College of Science - Biological Sciences - Rachel Carson Environmental Science Scholarship

To recognize and support exceptional upper-division undergraduate and graduate students who pursue a degree toward any aspect of environmental sciences at California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, and who conduct active, original, and independent research on projects dealing with the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment. Scholarship assistance will be based on academic and scholarly achievements as well as financial need, and may be used to meet expenses related to the student’s research project (e.g., laboratory/field equipment and supplies, field work, and travel to scientific conferences to present the research results) and/or successful completion of the student’s degree (e.g., tuition/fees, books, and housing).

Award Period: Spring 2026 or 2026-2027

ELIGIBILITY

•To support upper-division undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in the College of Science, College of Environmental Design, College of Engineering, or any other college that prepares the student for a career directly involved in the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment.
• Applicants must have maintained a minimum GPA of 3.5 in all completed undergraduate and graduate work.
• Applicants must be involved in a research project (supervised by a Cal Poly Pomona faculty member) focused on the preservation and enhancement of the natural environment, and must present clear evidence of strong potential to conduct original and independent research.
• Special consideration will be given to applicants with aspiration to pursue doctoral degrees in any aspect of the environmental sciences, as well as to applicants with demonstrated financial need.
• A student may receive this award no more than two times (i.e., the award may be renewed only once).

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS
1) Application form: Applicants must complete the Cal Poly Pomona General Application and all requirements below.
2) Personal statement: Each applicant must write a brief letter describing their current academic and research interests, as well as future academic and career aspirations. The personal statement should also describe the research project for which support is requested. The personal statement should not exceed 1,000 words.
3) Upload a complete and up-to-date curriculum vitae (or resume), that includes contact information for three professional references (name, institutional affiliation, email address) that can be contacted if additional information is needed. One can be your academic/research advisor that is also writing your recommendation letter.
4) Transcripts: Submit a transcript of your coursework at Cal Poly Pomona as well as transferred coursework from other schools (unofficial transcripts are accepted).
5) Recommendation letter: Arrange for ONE letter in support of your application from your academic/research advisor. The letter should be addressed to the Scholarships and Awards Committee. In addition, the recommender’s letter must cover ALL scholarships/awards for which the student is applying, NOT separate letters for each scholarship. Biological sciences strongly recommends replacing existing references every year
6) Project budget. Submit a budget and budget narrative. Up to $5,000 may be justified to meet expenses related to the student’s research project (e.g., laboratory/field equipment and supplies, field work, and travel to scientific conferences to present the research results) and/or successful completion of the student’s degree (e.g., tuition/fees, books, and housing). The budget narrative should be limited to one page.

SCHOLARSHIP SELECTION AND AWARD NOTIFICATION DATE
A committee comprised of faculty members of the Biological Sciences Department will review the applications and select the scholarship recipient. As appropriate, representatives from other academic areas may be invited to review, and make recommendations regarding the merit of, the applications. The scholarship recipient will be notified at the end of April, and the scholarship will be presented near the end of the Spring Semester at the Biological Sciences Department Awards Ceremony.

In addition to the scholarship, the scholarship recipient will be given a certificate of recognition, and their name will be added to a perpetual plaque of commendation in the Biological Sciences Department Office.

Final Report
The scholarship recipient will be expected to submit a final report at the end of the scholarship period that describes the student’s academic and research accomplishments during the period of support. The report should be submitted to the Chair of the Biological Sciences Department Student Awards Committee and/or the Chair of the Biological Sciences Department.

For questions regarding this opportunity, please email Dr. Andrea Bonisoli-Alquati (aalquati@cpp.edu), Dr. Craig LaMunyon (cwlamunyon@cpp.edu) or Dr. Ángel Valdés (aavaldes@cpp.edu)

To begin the application process, please complete the General Scholarship Application first then proceed to search this scholarship in the “Opportunities>>Recommended” Tab and APPLY. You can search for additional Biological Science scholarships by using a keyword search and typing “biology” or “biological.”