Opportunities for Students
IFS is committed to training and supporting the next generation of researchers in sustainability. To this end, we provide a number of support opportunities, several of these resources are outlined below. Additional opportunities may be shared via our newsletter, listservs, and on social media. Sign up for our mailing lists by completing this questionnaire and be sure to check out our events page for upcoming seminars and other professional development opportunities.
Interested in more? Check out our list of graduate level courses examining facets of sustainability research taught by ISF faculty affiliates.
ISF Graduate Student Fellowships
Sandra Cordoba (ME), a second-year PhD student in Mechanical Engineering has been selected as the 2024-2025 ISF Graduate Fellowship recipient. Sandra’s interests lie at the intersection between the sustainable management of water and energy resources. Her research involves the development of alternative water treatment methods to utilize unconventional water sources such as salt water. Read about her research, and our ISF Graduate Fellowships in our featured news. ISF is committed to training of the next generation of researchers in sustainability. We anticipate offering ISF Graduate Fellowships in future years as well. Sign up for our weekly newsletter to and our graduate student listserv to receive the latest updates on opportunities for students by completing this questionnaire. Please email isf@purdue.edu with additional questions regarding ISF Graduate Student Fellowships.
ISF Graduate Student & Post-Doc Travel or Research Grants
Travel and research grants provide financial support to graduate students and post-doctoral researchers mentored by ISF faculty affiliates, to defray costs for graduate student/post-doctoral researchers to conduct small research projects or to travel and present their research. The application portal for Summer 2024 is closed.
The application portal for Fall 2024 will open on August 19, 2024. Conference travel or research projects undertaken between July 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024 will be eligible for Fall 2024 awards. Please email isf@purdue.edu with additional questions regarding Travel or Research Grants.
ISF-DUIRI Undergraduate Research Internships
Purdue’s Institute for a Sustainable Future (ISF) works in collaboration with the Discovery Undergraduate Research Internship (DUIRI) program to support undergraduate research in areas related to global sustainability. These interdisciplinary projects are overseen by at least two ISF faculty affiliates. By partnering with ISF, mentors and students receive additional support and resources including professional development activities, peer networking opportunities, and poster presentation resources throughout the semester.
The application portal for undergraduate students interested in working on an ISF-DUIRI project will be open from June 26-July 12. During the Fall term, which starts August 19, 2024, students will be responsible for pursuing their research projects, culminating with a poster presentation and 1-page abstract/summary of their results. Assuming all requirements are met, each participating student will earn a $1,000 Fall semester fellowship from the ISF-DUIRI program that is credited to their bursar account. For more information, and to apply to an ISF-DUIRI project, please visit the DUIRI website. Please email isf@purdue.edu with additional questions regarding ISF-DUIRI projects.
ISF Annual Research Expo
ISF’s second annual research expo and reception was held October 25, 2023 from 1-5p in the Purdue Memorial Union South Ballroom. The poster session was held from 1:00-3:00p, followed by a reception. To culminate the event, the water challenges research community led a toast to the new water year.
For a list of Fall 2023 registered posters, click here.
For the Fall 2023 ISF research expo abstract booklet, click here.
The ISF research expo is held annually in the fall semester. Faculty, post-docs, grads and undergraduate students are all welcome to present posters in any area of sustainability research, which broadly speaking, align with one or more of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Those that have received funding through ISF during the prior year are expected to present research posters at the annual expo. The expo provides a great opportunity for networking and to showcase research in sustainability happening across Purdue's campus.
Presentation Resources
Preparing a poster? Presenting at a conference? ISF branded templates and other resources are available on our research presentation resources page.