Internships and Jobs in Water Resources

DELAWARE WATER RESOURCES CENTER (DWRC) UNDERGRADUATE INTERNSHIPS IN WATER RESOURCES provide a unique opportunity for undergraduate students and faculty to become directly involved in research and education programs that address water resource related issues of critical importance to Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region.

Eligibility: For the fall 2007 application period, all undergraduate students enrolled at any institution of higher learning in the state of Delaware may apply, except for those graduating at the end of the fall 2007 semester. All students must have the active support of a faculty advisor and a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Program Details and Deadlines (Brochure): The DWRC will pay up to $1750 per undergraduate intern, paid as hours worked at $10 per hour up to a maximum of 175 hours.  Internship projects must be completed by February 29th, 2008, with the final report submitted in April, 2008. Interns are also required to participate in a poster session at an undergraduate research conference on May 2, 2008. Academic credit for the internship is also possible but must be coordinated with the student’s faculty advisor. Faculty may not advise more than two interns concurrently and must provide matching funds consistent with DWRC guidelines, usually by committing a percentage of their time to the intern's project. The application deadline for DWRC fall internships is October 5, 2007. Application form must be accompanied by a copy of student's current unofficial transcript, current resume mentioning any special skills or experiences such as prior internships, research or education projects and laboratory or technical experiences, and a brief description (1-2 pages) of the research or education project proposed for this internship. The student's and faculty internship advisor's signatures are also required.

Types of Internships: DWRC general water resources internships are open to all eligible students and faculty at a Delaware institution of higher learning. Students must develop and conduct an internship project that is consistent with the DWRC’s overall research and educational interests listed below.  

DWRC also offers co-sponsored undergraduate internships. Eligible students must develop and conduct their internship project with a faculty or staff advisor from one of the following co-sponsoring organizations:

Delaware Geological Survey

offers a co-sponsored internship specifically focusing on hydrogeology. Students can develop an internship project with researchers working on ground water supply, water quality, and other related geology or water resource topics.

DNREC Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control

Delaware State University faculty support internships in the areas of agriculture, natural

resources, aquaculture, and aquatic ecology.

UD Water Resources Agency 

offers a co-sponsored internship specifically focusing on water resource policy.

UD College of Agriculture and Natural Resources: 

Two DWRC internships are available for projects in the departments of Animal and Food Sciences, Entomology and Applied Ecology, Bioresources Engineering, Food and Resource Economics, or Plant and Soil Sciences. An additional DWRC internship focusing on nutrient management and water quality is available for an internship project in the Department of Plant and Soil Sciences.  An additional DWRC internship focusing on soil - water quality relationships is available for an internship project in the Institute for Soil and Environmental Quality.

UD College of Arts and Science

Students can develop internship projects in chemistry, economics, geography, geology, political science, or other subjects closely related to water resources.

UD College of Engineering

Students can develop an internship project in areas such as Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering.

UD College of Marine and Earth Studies

Students can develop an internship project in areas such as Marine Biology and Biochemistry, Marine Policy, Oceanography, or Physical Ocean Science & Engineering.

Water resources research and education topics of interest to the DWRC include:  

Contact faculty, reach an agreement to work together, and identify your topic to investigate. Faculty may not advise more than two interns concurrently and must provide matching funds consistent with DWRC guidelines, usually by committing a percentage of their time to the intern’s project.