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, with several of these resources 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.
This further illustrates ISF's commitment to the UN Sustainable Development goals.
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 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 small research projects or to travel and present their research.
ISF prioritizes grants in topics of interest to the Institute as represented by its research communities and special initiatives, as well as for students and faculty affiliates actively engaged in the Institute. For research projects, priority will be given to projects with potential to scale up substantially in terms of future funded research. Presentations at large and well-recognized conferences will also be weighted. Multiple researchers from the same lab will not typically receive full funding.
Conference travel or research project costs undertaken between July 1st through December 31st are eligible for Fall 2024 awards. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, as funding allows. Questions can be directed to ISF Senior Operations Manager, Tara Greene at greenet@purdue.edu.
*If awarded, all resulting presentations or publications must acknowledge support from ISF.
Spring travel grants are now closed. Please check back for future oppportunities!
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.
Current fall projects are already underway. The application portal for undergraduate students interested in working on an ISF-DUIRI project for the Spring 2025 semeseter can be found on the DUIRI webiste.
If selected for a DUIRI project, 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 Tara Greene, Sr. Operations Administrator at greenet@purdue.edu with additional questions regarding ISF-DUIRI projects.
ISF Annual Research Expo 2024
ISF’s third annual research expo will be held on October 14th, 2024 in the Purdue Memorial Union South Ballroom from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.
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.
Registration for the expo can be accessed here.
Presentation Resources
Preparing a poster? Presenting at a conference? ISF branded templates and other resources are available on our research presentation resources page.