The Urban Water Innovation Network (UWIN) offers its third Undergraduate Research Program (URP) for the summer of 2018. Participants will be given the opportunity to perform cutting edge, transdisciplinary research of immediate relevance to people in urban areas. Students with different research interests – social sciences, natural sciences, engineering – will be placed with a team of mentors at institutions in urban areas across the nation. The program will start and end at Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Co.
The UWIN Undergraduate Research Program (URP) will engage students in activities in three interwoven strands that, when experienced together, provide a strong foundation for pursuing excellence in transdisciplinary research in urban water system sustainability:
1. Cutting Edge Independent Research Projects
This intensive nine week summer research experience will engage students in cutting edge, transdisciplinary research of immediate relevance to people in urban areas. Under the guidance of one or more scientific mentors, UWIN URP students will perform an independent research project of her/his own design that supports integration between social, natural sciences, and engineering as well as connections to the national network.
Once students delineate a research question and associated hypotheses, they will select appropriate methods and develop a research plan that will be presented in a written proposal at the end of the second week. Written proposals will be reviewed by mentors and fellow students for constructive feedback. Students will implement and complete the project on their own, ending with analysis and research report writing.
Students will write abstracts and present a poster during the UWIN All Scientists’ meeting early August 2018 with full participation of students, mentors, scientists and professionals from the Network. Posters and abstracts will be posted on the UWIN website. Students will complete a research report and submit appropriate data and metadata to their mentors and the program coordinator by the end of the final week of the program. Students will have the option to apply for a small pool of funds to produce a paper for a peer reviewed journal, or to present their work at a professional society conference.
2. Reflective Practice and Training Activities
Hallmarks of the UWIN URP program are emphases on reflective practice and collaborative science. Hands-on, interactive sessions will include: a) Ethics in Sustainability; b) Transdisciplinary Research Techniques; c) Communicating Science; d) Future Pathways to Graduate School and Jobs; e) Scientific and Technical Writing; and f) Introduction to Programming Software (R or Matlab).
3. Transdisciplinary Research Activities in Urban Water Sustainability
Students will explore how to promote sustainable management of urban water systems by working with a team of disciplinary experts, both in their own region and across UWIN nationwide. The kick-off meeting at the beginning of the summer will launch the themes with presentations, discussions, and a hands-on case study of a local water sustainability issue in the Front Range of Colorado. During the summer, students will participate in weekly workshops and seminars led by experts from different fields, providing broad exposure to diverse perspectives on the science of urban water systems. The Forum on Opportunities in Urban Water Sustainability Research and Applications will provide additional, in-depth examples of engineering, environmental science, and social science in action. The wrap-up meeting at the end of the program will give students the opportunity to reflect as a group on what they learn over the summer.
There are 9 potential research projects, described here on the UWIN website.
Program Details – Students in the 2018 program will receive a stipend of $4,500 plus room and board on-campus or in nearby housing. Students also will receive a travel allowance up to $900 towards travel expenses associated with participating in the program, including travel to and from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, CO, for the kick off and wrap up meetings, and travel to their research site.
Apply here by January 29, 2018 11:59 PM (EDT)
