Application Deadline: February 13, 2026
Starting Date: July 1, 2026 – January 31, 2027
Scope: Multiple awards up to $18,500 each will be awarded to support graduate students, either Master’s or Ph.D., for FY 2026-2027, with the requirement that these funds are to be matched one to one by funds secured by the faculty applicant to cover the costs of maintaining a graduate student for a year or more. Faculty will be eligible for the continuation of the award in subsequent years (a potential one additional year for Master’s students or potential two additional years for Ph.D. students), based upon an annual review of the student’s research project and progress towards completion. Awardees may apply for travel grants to present related research papers at national and international meetings, providing the student who is presenting, and the abstract have both been accepted (up to $1000 awarded per student annually).
Eligibility: Only DWFI Faculty Fellows who are not currently receiving graduate student or postdoctoral scholar support from the institute are eligible to submit applications for Master’s and Ph.D. student support in response to this call. Successful applications will support student research in areas of importance to the institute, as described in the institute’s mission.
Download the DWFI Round Thirteen Request for Applications
The institute also supports Hubbard Water, Climate and Health Fellowships for students researching topics at the nexus of water, climate and health. Potential topics of interest include but are not limited to 1) Link between water quality and pediatric cancer or birth defects; 2) Health outcomes related to flooding or drought; 3) Mapping of at-risk populations and environmental exposures; 4) The impact of technology, such as precision application of nitrogen fertilizer, on soil and water quality.
University of Nebraska faculty who are not currently receiving graduate student or postdoctoral scholar support from DWFI are eligible to apply for a Hubbard Water, Climate and Health Fellowship. For more information about this funding opportunity, please review the RFA, available here: Hubbard Water, Climate and Health Fellowship Request for Applications
Note: a Master’s student who wants to become a Ph.D. student can receive a third year of funding under the same project. This change may be requested in their annual report. However, no student can be funded for more than 3 years ($55,500). Students cannot be funded on two consecutive projects.
Application Format: The formats for both applications are limited to three single-spaced pages. A brief outline is below. Please upload your application as a single PDF document.
- Project Title
- Project Description: Describe the research and clearly state its relevance to the institute’s mission, focus areas and outcome targets. The project description should include goals and objectives, a timeline, and deliverables.
- Anticipated Impacts: Describe how impacts from this project tie in directly to the institute’s target outcomes. Projects that clearly address how this research intentionally works towards changes in behavior and condition, rather than just knowledge, will be rated higher.
- Project Status: Specify if the research project is on-going or new. If on-going, list recent publications, presentations, etc.
- Student Status: Specify whether the student is current or new. If current, describe the student’s graduate work to date and submit the student’s resume. If new, describe the process by which the student will be recruited and/or gain admission to the University of Nebraska.
- Project Budget: The award amount ceiling has been set at $18,500 per year. In addition to providing a detailed budget narrative, please specify the source and amount of all matching funds. A one-to-one match of institute funds is required. To date matching funds have generally included grant funds and department funds (i.e., graduate/teaching assistant funds), but may also include other student awards and stipends.
- Anticipated Start Date: specify Fall 2026 or Spring 2027
If you have questions about the application process, please contact Rachael Herpel (rherpel@nebraska.edu, 402-419-0840), Randall Ritzema (rritzema@nebraska.edu).
To submit an application, specify whether you are requesting DWFI Research Support and/or a Hubbard Fellowship by checking the appropriate box below. Submit your contact information and the project title, along with your application.
