How To Apply

Eligibility

  • Prospective or first year graduate students admitted to or enrolled at UMN-Twin Cities studying engineering, public policy, science, or urban planning

  • Research interests align with the theme of water, energy, and materials circularity

  • All applicants and their faculty advisor must read and sign the program's Memorandum of Understanding upon the student applying. Email the program coordinator at [email protected] to receive a copy

The NRT program offers two financial awards: (1) fellowships or (2) travel and equipment:

  1. NRT Fellowship Award: Students selected to receive the NRT fellowship must be a UMN master's or doctoral-level student enrolled in a research-based STEM degree program or a doctoral program in the Humphrey School of Public Affairs that requires a thesis or dissertation. The fellowship includes a $34,000 annual stipend, tuition coverage, and health insurance. International students and master’s students in a professional school are ineligible for this level of funding, but they are strongly encouraged to apply and are eligible to receive the Travel & Equipment award listed below.
  2. NRT Travel & Equipment Award: Students who are not eligible nor selected for the NRT fellowships are typically funded by research and/or teaching assistantships through faculty mentors or home graduate programs. Those who do not receive NRT fellowship funding are eligible to receive $2000 towards travel, conference attendance, and stakeholder discovery in addition to $500 for equipment or lab supplies or to purchase datasets. International students and master's students not completing a thesis or dissertation are eligible for this level of funding.

Master's students participate in the program for one year and receive one year of NRT funding (the fellowship or travel and equipment award), and PhD students participate for two years and receive two years of NRT funding. NRT fellowships are competitive, and not all eligible students will be selected to receive a fellowship. We encourage trainees to contact our Program Coordinator or team of faculty to learn more about other funding opportunities that may be available.

The application for the NRT fellowship or the travel and equipment award is the same. All students in the NRT program, whether receiving a fellowship or travel and equipment award, are required to participate in all program activities.

Applications for the Fall 2025 cohort will open on Monday, November 18, 2024, and the deadline to apply is Friday, January 10, 2025 at 5:00pm. Click here to fill out an Interest Form to receive email notification of when the next application cycle opens.