Weekly Update (02/16/2026)
ESPP News & Announcements
Mark your calendar for the 2026 Fate of the Earth Symposium on Sustainability, Thursday, Mar 26 & Friday, Mar 27, at the MSU Union. Over two days, you’ll engage directly with the complexity of sustainability, and the messy, collaborative work of turning vision into action. More information will follow.
Scholarships, Fellowships, and Funding Opportunities
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MSU graduate students, who are performing research related to the sustainability of fish, wildlife, or water resources using an integrated or joint approach that links humans with their natural environment, are encouraged to apply for this fellowship.
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National Academies Gulf Research Program’s Science Policy Fellowship | Deadline: February 26, 2026
The Gulf Research Program’s Science Policy Fellowship helps scientists gain first-hand experience applying science to policy as they spend one year on the staff of federal, state, local, or non-governmental agencies in the Gulf region. With the guidance of a mentor, fellows delve into activities like policy development, evaluation, restoration planning, grants management, and stakeholder outreach and learn what it takes to make scientific information not just useful but useable. Meanwhile, host offices get a talented technical expert with a fresh perspective and a new network of contacts across the Gulf region.
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EPA Seeking Applicants for Environmental Education Grants |Deadline March 3, 2026
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency will award grants between $200K–$250K each, up to 16 nationwide, for projects that help people better understand environmental challenges in their communities and take steps to address them. Funded projects will focus on modern tools, including AI, to identify problems early, monitor water quality, and prevent contamination from affecting families and neighborhoods.
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The Clifford Humphrys Fellowship for Preservation of Water Quality in The Great Lakes will benefit students enrolled in any graduate program at MSU studying or doing research on water quality, especially as it relates to the Great Lakes and Lake Michigan in particular. The award is $15,000.
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Leadership Fellows Program | Deadline: March 14, 2026
Housed in the Graduate School Office of Well-Being, the Leadership Fellows Program is a dynamic educational experience that aims to provide leadership development opportunities and position and equip students to be effective change agents within the MSU community. Fellows form a community of leaders from across campus who are passionate about learning and creating positive change.
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Great Lakes Blue Tech Challenge | Deadline: March 27, 2026
The Great Lakes Blue Tech Challenge is a competition for entrepreneurs, startups, and student-led ventures tackling freshwater challenges like water quality, PFAS, microplastics, and marine infrastructure. The top award includes $30,000 in seed funding, along with mentorship and access to a growing Great Lakes freshwater innovation ecosystem.
Seminars, Workshops, and Other Events
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Ethics Week | February 16-20, 2026 | Various locations
Organized by the Ethics Institute, the week-long series of events strives to actively involve students, faculty, staff, and the community in meaningful ethics conversations. Ethics Week includes a mix of in-person, virtual, and hybrid opportunities for the MSU and local communities. A wide range of topics and disciplines will be covered across 30 events, so they may be of interest to your audiences.
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2026 WaterCube NRT Annual Retreat and Symposium | 8 - 11:45 AM, February 20, 2026 | Kellogg Center
The 2026 WaterCube NRT Annual Retreat and Symposium will take place Friday, Feb. 20, from 8–11:45 a.m. in the Lincoln Room at the Kellogg Center, featuring trainee presentations and a panel on careers in water. You need to register to attend.
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CIRCLE Interdisciplinary Workshop | 10 AM - 1 PM, February 20, 2026 | CTLI W207 Main Library
This interactive workshop is designed for graduate students who identify as or aspire to be interdisciplinary scholars, educators, and/or collaborators. Participants will spend time identifying their own interdisciplinary skillset, discussing interdisciplinary career trajectories with MSU faculty, and developing a personal plan for framing and articulating their own interdisciplinary goals and activities. Click here to register
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Michigan’s consumer battery recycling stakeholder meeting | 10 AM, February 26, 2026 | Online
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) is launching programming to focus on Battery Circularity to improve how batteries are collected, recycled, and reprocessed across the state. The program focuses on consumer single-use batteries, consumer rechargeable batteries, and electric vehicle (EV) battery units. As part of this effort, EGLE is convening a stakeholder meeting to gather input from organizations across the battery and recycling landscape, and we would welcome your participation. Register now to attend this open stakeholder conversation.
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2026 Michigan Sustainability Conference | Deadline: March 8, 2026
The Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE) will host the 2026 Michigan Sustainability Conference (MISCON) on September 9-10, 2026, in Lansing, Michigan. The deadline to submit proposals is March 8, 2026.
Job and Training Opportunities
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NSF NCAR 2026 EdEC ASP Summer Colloquium | Deadline: February 22, 2026
The NSF NCAR Advanced Study Program (ASP) invites graduate students who are interested in learning how to conduct innovative convergence research that uses a systems approach to strengthen resilience against compound hazards to apply to the 2026 ASP Summer Colloquium. This is suitable for all graduate students in Earth system and related sciences, including engineering, social and behavioral sciences, AI/ML and computational sciences, information and data sciences, physical, environmental and biological sciences, solar and space sciences, and related disciplines.
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NASA EarthRISE Developers Academy Summer Research | Application Deadline: March 6, 2026
NASA EarthRISE Developers Academy is offering 10-week, paid research opportunities this summer that are open to current students and recent graduates, as well as transitioning/early career professionals. The Academy builds the next generation of science and technology leaders through an immersive, experiential model applying NASA Earth observations to real-world challenges. Please see details about this opportunity including eligibility, tentative project themes, and application instructions at https://appliedsciences.nasa.gov/nasadevelop. The application window is open now through March 6th, 2026, for the 10-week, summer 2026 project term taking place from June 1st – August 7th. US citizenship or Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) status is required to apply.