Connecting Learning, Life and Aloha
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M.S. in Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science

Funding Opportunities

On this page:

Priority deadline for all applications is January 1, 2024.

Please note:

If you wish to apply for funding opportunities, you need to apply as a completely separate process from the online application to the TCBES program at UH Hilo. Positions will be posted to the NEOGOV website. You should apply for the Graduate Assistantship positions and the Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation Graduate Fellowship positions, even if you have not yet heard if you have gained acceptance to the TCBES program, so that you are in the applicant pool. For both positions, in NEOGOV, you will be asked to upload a list and contact info of your references (not the actual letters from them). References will be contacted only if the applicant is a selectee for the position. If questions, please email uhhtcbes@hawaii.edu.

Graduate Assistantships

Graduate Assistant Application

Graduate Assistantships are offered to prospective and current Master's students within the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Sciences (TCBES) program at UH Hilo. In return for Graduate Assistants teaching or assisting programs in the department to which the candidate will be assigned, Graduate Assistants receive a monthly salary and full tuition remission (not including student fees). Graduate Assistants will be given 1-year terms and will be required to reapply to renew for a second year. Priority will be given to students in their 1st and 2nd year of the TCBES program.

Renewals will be based on satisfactory performance. At the end of each semester, GAs in the TCBES Graduate Program will be evaluated by the GA mentors (people who they worked with to teach classes and/or facilitate the running of the TCBES Graduate Program) and also conduct a self evaluation of their performance. These evaluations will be reviewed by the TCBES Executive Committee for consideration for reappointment in the next academic year. The Executive Committee will determine if the student 1) meets expectations of being a GA, and 2) is in good standing with the TCBES program according to the TCBES Professional Conduct Policy to be reappointed. If the student does not meet these two criteria, they will not be reappointed for a second year.

Reappointment decisions will be made initially after the Fall semester evaluations, to meet the Admissions Committee process for selection of the next year’s GAs. If the Spring semester evaluation shows that the student does not meet the two criteria, and efforts to ameliorate problems have been unsuccessful, the GA reappointment will not be offered. Generally, GA reappointment letters go out by March-May. The TCBES Executive Committee will vote on each student and provide a list of students for reappointment to the Dean of the College of Natural and Health Sciences.

All applications must be submitted via the Career Opportunities at the University of Hawaiʻi website.

You should apply for the Graduate Assistantship positions, even if you have not yet heard if you have gained acceptance to the TCBES program, so that you are in the applicant pool.

Inquiries:

Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation Graduate Fellowship

Hauʻoli Mau Loa Application

The Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation and the Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science (TCBES) Graduate Program at the University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo are pleased to announce the availability of three graduate assistantships for students dedicated to careers in conservation biology and environmental science in the state of Hawaiʻi. In addition, UH Hilo is part of the Environment Leadership Pathways that is a major focus of the Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation.

The following eligibility criteria apply:

  1. Good academic standing (minimum GPA of 3.0 throughout the fellowship).
  2. From Hawaiʻi, as evidenced by having graduated from a high school in Hawaiʻi.
  3. Pursuing a M.S. degree in TCBES.
  4. Track record of supporting Hawaiʻi’s environment (e.g., internships, volunteer opportunities) and serving in a leadership capacity or demonstrated leadership potential (academic, athletic, extracurricular, and/or professional).
  5. Commitment to attaining and pursuing a long term career in conservation biology and environmental science in Hawaiʻi.

The Fall 2024 announcement is now available. All applications must be submitted via the Career Opportunities at the University of Hawaiʻi website.

You should apply for the Hau‘oli Mau Loa Foundation Graduate Fellowship positions, even if you have not yet heard if you have gained acceptance to the TCBES program, so that you are in the applicant pool.

Inquiries:

UH Hilo PI-CASC Climate Adaptation Graduate Fellowship Opportunity

The University of Hawaiʻi at Hilo, as part of the Pacific Islands Climate Adaptation Science Center (PI-CASC), in collaboration with the UH Hilo Tropical Conservation Biology and Environmental Science (TCBES) are pleased to announce the availability of one graduate fellowship for a student dedicated to a career working in partnership with communities in Hawaiʻi and the Pacific to address adaptation challenges of climate change. In addition to working with a faculty member in TCBES, the student will also develop a project with resource managers to address climate adaptation research questions.

This fellowship is part of the PI-CASC Manager Climate Corps (MCC). You can see past MCC projects that have been supported at UH Hilo through PI-CASC here and learn more about the ideas behind the collaborative research supported at this website. The focus of these efforts is to work together with those people who manage resources to develop projects that help address their climate adaptation challenges.

The following eligibility criteria apply:

  1. Acceptance to the TCBES graduate program and pursuing a M.S. degree in the TCBES Thesis Track.
  2. Support from both a resource manager and a faculty member willing to work together to define and develop a collaborative project focused on climate adaptation.
  3. Support from both a resource manager and a faculty member willing to work together to define and develop a collaborative project focused on climate adaptation.
  4. Track record of supporting Hawaiʻiʻs environment and its biocultural communities (e.g., internships, professional work, volunteer experiences).
  5. Commitment to attaining and pursuing a long-term career focused on working with partners to attain conservation and adaptation goals for island resources.

Application Details:
- Apply to the TCBES program, submitting all required material for admission to TCBES research track. The priority deadline for TCBES is December 1. See the TCBES website.
- Send by January 1 to Tracy Wiegner :
1. Cover letter describing the proposed partnership, the research possibilities, and how those are related to adaptation to climate change.
2. Letter of engagement from a UH Hilo faculty member willing to work with resource managers identified and the graduate student to help organize and develop a climate adaptation project.
3. Letter of support from a resource manager willing to work with the graduate student, a UH Hilo faculty member, and other partners (as identified by the partnership) to collaborate on a climate adaptation research project.
- Preference will be given to those students who have existing ties to community partners. The selected fellow will be notified by February 15.

Other Funding Opportunities

Hawaiʻi Community Foundation offers annual scholarship opportunities for students.

The University of Hawaiʻi System awards a variety of scholarships annually to registered UH students.

Need other options? Below are compiled lists of funding opportunities put together by previous cohorts.

UH Hilo Financial Aid Office

The UH Financial Aid Office can assist with specific financial aid questions.