The Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences will be accepting applications for the Richard and Susan Hopp Memorial Award (Hopp) to support Nutrition and Food Science majors who engage in undergraduate research, internships and/or practicum activities between May 18 and August 21, 2026.

The application period for Hopp Awards to fund summer undergraduate research, internships or practicum experiences is now open. Applications are due no later than April 12, 2026. Award recipients may receive up to three (3) credits worth of research/internship/practicum applied to summer tuition with a small extra stipend ($400/credit hour) applied to their student account.

Eligibility requirements

  • All NFS majors
  • NFS students must have applied for their undergraduate research, internship and/or practicum experience. We understand there is a chance students will not have confirmed their internship before the due date of April 12, 2026.

To apply, students will be asked to provide a 300-500 word description of the proposed summer undergraduate research or internship, identify the experiences that have prepared them to successfully complete the internship/research, how the work will contribute to their professional goals as well as which concentration their proposal best aligns with.

2026 Key Dates

  • February 9, 2026: Application process opens
  • April 12, 2026, at 11:59pm: Application deadline.
  • April 13 – 16, 2026: Applications reviewed by the Hopp Award selection committee
  • April 17, 2026: Hopp Award selection committee meets to discuss and decide on awards
  • April 17, 2026: Applicants receive an email indicating that they have been awarded or not funded.
  • April 23, 2026: Recipients attend the Department of Nutrition and Food Sciences Honors Day Ceremony
  • May 15, 2026: Deadline for awardees to
    • Submit a letter from their undergraduate research or internship/practicum supervisor that confirms their placement
    • Enroll for credit
    • Sign up for direct deposit with Student Financial Services

Students should submit their application no later than 11:59PM on April 12, 2026 to:

Richard and Susan Hopp Memorial Award Application Portal

Recipients of the Hopp Award will submit a short progress report midway through their summer undergraduate research or internship experience, and a 300-500 word final report and reflection upon completion of the experience. Recipients will present their experience during the Fall 2026 semester.

Grading criteria is detailed in the below rubric:

ComponentsOutstandingGoodWeak
Description of Proposed Internship or Research Position
  • Statement clearly describes a proposed undergraduate internship or research position.
  • Demonstrate strong understanding of scope, purpose and responsibilities.
  • Provides a clear description of the proposed internship or research position with some details on goals and expectations.
  • Lacks depth and specificity.
  • Vague, generic or incomplete description of the position.
  • Statement lacks sufficient details or is difficult to follow.
Preparation and Readiness
  • Relevant and strong experiences are clearly articulated that show the applicant’s readiness for proposed position.
  • Identifies a specific individual or organization they will or propose to work with and some details on what they will work on.
  • Experiences are mostly relevant and suggest sufficient preparation.
  • Identifies an individual or organization, but details about collaboration are limited.
  • Limited or unclear preparation.
  • No clear identification of mentor or organization to work with.
  • Readiness for proposed position is not well-established.
Contribution to Professional Goals
  • Internship is clearly and strongly tied to well-articulated short-term and long-term professional goals.
  • Clearly explains how this experience will advance academic, career, and personal development of the candidate.
  • Connection to professional goals is present and mostly clear, but it lacks depth and/or specificity.
  • Weak or generic connection to professional goals.
  • Not clear on how the internship will contribute to future goals.
Alignment with Concentration (Food Science, Dietetics, or Nutrition, Sustainability and Society)
  • Clearly identifies appropriate concentration and makes a strong connection between the proposed internship and the applicant’s concentration.
  • Clearly demonstrates how knowledge from their field will be applied to make interdisciplinary connections.
  • Identifies their concentration and provides a reasonable explanation of how the internship aligns with it.
  • Lacks depth/detail.
  • Concentration is unclear, incorrectly identified, or lacks justification.
Impact and Broader Contribution
  • Clearly explains the potential impact of the internship beyond personal goals, such as contribution to industry, or any societal or public health issues.
  • Addresses broader impact or contribution, but explanation lacks depth.
  • No clear articulation of broader impact.
Feasibility and Planning
  • The proposed internship or research experience will be achievable within timeframe.
  • The proposed internship or research experience may appear feasible but lacks details of timeline.
  • Over ambitious and lacks evidence of realistic planning. No feasibility statement.
Reference Contact Information
  • Provides full name and contact information (email and/or phone) for a professional reference who can speak to the applicant’s qualifications.
  • Provides a reference name but contact information may be incomplete.
  • Missing reference or no contact information provided.
  • Contact information is for a relative, peer, or other inappropriate reference.
Overall Organization, Clarity, and Adherence to Guidelines
  • Well-written, organized, and within word count (300–500 words).
  • Statement flows logically.
  • Writing is generally clear and organized.
  • Mostly within word limit.
  • Minor issues in logical flow.
  • Writing lacks clarity and/or organization.
  • May be majorly over/under word count.
  • Has several grammatical errors.

If you have questions or concerns, please contact Dr. Todd Pritchard at Todd.Pritchard@uvm.edu.