Lafayette’s Mellon Scholars Program enables high-performing students to assist faculty members with Environmental scholarship. The purpose of the Mellon Program is to encourage collaboration in research between faculty and students focusing on research having an Environmental Studies or Environmental Science focus. The program is particularly designed to support collaborative research involving several faculty and/or several students working on interdisciplinary projects.
Funding from the Environmental Initiative, supported by the Mellon Foundation presents the opportunity for a faculty member who has applied for an EXCEL scholar to take on a second or third research student through the Mellon Environmental Scholar program.
Research projects involving Mellon Scholars should be capable of scholarly publication or provide the students with an equivalent experience.
Mellon research assistantships are available to full-time students in all disciplines, provided that the research has a strong environmental focus.
Mellon Scholars will receive a stipend of $8 to $10 per hour. They may work part-time during the academic year (8-10 hours per week) or full-time during the Summer (10 weeks) and the Interim Session (three weeks). EXCEL and Mellon Scholars receive College housing in the residence halls during the period they are working in the Interim and Summer. Mellon Scholars are expected to be prepared to develop posters or papers presenting the results of their summer work.
A. Application Procedures
Any faculty member who is interested in obtaining a Mellon Scholar should select a qualified student and submit a proposal to Professor Germanoski and the Environmental Initiative Committee. For uniformity proposals should use the standard EXCEL scholars application form the form which is available on-line, and the following information:
Student employees are required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 to complete a verification (Form I-9) documenting their citizenship or legal authorization to work in the United States. Student Research Assistantship proposals must include a receipt indicating that a Form I-9 has already been satisfactorily completed and turned into the Human Resources Office.
Students who are employed on campus at the time of application for a Mellon assistantship must notify their supervisors of the pending application and its final disposition.
B. Deadlines
Applications for Mellon Scholars for Summer 2011 must be received by March 25, 2011.