Graduate students: Join an interdisciplinary team of experts in a fully funded international summer experience to build field skills in hydrological and sociocultural research in El Salvador. This multi-year project is conducting research in climate change-induced, water-related challenges in the Central American Dry Corridor with a focus on agricultural community adaptations to extreme hydrometeorological events in El Salvador. Project work will be carried out on topics pertaining to:

• Groundwater aquifer characterization, including quantifying the temporal nature of recharge rates  
• Seasonal water quality studies of roof-top rainwater catchment systems and groundwater, including exploring treatment options as needed
• Seasonal community water usage 

This project is a collaboration of Michigan Technological University (MTU), the Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc. (CUAHSI), and Lutheran World Relief (LWR) in El Salvador, and funded as a National Science Foundation International Research Experience for Students (IRES).

Additional information is available at https://www.cuahsi.org/IRES, including an overview of the results from the first student cohort, which occurred over the summer of 2021.

Accepted students will participate in an 8-week summer research experience in select communities of El Salvador from mid-June through early-August 2023. Included in the 8-week experience is a week of preparatory workshop training held virtually in June.

Student Eligibility: We seek students with interdisciplinary research interests and hydrological and social science backgrounds. Students must be full-time graduate students and US citizens. Full-time enrollment in a graduate program in Fall 2023 is the definition. 

Funding: All travel expenses (subject to university and NSF Policies) will be provided, and a $2,000 stipend to those who complete the experience.

For more information, please see the application website provided above, which includes a link to a 2022 program information webinar recording with more information on the activities and application process (the webinar was recorded in preparation for last year’s program, but key details remain the same). Please contact Dr. Luke Bowman at ljbowman@mtu.edu with questions. Applications must be submitted by February 3, 2023.

Finally, join us at 6:00 PM (Eastern) on Wednesday, January 18th for an informal informational webinar on Zoom: https://michigantech.zoom.us/j/81508802594