-internship orientation, receive biweekly newsletters, participate in career advising, conduct informational interviews, update their resumes, participate in supervision, and engage in formal reflection. Additionally, one of the grants offered through this program, The Norton Nickerson Endowed Internship Grant, specifically funds declared ENVS majors to pursue environmental internships.

Norton Nickerson Endowed Internship Grant: This is an endowed internship grant to honor the memory of the late Prof. Norton Nickerson, founder of the Tufts Environmental Studies Program (est. 1984). This internship will provide $4,500 for students undertaking unpaid summer internships, both in the U.S. and abroad. Preference will be given to ENVS majors conducting work in the area of environmental science but those working in other environmentally-related areas are encouraged to apply. Students must apply through the Career Center.

Norton Nickerson Application & Deadlines

Recipients:

Tisch Summer Fellows
Amount: $5,250 | Deadline: January/February
This program offers full-time, 10-week fellowship positions that address a broad scope of social issues and interest areas. Opportunities are based in greater Boston, New York City, Providence, RI, and Washington, DC with the capacity for in-person work. Remote opportunities will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis and might not be available during the 2023 program period.

Udall Scholarship
Amount: Up to $7,000 | Deadline: February
Each year, the Udall Foundation offers funding for sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or to the environment. The Foundation also provides assistance with career counseling, internship placement, graduate school admissions, and professional development.

Funding for Research

Tufts Summer Scholars
Amount: $3,500 living stipend + $1,000 research stipend + $1,000 faculty stipend
Deadline: March
The Summer Scholars program funds rising juniors and seniors to pursue ten-week independent research projects. As part of the program, students work closely with a faculty mentor and present at a poster session in the fall. Through this program, declared ENVS students are eligible to receive The Farmanfarmaian and Terry Family Scholarship, which supports one ENVS student each summer to pursue environmental research in the social or natural sciences.

Undergraduate Research Fund
Amount: Up to $450 | Deadline: Rolling
Students may request funding for senior theses and for other proposals emphasizing original research that is directly supervised by a Tufts faculty member. You may request funding for expenses such as supplies, travel, library cards, and payment of research subjects. The fund will support travel to a conference if you are presenting research.

Laidlaw Undergraduate Research and Leadership Program
Amount: ~$4,200 living stipend + ~$1,300 research stipend
Deadline: January/February
This program seeks to cultivate tomorrow’s leaders across all disciplines through independent research and leadership development programming. All scholars will develop, pursue, and report on a research question along with their faculty mentor over the course of at least one summer. Students are encouraged to explore faculty websites and speak with faculty that they are interested in working with as soon as possible.

Visiting and Early Research Scholar Experience (VERSE) Program
Amount: living stipend, meals and housing | Deadline: January
A 10-week summer research immersion experience open to undergrads who identify as African American, Hispanic, Latino, Native American or Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander. The scholar award includes a stipend, meals, housing, and professional development.

Tisch Library Undergraduate Research Award
Deadline: March | Amount: $400
The Tisch Library Undergraduate Research Awards (TURA) recognize outstanding undergraduate use of the library's collections and services in the production of an exemplary research project.

Miscellaneous Funding

Environmental Studies Career-Building Awards
Amount: Up to $100 | Deadline: Rolling
The Environmental Studies Program offers up to $100 to help declared Environmental Studies majors pay for costs to attend local conferences, workshops, or any other event relevant to the student's career goals in the context of the Environmental Studies major. To apply, send the application to environmentalstudies@tufts.edu.

Lily Glidden Award
Amount: Up to $2,500 | Deadline: February
The Lily Glidden Award is awarded each semester to help students from pursuing a dream, in the U.S. or internationally, to explore and learn about the interconnected life on our planet. Open to all majors.

Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize
Amount: $1000-4000 | Deadline: February
The Anne E. Borghesani Memorial Prize enables recipients to undertake a research project, internship, volunteer activity, or plan of study in a field involving international issues. Sophomores and juniors with a minimum 2.8 GPA from all departments or majors are eligible to apply.

The Tisch Fund for Civic Engagement
Amount: $1000-1500
The Tisch Fund for Civic Engagement welcomes requests for funding of events, projects, and programs with a clear connection to active citizenship. Funding will be considered for student groups and organizations, or individual students who plan to engage other students in their work.

Awards

In addition to the awards below, learn about other General and Departmental Awards at Tufts.

The Nancy W. Anderson Award for Environmental Sustainability
The Nancy W. Anderson Award for Environmental Sustainability is awarded to a junior or senior in Environmental Studies whose work in the natural, and social sciences, engineering, or humanities promotes the integration of those subjects in informing public policy decisions that may protect endangered natural resources while promoting sound social and economic development. Recipients of this award are chosen by the Environmental Studies Program. This award is sponsored by the Tufts Institute of the Environment.

Annual Undergraduate Environmental Photo Contest
The Tufts Environmental Studies Program supports an annual Environmental Photo Contest. The contest is open to all Tufts undergraduate students and includes prizes for 1st place ($150), 2nd place ($100), and 3rd place ($50).