How to apply, survive, and thrive in academia
Welcome scholars!
Whether you are looking to join the lab, apply to CSU, or are still considering if academia or graduate school is a good fit for you, we invite you to reflect on the following questions.
Below you will find resources to support you wherever you are at in your academic journey, including tips for applying to graduate school, various funding opportunities for undergrads to postdocs, and other mentorship and community support resources, both on campus and beyond.
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If you decide to pursue a position in academia, whether as an undergraduate, graduate student, or post-doc, selecting an advisor and appropriate lab community is a critical step. You will likely be working closely and extensively with your lab group and advisor over a significant length of time, so identifying a good fit in terms of complementary research interests and approaches, advising style, and lab culture is central to collective success.
Before reaching out, thoroughly review the lab website to get an idea of the type of work that we do, our values, our approach to research, and the various publications and science communication outputs our lab members generate (Articles & Media). Note, that we only accept students with funding, so we invite you to explore our current opportunities (these will be posted on the Latest News & Jobs page) or consider applying for other sources of funding, some of which are included below.
We also invite you to reach out if you are interested in pursuing a graduate fellowship that aligns with the lab’s areas of focus or would like to receive mentorship from one of our current graduate students. If you find that our lab’s focus and values are of interest to you and align with a research emphasis that you envision dedicating substantial time and energy towards in your scholarship, then we invite you to Connect With Us and share a bit about yourself and your interests!
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Graduate students* interested in pursuing a Masters or PhD in this lab must be enrolled in the Forest and Rangeland Stewardship (FRS) program at CSU.
To apply:
1) Connect with your potential graduate advisor to assess project alignment and capacity. Remember that funding is required for acceptance!
2) Compile program-specific application materials (for the FRS program, students are required to submit a statement of purpose, resume, official transcripts, and three letters of recommendation. See the “How to apply” page and tips below for more details)
3) Complete CSU’s online graduate application (including fee waiver, if applicable) and indicate the program (FRS) and level (Masters or PhD) that you plan to complete
4) Keep an eye out for admission updates!
*Undergraduate students, post docs, and other collaborators are not required to be housed or have completed a degree in the FRS department. Undergraduate students are encouraged to pursue majors/minors that are best suited for their interests and career goals.
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Here are some resources depending on where you are at in your application process:
1) Consideration of what this path means to you and if it’s the right fit
2) How to connect with faculty
3) General guidance and writing examples for preparing graduate program and fellowship applications
4) Tips for writing a CV/resume in the environmental field (and academia!)
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Below is a list of funding options depending on your position and level of need.
If you plan to pursue a more intensive proposal or grant application (e.g., for fellowship opportunities), see these tips on how to write grant/fellowship proposals.
University funding:1) Warner College of Natural Resources Scholarships and Fellowships (undergraduate and graduate students)
2) Colorado State University Scholarships (new and current undergraduate and graduate students)
3) Native Women in Science scholarship (for federally enrolled undergraduate Native women in the sciences at CSU)
4) Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (summer funding only)
US-based fellowships:1) NSF Graduate Research Fellowship Program (graduate students only)
2) Udall Undergraduate Scholarship (Sophomore or Junior only)
3) Harry S. Truman Scholarship (Junior or Senior pursuing graduate school)
4) The Hertz Foundation (graduate students only)
US-based fellowships focused on historically marginalized communities:1) Ford Foundation Predoctoral Fellowship (doctoral students only)
2) AAUW Fellowship (graduate and first-generation women)
3) Native Forward Scholars Fund (search engine for diverse funding opportunities for Native students). See here and below for recent and recurring funds:
Native Forward Professional Development Funding for STEM Educators and Students
Miller Indigenous Economic Development Fellowship (Native doctoral students only)
4) Cobell Scholarship (Native graduate or undergraduate students)
5) GEM Fellowship (graduate students only)
6) Mellon Mays Undergraduate Fellowship (undergraduate students only)
7) Paul and Daisy Soros Fellowships for New Americans (graduate students only)
8) SREB-State Doctoral Scholars Program (doctoral students only)
Field-specific grant opportunities:
1) Ecology, Forestry, and Plant Ecology (graduate only)
2) NOAA Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship Program (ocean and coastal ecosystems)
3) Center for Collaborative Conservation Fellowship (community-based conservation - CSU affiliate)
4) Center for Human-Carnivore Coexistence (carnivore ecology - CSU affiliate)
5) Conservation Nation (conservation and endangered species)
Fellowships for international students:
1) American Association of University Women (AAUW) International Fellowships
2) PhD Fellowships for Women Scientists from Science and Technology Lagging Countries
3) Fulbright Foreign Student Program
4) Philanthropic Educational Organization (PEO) International Peace Scholarship
5) Schlumberger Foundation Faculty for the Future Fellowship Program
6) Smithsonian Fellowships and Scholarships (both US and international)
7) National Geographic Explorer grant (both US and international)
Funding for post-docs only:1) USDA NIFA Postdoctoral Fellowship
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Below is a list of mentorship and community networks for support across campus and the region.
Mentorship:1) Rocky Mountain Alliance for Minority Participation (RM-AMP)
2) Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) - CSU student chapter
3) Minorities in Agriculture, Natural Resources and Related Sciences (MANRRS) - CSU student chapter
4) American Indian Science and Engineering Society (AISES) - CSU student chapter
Community support resources:1) Warner College Graduate Student “Survival” Guide for local and international students
2) United Campus Workers Colorado - CSU Chapter
3) SNAP benefits for students
4) For additional resources related to food and basic needs access for CSU students, see Rams Against Hunger (RAH)
5) Student Disability Center (SDC)
6) Mental Health, Well-Being, and Multicultural Resources for Students (CSU Health Network)
7) Native American Cultural Center (NACC)
8) Native Women’s Circle: A social program through NACC at Colorado State University that nurtures group, individual, and cultural support for all students. Meetings are held every Tuesday in the NACC office (LSC 327) from 5-6pm. Stop by or contact NACC to learn more!
9) Black/African American Cultural Center (BAACC)
10) Asian Pacific American Cultural Center (APACC)
11) BIWoC in Ag./NR/Conservation/Lovers of Land Collective: a virtual space and time for us as amazing, innovative, strong, resilient, beautiful and powerful Black, Indigenous and Womxn of Color committed to the holistic health, rights and liberation of our peoples and mother earth to come together, build community, support each other, bounce transformative ideas off each other for ways forward in achieving our goals in the work that we do in community and in our daily lives. We hold this as a standing drop-in meeting once a month. For more information, email Ariana Gloria-Martinez.
Did we miss anything important in this blog article? Are there any resources that you think should be added? We’d love to hear what you think using this form.
Suggested citation: David-Chavez, D. & Layden, T. (2022). How to apply, survive, and thrive in academia. Indigenous Land and Data Stewards Lab.