HMEI-CESEn Graduate Fellowship Program

The HMEI Climate and Environmental Sciences and Engineering Graduate Fellowship Program (CESEn) enables Ph.D. candidates in science, engineering, and other academic disciplines to add an environmental and/or climate-focused science/engineering dimension to their doctoral research. Admission to the program is by competitive application taken annually in the spring semester.

HMEI-CESEn Fellowships provide opportunities for students to develop research projects and technical expertise in environmental and climate sciences/engineering by working with an HMEI-affiliated faculty. The CESEn Fellowship is advantageous to students seeking an entry point into environmental/climate sciences and engineering; and/or for those who wish to bridge the research scales and disciplines to develop a new methodology or broader perspective on their disciplinary work.

By taking graduate level classes, participating students acquire specific technical skills and expertise, enabling them to perform novel research in environmental and climate science/engineering over the course of their fellowship, thus complementing disciplinary expertise earned during their Ph.D. training and preparation.

Awarded students receive half support (tuition and stipend) from the High Meadows Environmental Institute (HMEI) for two years and are expected to complete the requirements of the program. (See below for academic requirements.)

HMEI-CESEn Fellows also receive a $3,500 award to support their graduate research. HMEI-CESEn students may apply for teaching assistantships with the Program in Environmental Studies (with approval from their adviser).

Students supported by the HMEI-CESEn Fellowship are expected to complete the following program requirements:

1. Complete two (2) HMEI-related (ENV) graduate courses on climate/environment. A list of courses is available here. Other courses may be approved on a case-by-case basis including most classes offered in AOS, GEO, CEE, and EEB at the graduate level. Students wishing to pursue alternative courses to fulfill the requirement must receive approval from the CESEn Faculty Program Coordinator.
   Note: A single course, completed prior to accepting the Fellowship, may count towards the two-class requirement.
2. Produce an advanced climate/environmental science and engineering research paper. This paper must be the outcome of research pursued with the student’s HMEI-CESEn adviser, and in many cases as joint research with the dissertation adviser, with the aim for Fellows to publish research papers in peer-reviewed journals on a new topics/in new fields connected to environmental sciences and engineering. There is an expectation that research conducted as an HMEI-CESEn Fellow will be developed as a chapter of the student’s dissertation. Note: Research supported by the CESEn Fellowship should take place in the two academic years following the award.
3. Attend HMEI Faculty Seminars. HMEI Faculty Seminars are held monthly during the fall and spring semesters.

Princeton graduate students (post-generals) are eligible to apply for the HMEI-CESEn Fellowship. Applicants must demonstrate a strong interest in pursuing environment-related research and identify an HMEI-CESEn adviser in addition to their thesis adviser from their home department. The HMEI-CESEn adviser is expected to be included on the student’s dissertation committee.

DCE students are not eligible and will not be considered.

Selection into the HMEI-CESEn program is determined by competitive application each spring. Criteria for selection include a strong academic record, a well thought-out research plan, and engagement of the student’s departmental thesis adviser in the research plan.

To apply, HMEI-CESEn Fellowship candidates are required to submit a completed application form and to develop a 2 page research proposal in cooperation with their thesis adviser.  Recommendations from the applicant’s current Ph.D. adviser and the proposed HMEI-CESEn adviser are required components of the application package.

Applications will be reviewed and admission to the program determined by an HMEI-CESEn committee.

View the HMEI-CESEn Program Application page for more information and application deadlines.

Potential HMEI-CESEn advisers include members of HMEI’s faculty and Associated Faculty in the Natural Sciences and Engineering who actively pursue environmental research as a core component of their work and have expressed interest in mentoring HMEI-CESEn fellows.

View the list of HMEI-CESEn advisers.

HMEI-CESEn Faculty Coordinator: Luc Deike, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the High Meadows Environmental Institute

Program Administrator: Amber Lee, HMEI Undergraduate/Graduate Program Manager