Plant, environmental and agroecology sciences fellowship
#PEAS #Plantsarecool
Are you interested in getting hands on research experience in Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture sciences? Do you want to broaden your perspectives and understanding of plants, agricultural systems, and ecological approaches to management? Spend a summer leading your project and explore what it means to be a researcher, see if you like it!
PEAS is hosted by the Department of Plant Sciences in partnership with the Undergraduate Research Center (URC) to provide mentorship and financial resources for undergraduate students to engage with research and professional development opportunities in the field of agroecology, sustainable agriculture and relevant plant, soil and biological sciences. The goal is to gain experience in real-world settings, prepare you for a carrier in your field and create more inclusive pathways for undergraduates from different backgrounds to meaningfully engage in research.
Fellows will propose a project that they will be responsible for developing and managing over the summer with mentorship from project partners and UC faculty, staff and graduate students. This may take many forms, depending on the area of study, and is intended to provide a dedicated period in the summer for research when academic activities are typically light. Research may take place at UC Davis, research stations, on-farm, in farming communities and private and non-profit organizations. Fellows will have opportunities to participate in workshops proposed by the URC and receive a stipend and funds for travel, conference attendance and/or research supplies.
Program requirements
This program will provide 3 fellowships/year to candidates who meet the following criteria:
- Must be a continuing undergraduate in good academic standing
- Major in Plant Sciences, biophysical, socio-economic, or political sciences with an interest in agroecology & sustainable food systems (interdisciplinary majors like IAD, SAFS, and Indigenous Studies encouraged)
- Hold a faculty-sponsored research position, or work in a campus lab with a mentor (e.g., LSF at Student Farm), or obtain a research position before summer
- Detail your current research position and/or project idea
- Take a 1-unit spring course to further develop project & mentorship plan
- Conduct 8-10 weeks of full-time (approx. 25-30 hrs/week) summer research
- Attend weekly URC summer workshops
- Present research at the Summer Symposium and at the URSCA Conference the following year
- Do not take Summer Session courses due to program commitment
- First-generation, underrepresented minority stduents with financial need are encouraged to apply
Financial support for scholars
- Summer stipends for each Fellow of $3,500
- $1,500 for supplies and materials and/or travel funds needed to carry out your studies.
Timeline and Application Deadlines
- Application opens - Now
- Application Deadline: Monday, February 18, 2025, by 11:59 p.m.
- Application Review - Feb 19 - Mar 8
- Interviews for select applicants - Mar 11 - Mar 15
- Notice of acceptance - March 2025
- Project development - 1 credit course, Spring 2025
- Undergraduate Research Program (URP) Summer Workshops - June 16, 2025-August 22, 2025
- No recommendation letter is needed
- You do not need to include your research project idea in this initial application form. We will follow up to allow you more time to brainstorm your project.
Apply Here
Contacts:
Faculty Director and PI: Dr. Amelie Gaudin, https://gaudin.ucdavis.edu, agaudin@ucdavis.edu
Office 2136 PES | Lab 2133 PES
Administrative Director: Lolita Adkins, https://urc.ucdavis.edu/, lrnelson@ucdavis.edu
Undergraduate Research Center, 2300 Student Community Center
