The Environmental Studies Program is fortunate to offer several endowed internships and research assistantships each year. These are wonderful opportunities to explore a field, investigate an interest area, expand your education beyond the classroom, or engage a professional opportunity. In past years, students have interned with environmental NGOs, private corporations, environmental think tanks, and federal, state, and local government agencies.

Some of the organizations that have recently welcomed our majors as interns includes the Sierra Club, Rocky Mountain Institute, Congressional Research Service, Stanford University Environmental Law Institute, Minnesota Land Trust, Friends of the Boundary Waters, Navajo Nation Department of Justice, Cascadia Research Initiative, and the American Museum of Natural History in New York City.

As for research assistantships, students have worked with faculty at Carleton and several other colleges and universities across the country.

Requirements

The internship or research assistantship must offer a clear environmental studies focus.

The internship or research assistantship must be unpaid, or you must reflect the compensation you expect to receive in your application and adjust your request below our maximum award accordingly, as detailed on the application form.

Research assistantships at Carleton or at other institutions cannot be used as a substitute for other available funding sources.

Applications

All applicants must complete the Environmental Studies Application for Internships and Assistantships Form below.

Environmental Studies Application for Internships and Assistantships

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ENTS Application for Internship and Research Assistantship

Faculty Member for Letter of Recommendation*
Faculty Member for Letter of Recommendation*

Supervisor/Organizational Contact

Address
MM slash DD slash YYYY
Provide a description of your proposed internship or research assistantship, making sure to include details about how you became interested in the position, what activities you plan to carry out during, and how you are going to bring these experiences back to the Carleton community. Include a brief timeline showing the activities you expect to be involved in.
Discuss how this experience will contribute to your Carleton education and to your major in Environmental Studies.

Budget Worksheet / Financial Information

Submit an approximate budget by completing the Budget Worksheet provided below. If you have additional funding sources, please include that information as well. Applicants for a research assistantship at another institution should inform us what steps they have taken to secure funding from other sources. ENTS will fund research assistantships at other institutions only if there is no other source of funding available.
Please enter a number greater than or equal to 0.
Number of weeks needed x cost per week
Please enter a number greater than or equal to 0.
Airfare, ground transportation, college car usage (college mileage fee will apply) or personal car ($0.14/mile) Use the least expensive airfare when air travel is necessary. The least expensive mode of transportation will be funded unless other mode(s) are deemed necessary for the successful completion of the project.)
Please enter a number greater than or equal to 0.
Number of weeks food is needed x cost per week
Please enter a number greater than or equal to 0.
Expenses (please itemize).
Expense
Budget $
 

Applications require two letters of recommendation from faculty members using the Environmental Studies Internships & Research Assistantships Faculty Recommendation Form below.

Research assistantship applications require one letter of recommendation from the faculty member who will be supervising your work.

Applicants can submit multiple applications to support different possible internships or research assistantships, and you may apply for funding prior to having been accepted for an internship or research assistantship. The program, however, will only fund one internship and that funding will be contingent on acceptance.

Applications are due by February 23, 2026. After that date, applications will be considered on a rolling basis, subject to available funds, through the end of spring term.

Questions

If you have any questions about ENTS internships or research assistantships, please contact Devavani Chatterjea or Breanna Wheeler.