Regional San—SASD Graduate Fellowship Opportunities 2020

Program Summary

The Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District (Regional San) and Sacramento Area Sewer District (SASD), in conjunction with the Office of Water Programs (OWP), are pleased to offer a Sacramento Regional County Sanitation District and Sacramento Area Sewer District Graduate Research Fellowship (hereafter referred to as the Regional San-SASD Fellowship) for students currently pursuing master's degrees at California State University, Sacramento.

Regional San's mission is to protect public health and the environment by conveying, treating, and recovering resources from wastewater responsibly and cost effectively.

SASD's mission is to protect public health and the environment by efficiently and effectively collecting sewage for our community.

OWP's mission is providing cost-effective solutions for protecting and enhancing water resources, public health, and the environment through training, scientific research, and public education.

This Regional San-SASD Fellowship provides an opportunity for one student to fulfill his/her master's project/thesis requirement by completing a research-based project in collaboration with Regional San, SASD, and OWP. The Fellow will have the opportunity to work alongside faculty and research staff, and will be reimbursed for part-time tuition (up to 6 units) plus a one-time continuation fee (if needed) upon successful completion of the project.

Eligibility

This fellowship program is open to all master's students currently enrolled at California State University, Sacramento, regardless of major or department. Applicants must have advanced to candidacy and be ready to complete their master's project. Part-time student interns at OWP may apply; full-time OWP employees are not eligible.

Project

The selected applicant will complete a research-based project of relevance to Regional San and SASD, in collaboration with OWP research staff. The project scope should be such that it can be completed (up to the rough draft of the report) in approximately 150 hours over the course of 1 semester for a 3-unit class (300 hours for a 6-unit class).

Students may propose to work on a Regional San-SASD project (see attached list of project statements) or may propose a project of their own that is of relevance to Regional San and SASD. All projects must be consistent with the Regional San, SASD, and OWP missions. All projects, whether they are developed by Regional San and SASD, OWP, or proposed by the applicant, must be approved by the applicant's academic advisor in order to receive academic credit.

Application Process

The selection process includes evaluation of written applications and interviews with selected candidates.

The application date for the Fall 2023 fellowship will be announced soon.

Master's students interested in participating in the Regional San-SASD Graduate Research Fellowship Program should submit a 2-part application as described below.

Part 1

  • Introduction: List your name, contact information, and student ID. Describe your current field of study, anticipated graduation date, and career aspirations (limited to 1 page).
  • Project Description: Select a problem statement from the attached list of Regional San-SASD projects or propose one of your own. You may select/propose up to three projects. For each Regional San-SASD project for which you wish to be considered, provide a Personal Qualifications section (see below). This should not exceed 1 page in length for each project. (Do not reproduce the problem statement.) For non-Regional San-SASD projects you wish to propose, provide a description of the project plus the personal qualifications statement. Combined, this should not exceed 2 pages for each project.
  • Personal Qualifications Statement: Answer the following questions.
    • What prior work, academic, or other experiences qualify you to complete this project?
    • Why are you interested in working on this particular project?
    • Why do you feel you'll be successful in completing this project?

Part 2

  • Resume: Include a 1-page resume.
  • Letter of Support: For non-Regional San-SASD projects, provide a signed statement from your faculty advisor indicating his/her support for the project and willingness to act as the first reader (or thesis committee chair).

Application Formatting Requirements:

  • PDF format
  • Standard 8.5" x 11" page size
  • 12-point, Times New Roman or Calibri Body font
  • 10-point font may be used for references, footnotes, figure captions, and text within figures
  • 1" margins on all sides
  • Single-spaced (approximately 5 lines per inch) or greater line spacing. Do not use line spacing options that are smaller than single-spaced, such as exactly 12 point.

Submission

Candidates should send their completed applications in PDF format to John Heltzel via email at john.heltzel@owp.csus.edu by the due date for each semester.

Application Review and Interviews

Regional San, SASD, and OWP will evaluate the applications jointly and choose candidates to be invited for interviews. Candidates selected for interviews will be contacted approximately one week after the application deadline. Interviews will take place at OWP approximately two weeks after the application deadline.

Award Information

Interview performance and quality of application will determine which applicant will be offered the fellowship. The candidate awarded the fellowship will be contacted approximately three weeks after interviews are conducted. Regional San and SASD expect to offer one fellowship for one semester of the school year. If no promising candidate is identified, no fellowship will be awarded.

Upon completion of the project, the fellowship awardee will be asked to make a presentation to Regional San, SASD, and OWP staff. In addition to tuition reimbursement, the fellowship awardee will receive a certificate of recognition, an honorable mention on the OWP website, and mentions on the Regional San and SASD public websites.