Undergraduate Energy Poverty Fellows (UNC-CH, NCSU, NC A&T and WSSU)

We seek to recruit 10 undergraduate students (~2 per summer) as Undergraduate Energy Poverty Fellows (UEPFs), starting with summer 2018. Students will spend the summer (early May through mid-August) preparing for and engaged in research on energy poverty in Southern Africa. Students will work with EPPSA faculty and the broader research team on social or natural science, or engineering aspects of planned impact evaluation studies in Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe, on population-level sociodemographic and spatial analyses, or on engineering or forest biomaterials topics related to  EPPSA. We seek students from a broad range of disciplines including public policy, geography, sociology, anthropology, and environmental science, engineering, forestry, and forest biomaterials. We are open to applications from students in other disciplines, but some familiarity with the substantive topics of environment, international development, or energy is preferred. Due to the funding source, there is a strong preference for US citizens and permanent residents

Requirements

  • Completion of at least 4 semesters of undergraduate coursework before commencing UEPF
  • Good academic standing at UNC-Chapel Hill, North Carolina State University, North Carolina A&T University, or Winston Salem State University.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Coursework in research design and/or quantitative methods
  • Interest in using EPPSA data for undergraduate Honors theses
  • Interest or demonstrated ability to learn foreign language
  • Interest or prior experience working with interdisciplinary and/or intercultural teams
  • US Citizenship or Legal Permanent Residence Status

Expectations of PIRE Undergraduate Energy Poverty Fellows (UNC-CH)

  • Participation in international fieldwork preparation short courses
    • Intensive language training (Chichewa, Bemba, or Shona)
    • Conduct research in developing country settings
  • Research experience in Southern Africa
  • Completion of a research/trip report

Financial and other Support

UEPFs will receive the following benefits:

  • Summer stipend of $6,000/summer
  • Travel funds to participate in EPPSA research in Southern Africa (airfare, per diem, visa fees, incidental expenses)

Application Process

  • Please prepare a letter of application no longer than 2 pages explaining:
    • Interest in energy poverty in developing countries
    • Relevant coursework and experience
    • In addition, in your letter please answer the following specific questions:
      • Will you have completed at least 4 semesters of undergraduate coursework by May of your UEPF year?
      • Are you in good standing at your home institution?
      • What is your overall GPA?
      • What courses and other training do you have in research design and/or quantitative methods?
      • Are you planning to use EPPSA data for an undergraduate Honors theses?
      • What languages other than English do you speak or have you studied?
      • What is your interest or prior experience working with interdisciplinary and/or intercultural teams?
      • Are you a US Citizenship or Legal Permanent Resident?
    • Unofficial transcripts
    • Recommendation letter from a faculty member at home institution who can speak to your potential to participate effectively in research in a developing country setting

Submit your letter and unofficial transcript as a single PDF with the file name “SURNAME_UEPF_2018” to Ryan McCord by 15  February. Please ask your recommendation letter writers to submit their letter as a PDF directly to Ryan McCord also by 15 February. Please ask your letter writers to include your surname and the acronym UEPF in the file name of their letter.

If you have questions, please email eppsa@unc.edu.