Rocky Mountain Hydrologic Research Center (RMHRC)

RMHRC

Scholarships

The Rocky Mountain Hydrologic Research Center (RMHRC) is now accepting applications for the RMHRC Scholarship to support undergraduate and graduate students doing hydrological related research in the Rocky Mountain Region.

Applications are due by March 31.

Recipients will be notified by May 1.

Please carefully read the instructions below. Then fill out the Application Form and submit additional materials as instructed. The Rubric – RMHRC Scholarship Rubric – provides the scoring guide that will be used for evaluating scholarship applications which the applicant is encouraged to review when preparing their materials.

The Rocky Mountain Hydrologic Research Center (RMHRC) is pleased to announce its annual scholarship competition for this year. Two scholarships of up to $2,000 each will be awarded to undergraduate or graduate students to support their hydrological research in the Rocky Mountains at an accredited university in the United States. The intent is to provide the applicant ith financial support and recognition that encourages them to begin or continue research that will benefit hydrology and closely related fields and enhance the body of hydrologic knowledge. Applicants for scholarships may apply in one of three categories:

  • Emerging Scholar – This category is intended for applicants who are new to the field of hydrology and have not yet obtained significant funding from other sources. Applicants in this category are evaluated based on research significance, academic achievement, potential for future success, financial need, and considerations related to overcoming adversity.
  • Supplemental Research Funding – This category is intended for applicants who already have some funding for research but could use the scholarship to expand or improve their research. Applicants in this category are evaluated based on research significance, academic achievement, potential for success, financial need, and value added to research by the scholarship.
  • Ecohydrology – Starting with the 2027 application cycle, RMRHC will award a $2000 scholarship in Ecohydrology. Ecohydrology is the interdisciplinary science that studies the interactions between water (hydrology) and living organisms (ecology) across landscapes, rivers, wetlands, soils, and aquifers. This scholarship will be awarded biennially to a student who has taken initiative to find innovative solutions to ecohydrology research topics.

Recipients are required to present a progress report on their work at the RMHRC Annual Meeting in the Fall following the award of the RMHRC Scholarship and a final written report by April 30 of the following year.

Applications must be received no later than 11:59 pm MDT on March 31. All documents, with the exception of letters of recommendation, should be submitted in one email. Letters of recommendation should be submitted by the letter writers, not by the applicant, and must be received by 11:59 pm MDT on March 31. Eligibility details, information on use of scholarship funds including required reports, required documents, and evaluation criteria are provided below.

Direct questions related to this announcement to the RMHRC email: rmhrc.org@gmail.com and aearles@wrightwater.com or call the RMHRC Secretary, Andrew Earles, at (303)-480-1700.

Timeline

Solicitation announcement • February 1
Application and letters of recommendation deadline • March 31
Notification of award recipient • May 1
Presentation of progress report at the RMHRC Annual Meeting • Fall (usually late-October or early-November)
Final report deadline • 30 April (following year of award)

Eligibility

The RMHRC does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion (creed), gender, gender expression, age, national origin (ancestry), disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, or any other restricting classification in its selection of scholars.

Applicants must meet all the following eligibility requirements to qualify for this scholarship.

  1. Applicants must be currently enrolled in an undergraduate (associate’s or bachelor’s degree) or graduate (master’s or doctorate, not including post-doctoral researchers) program in the United States in hydrology or closely related field that has application to research in the Rocky Mountains. Examples include environmental science, water resources engineering, environmental engineering, civil engineering, watershed sciences, geology, chemistry, and climate as it relates to hydrology or water resources. Applicants pursuing degrees in other fields are encouraged to inquire about eligibility for their degree program by contacting RMHRC at the email address above.
  2. Applicants must be in good academic standing, defined as having a GPA of approximately 3.0 on a 4-point scale. Students with a GPA less than approximately 3.0 may still apply and provide an explanation of factors that have affected their GPA.
  3. Students who have previously received this scholarship are not eligible to receive this scholarship again within their degree program. Students who start a new degree program after completing the degree they were pursuing when they received the scholarship may reapply, provided they still meet the other eligibility criteria.
  4. There is no citizenship requirement for this scholarship. International students enrolled in a program in the United States, who conduct research in the Rocky Mountains are eligible. Before disbursements of funds, appropriate visas/residency status must be confirmed.
  5. No membership or prior engagement with RMHRC is required.

Use of Scholarship Funds

Scholarship funds can be used to assist the recipient with tuition, research costs, laboratory analyses, field work (including field camp or assistance in the field), publication costs, or conference registration and travel. Use of funds for a purpose not listed here requires prior approval by the RMHRC Scholarship Committee and can be requested by contacting RMHRC at rmhrc.org@gmail.com and aearles@wrightwater.com. Recipients are required to provide a presentation at the RMHRC Annual Meeting in the Fall of the year the scholarship is granted summarizing how the funds have been used and how this contributed to their course of study and goals. This will serve as an interim progress report. A final written report must be submitted by April 30 of the year following the award. The final report must describe the use of the funds, results of the academic and/or research progress and any related outreach.

Required Documents

Applicants must submit the following information to the RMHRC Scholarship Committee at rmhrc.org@gmail.com and aearles@wrightwater.com to be considered for this scholarship. Incomplete or late applications will not be considered.

  1. Completed scholarship application form.
  2. Curriculum vitae.
  3. Unofficial transcripts for all past and current degree programs (Examples: A student with no current college degree pursuing a BS will submit a transcript for their BS program. A student with a BA and an MS pursuing a PhD will submit transcripts from their BA, MS, and PhD programs.)
  4. Two letters of recommendation from professional references (not relatives or friends) to be submitted separately by the letter writers to the RMHRC Scholarship Committee. These letters should not be sent by the applicant. Applicants should submit contact information for their references via the application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to solicit letters to be submitted on their behalf and to ensure that letters are submitted before the due date. RMHRC will not request letters from references. References should be able to speak to the applicant’s potential for success as a scientific researcher.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated by the Scholarship Committee, composed of three RMHRC board members. Applicants will be evaluated on their :

  1. Research significance
  2. Academic achievement
  3. Potential for success in their chosen hydrological related field
  4. Financial need (including need related to research directly – i.e., travel, supplies, analyses, etc., or supporting the student in pursuit of their degree achievement more broadly – i.e., tuition, fees, room/board, child care, etc.)

Applicants for the Emerging Scholar scholarship also will be evaluated based on how they have overcome challenges to become hydrological researchers.

Applicants for the Supplemental Research Funding scholarship also will be evaluated based on the value added to their research by the scholarship.

Applicants for the Ecohydrology scholarship also will be evaluated on their initiative and innovative problem solving skills.

The Rubrics provides the scoring matrices that will be used for evaluating scholarship applications which the applicant is encouraged to review when preparing their materials.

Applicants are encouraged to share the Rubric with the people they have selected to write Letters of Recommendation.

Please fill out the Application Form and submit additional materials as instructed on the page.