Skip to main content

Awards + Scholarships

Through the generosity of a number of donors, the Institute for the Environment offers awards and scholarships to UNC undergraduates. Many scholarships and awards help students attend one of the program’s field sites, and almost all of them support students who are willing to do internships or other community service activities. For more information, contact Susan Cohen at susanac@email.unc.edu.

General Information

Award Types

  1. Awards are one-time payments awarded to a student on the basis of need, merit, or some other basis such as attendance at a specific Institute field site. Some awards require students to be admitted to a specific field site in order to be eligible to apply. Unless otherwise noted, awards are paid to each winning student’s account with the University Cashiers Office. The balance remaining, if any, after expenses in the award semester have been cleared will be issued to the winning student by the Cashiers Office (not by the IE) as a check.
  2. Scholarships are continuing support for undergraduate students at Carolina, generally requiring applicants to maintain good academic standing with the University, show interest in environmental majors or meet similar requirements. Students may be required to complete an application form. Additional information about scholarships can be obtained from the Office of Scholarships and Student Aid, (919) 962-4168.
  3. Fellowships are one-time or continuing support for graduate students at Carolina. The Institute gives and administers several environmental fellowships every semester. These opportunities are generally open only to graduate students at UNC in certain areas of advanced environmental study. Students may be required to complete an application form and/or further application activities. Additional information about support for graduate students at Carolina can be obtained from the Graduate School.

Available Awards

The Pavel Molchanov Scholars Program

The Pavel Molchanov Scholars Program is an endowed internship program at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Institute for the Environment. The program is a partnership between the UNC Institute for the Environment and environmentally-focused small businesses, non-profit organizations and government institutions in North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. Each year undergraduate students are matched with an environmental internship where they gain hands-on, professional training. Each Molchanov Scholar receives a $5,000 stipend to support their summer experience. Learn more and apply now!

Pate Scholars

Thanks to Tim Pate and his daughter Jessica Pate we are thrilled to make available the G. Timothy and Jessica Hope Pate Environmental Science Field Program Scholarships (The Pate Scholars). This scholarship fund was inspired by Jessica’s wonderful experience at Carolina and the role the Institute for the Environment’s field sites played in her time at UNC. The Pate Scholars program will focus on need-based students with merit as a secondary consideration. Students granted a scholarship will agree to give at least one presentation on their experience to a K-12 class upon their return.

A student applying for the Pate Scholars program must complete an online application and essay explaining how studying at an Institute for the Environment field site would enhance their educational experience. Only complete applications will be reviewed by a scholarship committee led by Susan Cohen.

Applications are due by midnight Apr. 1 for summer and fall programs. Learn more and apply now!

The Scurry Family Environmental Field Site Fund

The Scurry Family Environmental Field Site Fund supports students participating in UNC Institute for the Environment Field Site Network in North Carolina, including the Morehead City Field Site, the Outer Banks Field Site and the Highlands Field Site. Priority consideration will be given to members of the professional, co-ed business fraternity, Delta Sigma Pi, Alpha Lambda Chapter of which William Cooper Scurry ’68 was a member. If no applicants qualify, the fund is open to all participating students. Please contact, Susan Cohen for more information.