Weekly Update (02/09/2026)

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.

• ESPP Student Jeremy Rapp Recognized by AGU for Outstanding Science Policy Engagement

  Jeremy Rapp, a dual major doctoral student in ESPP and Earth and Environmental Science, is recognized by the AGU for his outstanding work as a participant in AGU’s Local Science Partners Program.

• From local action to global impact: A new framework for advancing sustainable development

  In an increasingly interconnected world, a local decision in one city can ripple across the globe. A new international study published in Nature Communications led by MSU’s Dr. Jianguo “Jack” Liu introduces a groundbreaking framework to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. By looking at “metacouplings”—the complex links between trade, migration, and technology—researchers are providing a roadmap to ensure that progress in one country doesn’t come at the expense of another.

Scholarships, Fellowships, and Funding Opportunities

• The Rose Graduate Fellowship Fund in Water Research Graduate Student Award | Deadline: February 10, 2026

  The Rose Graduate Fellowship in Water Research will benefit students enrolled in any doctoral program at MSU to help to address the looming global water crisis and support the next generation of scientists who will help us solve water problems here in Michigan, the Great Lakes, nationally, and globally.

• William W. and Evelyn M. Taylor Endowed Fellowship for International Engagement in Coupled Humans and Natural Systems | Deadline: February 19, 2026

  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.

• 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.

Seminars, Workshops, and Other Events

• 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.

• 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

• 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.

• 2026 Michigan Sustainability Conference

  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

• Korea University Climate Corps | Application Deadline: February 15, 2026

  The Center for Global Learning and Innovation (which runs Education Abroad) has an opportunity for a small number of MSU students to participate in the Climate Corps program that will be held at Korea University for one week in July. The Climate Corps is a global initiative by Korea University that unites higher education institutions to co-generate impactful solutions for climate crisis. Students will team up with colleagues from around the world to develop new research proposals, entrepreneurial project plans, and/or policy suggestions mentored by participating faculty members. Apply here.

• VIPP Summer 2026 Student Ambassador

  Visiting International Professional Program (VIPP) at ISP begins recruitment of MSU undergraduate and grad students to serve as cultural ambassadors and class assistants for their 2026 summer programs: the German Fulbright Summer Institute, Global Summer School, and the Agribusiness Summer Institute. This is a great opportunity for MSU students to build leadership and language skills, gain an international perspective, and build their resumes. This position is part of the Spartan Experience Record (SER) , and successful completion will be added to their record. Students can learn more about the position at vipp.msu.edu/ambassadors or complete the online application.