Funding student research is a foundational initiative of the Office of Sustainability and a key investment in the development of future sustainability scholars and leaders. The Office of Sustainability awards fellowships and research grants for student scholars with research interests in sustainability.
Temple has a number of sustainability-focused research opportunities for students of all educational levels and backgrounds.
One grant opportunity for undergraduate students is the Creative Arts, Research, and Scholarship (CARAS) Program. Each semester, the Office of the Provost provides funding to a select number of students under the supervision of a faculty member to support their scholarly, research, or creative projects, often focused on sustainability. Visit this Undergraduate Studies page for more information.
The Climate Justice Field School (CJFS) is a community-engaged program centered around a 10-week-long paid summer internship. It provides Temple undergraduates the opportunity to work with Philadelphia-area organizations on projects that address unequal vulnerability to climate change impacts and related environmental injustices. Visit this page to learn more about the program and its hosts and sponsors.
The Temple University Graduate Research Award Sustainability Program (GRASP) advances the university's goal of expanding sustainability research by providing funding to a graduate student research project focused on sustainability.
There are also fellowship programs for undergraduate students to gain experience conducting sustainability research and practice skills in a professional context. The Office of Sustainability works collaboratively with internal and external partners to sponsor fellows and facilitate critical sustainability experiential learning.
The Civic Sustainability Fellowship sponsors a student to work for the City of Philadelphia's Office of Sustainability’s Municipal Energy Office (MEO). Building on existing data analysis and sustainability management skills, this fellow receives training in managing, organizing and analyzing data insights for key stakeholders. In assisting the Municipal Energy Office with data collection, database management and development of data tools, the fellow gains experience working in a public sector sustainability role and tracking progress towards The City of Philadelphia’s renewable energy and climate action goals.
Climate Resiliency Fellowship is collaboration between the Office of Sustainability and the Temple Ambler Field Station. The Climate and Resiliency Fellow contributes to research assessing ecological impacts following a novel large-scale disturbance caused by a tornado at the Temple Ambler Field Station’s (TUA-FS) Temple Forest Observatory in 2021. The fellow engages hands-on research and explores the many ways the recovering forest has been affected by this novel disturbance and the influence of climate change. The fellow participates in Temple’s Ambler Campus programming while critically reflecting on sustainability practices and exploring innovative science education approaches, culminating in a student-led educational event or demonstration.
