Gund Institute Research Assistantship applicant eligibility:

• These assistantships are for individuals who have not yet started their PhDs.
• Preference will be given to applicants who have not previously studied at UVM and who already have a Master’s degree, but all qualified candidates will be considered.

All applications will be reviewed against five main criteria:

• Academic qualifications.
• Research experience.
• Clearly articulated research interests and alignment with potential advisor(s).
• Fit with the Gund’s thematic focus areas.
• Commitment and contributions to diversity and inclusiveness.

• Primary advisor must be a Gund Faculty Fellow. To ensure our funds support a wide range of Faculty Fellows, the Gund Institute limits faculty to being primary advisor for two Gund-funded fellowship recipients at a time (PhD or Postdoc or a combination). If a faculty member is primary advisor for two or more Gund-funded fellows, they will not be eligible to recruit a Gund-funded PhD student or postdoc for the next cohort. Further details:

o PhD and Postdoc fellowship recipients count towards this total until they have transitioned entirely off their Gund fellowship funding or leave the position. If the student has blended funding (i.e., a mix of Gund and other funds), that student counts toward their primary advisor’s total until the Gund portion of funding is completed. The advisor will become eligible again when they have fewer than 2 Gund-funded fellowship recipients, as determined on the due date for the following year’s fellowship applications.

o To encourage collaboration, co-advisors are not counted in the calculation for eligibility. Only the primary advisor, as indicated on the offer letter and/or Gund application, is subject to these limitations.

o Fellowships where advisors bring their own funds to Gund (e.g. L4E, Johnson & Johnson) are not counted in the advisor’s totals.

• Co-advisors can be any full-time faculty member of UVM’s Graduate College.
• Explore UVM environmental and sustainability graduate programs.

Gund Institute Research Fellowship candidates should:

1. Contact potential faculty advisors directly to discuss your interests. Identify a Gund Fellow who can serve as your primary advisor.

2. Submit  two required applications:

• Apply via the Graduate College to your advisor’s UVM college or school  by the deadline  (deadlines vary). Indicate in your statement of purpose that you are also applying for a Gund Institute PhD Research Assistantship (the formal name of our Fellowship program). 
• Submit the separate Gund PhD Fellowship application by the deadline.

Applications must include a statement of interest with:

• How your interests and experience align with the Gund Institute themes, especially any interactions among them.
• How your background, research, and/or experience would contribute to a  diverse and inclusive  environment.
• Mention of any initial conversations with potential advisors.

• Submit the Gund-specific application in InfoReady by January 5, 2025.
• Submit you application to a PhD program through UVM colleges/schools: Deadlines vary – click here to find each program’s deadline
• Gund makes offers: March-April
• Students accept offers: March-April
• Start: Fall semester 2025

The Gund Institute for Environment at the University of Vermont is a research center dedicated to understanding and tackling the world’s most critical environmental challenges. Driven by the belief that research should inspire action, the Institute takes a cross-sector approach to solving environmental issues with stakeholders from government, business, and broader society. The Institute focuses on five interconnected research themes: climate solutions, sustainable agriculture, health and well-being, equity and justice, and resilient communities. With over 250 scholars in Vermont and across the world, the Institute brings together a network of internationally recognized researchers from diverse disciplines, including the natural and social sciences, business, health, technology, engineering, and the humanities.

The Gund Institute for Environment strives to build a diverse and inclusive community of scholars and leaders, because it is essential to our mission and central to our vision for a sustainable world.

We define “diversity” as the full spectrum of cultural and socioeconomic affiliations that characterize individuals within society, and “inclusion” as valuing the contributions of that diversity to our work and community.

A diverse and inclusive institute will enhance the relevance and impact of our work, ensure our solutions represent those most affected by environmental challenges, address environmental injustice, diversify the environmental leadership of the future, and train those leaders to operate in diverse teams and environments. Learn more about diversity and inclusion at the Gund.