Theodore Roosevelt Conservation and Environmental Leadership Fellowship

About the Fellowship

The Theodore Roosevelt Conservation and Environmental Leadership Fellowship was established to enable graduate students from a variety of disciplines to build their leadership capacity early in their career. Fellowships are intended to help recipients achieve a level of professional and personal growth that prepares them for leadership roles in natural resources and conservation-based organizations and agencies. Support to establish the endowment was provided by the Hal and Jean Glassen Memorial Foundation and the late John M. Robinson, former Chief of Fisheries for the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

Leadership is the key to effective and efficient management, protection, and conservation of natural resources. To address complex interdisciplinary problems facing the health and welfare of these resources, it is necessary to foster and nurture the development of practical skill sets that enhance leadership.

Eligibility Requirements

The Applicant Must:

• be an enrolled student in pursuit of an advanced degree in any college or program at MSU
• be interested in acquiring leadership skills relevant to enhancing the sustainability and conservation of fish, water, wildlife, and habitat from local to global scales
• demonstrate leadership potential for a field of study related to conservation and environmental resource management

Preference will be given to individuals who have received fellowships at regional, national or international levels (e.g., University Distinguished Fellowship, Environmental Science and Policy Fellowship, NSF GRFP, Fenske Excellence in Fisheries Management Fellowship, William W. and Evelyn M. Taylor Endowed Fellowship for International Engagement in Coupled Humans and Natural Systems). Fellowships from university or allied partners that demonstrate scholastic and civic competencies will also be honored.

Application Process

The application process for this fellowship is coordinated by the Department of Fisheries and Wildlife using their graduate student fellowship common application. Three Qualtrics forms are required to submit a complete application.

• Student Applicant Form: Applicants will complete the Student Applicant Form. In this form, applicants will also submit their CV and a 1-page (single spaced) essay. In their essay, the applicant should describe their thesis or dissertation research objective and its relevance, explain how they will allocate the fellowship funds, and describe how receiving a fellowship would positively influence them professionally.
• References: Applicants are also required to provide information from two references, one of whom must be the applicant's advisor. The applicant must direct their advisor to submit an Advisor Qualtrics Form. And the applicant must direct their additional reference to submit a Reference Qualtrics Form.

Fellowship Details

• Up to two fellowships will be awarded annually.
• Fellowship dollars must be used by the recipient to help further their professional development as a future leader.
• Funds for this award will be distributed during spring semester after acknowledgment of the award has been received by the respective donor.
• Recipients also are expected to acknowledge funding support from the Theodore Roosevelt Leadership Fellowship when appropriate (e.g., research presentations, publications, dissertations, theses).

Example Leadership Programs

Example Programs Include, But Are Not Limited To: the Great Lakes Leadership Academy, the Great Lakes Regional Fellowship Program, the National Conservation Leadership Institute. Students are encouraged to suggest additional leadership training opportunities for the selection committee to consider.