Undergraduate Internships

University of Delaware Water Resources Center (DWRC) undergraduate internships in water resources are administered through the Institute for Public Administration (IPA) in the Biden School of Public Policy & Administration. DWRC internships provide a unique opportunity for undergraduate students, faculty, and scientists to be directly involved in research and education that address the critical water resources issues of the day in Delaware and the Mid-Atlantic region.

DWRC Undergraduate Internship Program 2023-24 Application

Eligibility: For the spring 2023 application period, all undergraduate students enrolled at the University of Delaware, Delaware State University, or Delaware Technical and Community College may apply, except for those graduating at the end of the spring 2023 semester. All students must have the support of a faculty or scientist advisor and a minimum GPA of 3.0.

Program Details and Deadlines: Supported by the Water Resources Research Act of 1964 and 1984 through the U.S. Department of Interior and U.S. Geological Survey, the DWRC will pay up to $4,000 per undergraduate intern, paid as hours worked up to a maximum of 300 hours. Internship projects are expected to start with the fall semester in September 2023 and will be paid through May 31, 2024 with the final research report and poster presentation presented to the DWRC Advisory Panel in May 2024. Some students may begin during the summer 2023 with the support of their research advisor.

To apply for this program, you must establish a water research topic and project with your school’s faculty or scientist advisor and agree to work on this research topic over the Fall (2023)/Spring (2024) semesters. Bundle the application, transcript, resume, and one page research proposal as a single pdf and submit by email to Martha Narvaez at mcorrozi@udel.edu and Gerald Kauffman at jerryk@udel.edu by Friday, April 14, 2023 at 5:00 pm.

1. DWRC Undergraduate Internship Program 2023-24 Application (pdf)
2. Copy of current unofficial transcript
3. Current resume mentioning any special skills or experiences such as prior internships, research or education projects and laboratory or technical experiences.
4. Brief description (1 page) of the research project proposal

Water faculty and scientists who may wish to advise your research are listed at https://www.wrc.udel.edu/faculty-and-staff/ and https://www.udel.edu/academics/colleges/canr/departments/plant-and-soil-sciences/graduate-programs/water-science-policy/.

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For questions, please contact Ms. Martha Narvaez at mcorrozi@udel.edu

DWRC Water Research Internships 2021-2022/ Research Projects (pdf)

DWRC Water Research Internships 2020-2021 / Research Projects (pdf)

DWRC Water Research Internships 2019-2020 / Research Projects (pdf)

DWRC Water Research Internships 2018-2019 / Research Projects  (pdf)

DWRC Undergraduate Interns 2017-2018 / Research Projects (pdf)

DWRC Undergraduate Interns 2016-2017 / Research Projects (pdf)

DWRC Undergraduate Interns 2015-2016 / Research Projects (pdf)

DWRC Undergraduate Interns 2014-2015 (pdf)

DWRC Undergraduate Interns, 2000-2015(pdf)

DWRC interns conduct projects consistent with the DWRC’s priority research and educational interests (listed below) with the support of a faculty/scientist advisor from one of our co-sponsor organizations.

• Biden School of Public Policy & Administration
• UD Water Resources Agency – Internships with a focus on water resource policy and management are supported.
• UD College of Agriculture and Natural Resources: Projects are supported to work with faculty in the departments of Animal and Food Sciences, Entomology and Applied Ecology, Applied Economics and Statistics, or Plant and Soil Sciences.
• UD College of Arts and Sciences: Students can conduct internship projects in Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Political Science, Public Policy, or other subjects closely related to water resources.
• UD College of Earth, Ocean, and Environment: Internships are supported in the areas of Geography, Geology, Marine Biology and Biochemistry, Marine Policy, Oceanography, or Physical Ocean Science and Engineering.
• UD College of Engineering: Projects can be developed in areas such as Chemical Engineering, Civil and Environmental Engineering, or Mechanical Engineering.
• Delaware Geological Survey: Researchers offer internships focusing on hydrogeology, groundwater supply, and water quality.
• Delaware State University: Faculty support internships in the areas of agriculture, natural resources, aquaculture, and aquatic ecology.
• DNREC (Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control): Staff in DNREC offices related to water resources occasionally offer internships on topics such as soil and water conservation, water quality, and climate change.

Water resources research and education topics of interest to the DWRC include:

• Water quality (nutrients, pathogens, and public health)
• Stormwater runoff (management and control)
• Water pollutants (sources, fate, cycling, and transport)
• Water supply, demand, and conservation (infrastructure/technology)
• Water policy (governance and economics)
• Climate change, sea level rise coastal flooding (variability)
• Groundwater (remediation and treatment)
• Watershed management
• Wetlands (protection and restoration)
• Wastewater management (treatment and reuse)
• Water, food, and energy nexus

Interested in a water-related topic not listed here? Questions? Contact Martha Narvaez, Policy Scientist, mcorrozi@udel.edu or 302-831-4931.