UCGHI Center for Planetary Health Water and Health Research Fellowships (University of California students)

 About

The UCGHI Center for Planetary Health Water and Health Summer Research Fellowships start in June 2026. The water and health research fellowships are designed to provide students with funding to conduct research on water and health. Students are encouraged to have two University of California faculty mentors from two different UC campuses. Applicantions are welcome from graduate and undergraduate students. A max of $5,000 is offered for the summer fellowship, $2,500 is the average amount awarded. 

Desired skills, experience, and qualities of the student:

• Graduate or undergraduate student status at a UC campus.
• Minimum GPA 3.0 to be eligible for the program.
• Strong desire to learn, proactive and solution-oriented attitude, excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to synthesize complex information from various sources.
• Ability to collaborate and communicate with stakeholders.
• Confident, self-motivated, well-organized.
• Interest in water and health research.

Examples of activities that the student may be involved in:

• Conduct water and health research in the field or in the lab with two mentors from two different UC campuses.
• Investigate drinking water quality among vulnerable populations and health risks.
• In the lab, measure pesticides in water and discuss implications for health.

 Apply

To apply for a summer fellowship, please complete and email the application and supporting materials to planetaryhealth@ucdavis.edu by March 13, 2026 for initial review. Applications will be reviewed in March.

Applications submitted after March 13, 2026, may be accepted if additional opportunities arise. Further information about the program as well as the desired skills, experience, and qualities of the fellows can be found below. Please direct any questions about the fellowship program or application to planetaryhealth@ucdavis.edu.

Application Materials Requested:

1. Resume including contact information, education, employment, honors, publications.
2. Recommendations from two UC faculty mentors from two different UC campuses who will be your mentors.
3. Personal statement that describes your career goals and what you hope to gain from a summer fellowship (1 page maximum)
4. Research statement (3 page maximum) that describes your summer research plans for the summer funding window, includes: background, novelty of research, research design and analysis plan for the summer funding, IRB approval, goals for disseminating the research, strengths and limitations (3-4 pages max).
5. Budget that describes how the funding will be used and timeline for conducting the research over the summer months.

Email your application to planetaryhealth@ucdavis.edu.

 Timeline

High Level Program Timeline: