Michigan Sea Grant Environmental Internship

Applications Closed

Description

Michigan Sea Grant’s undergraduate internship program coordinates and funds undergraduate students from any accredited community college, college, or university in Michigan to work with private businesses, local government, state and federal agencies, or environmental non-profit organizations to plan or implement environmental stewardship projects in the Great Lakes. Students can work with academic faculty if their project also involves strong partnership with an organization outside the school.

Applicants have two options when applying:

  1. Applicants can apply with their own project idea and a host organization they are coordinating with; or
  2. Applicants can apply to work on a project that was pre-submitted by a sponsoring organization. Please see the guidance document below for additional details about these opportunities.

Some examples of host organizations include:

  • State agencies, such as Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) or Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy (EGLE)
  • Campus sustainability offices
  • Parks and recreation departments
  • Watershed or river protection groups
  • Tribal natural resources departments
  • Museums, libraries, nature centers

Previous interns have worked on projects like:

  • Partnering with a southeast Michigan watershed group to run and improve their hands-on stream sampling program for K-12 students.
  • Mapping tree canopy cover in an urban forest in Detroit.
  • Helping Michigan DNR stock and study juvenile lake whitefish in northern Michigan lakes and rivers.
  • Setting up experiments to track the spread of invasive algae.
  • Engaging visitors at a fish hatchery and crafting newsletters and program documents. 
  • Watch the internship symposium videos on this page to see more!

Eligible Applicants

Applicants should be enrolled undergraduate students at any level of study. Preference will be given to students who plan to pursue a career in environmental science.

Community Engaged Internship

MISG interns may also be eligible for  National Sea Grant’s Community Engaged Internship (CEI) program, which aims to broaden participation in coastal, ocean, and marine sciences. Eligible MISG interns can participate in online elements of the CEI program alongside their internship project. Interested applicants can find out more in the application guidance document. 

How to Apply

Applicants can submit their own project idea or express interest in a project submitted by a potential host organization (as listed in the application guidance document). Either way, applicants must contact their potential host before submitting their application. For pre-submitted projects, use the host organization contact information provided in the application guidance.

Michigan Sea Grant provides interns with a stipend of $9,000. Applicants can also apply separately for travel funding (up to $1,000) to directly support project work for situations where support is not provided by the host.

Contacts and Questions

Michigan Sea Grant
(734) 764-8678
[email protected]

2025 Internship Timeline

  • November 4-December 4, 2024: Host organizations submit ideas for intern projects; MISG incorporates the projects into our application documents for interested students.
  • December 9, 2024- January 31, 2025: Application window for students is open.
  • February: MISG coordinates a peer-reviewed process to select the 2025 interns.
  • March: Selection decisions are announced.
  • May: MISG hosts a kick-off meeting with interns, and their projects begin.
  • August: Intern projects conclude; MISG hosts a closing symposium for interns to present about their projects.
  • September: Intern final reports and host organization match confirmation letters are due.

Funding

This program is funded in part by the Michael Fraker Student Research Memorial Fund, which was initiated by a gift from Mike’s family and matched by MISG to support and expand student opportunities.

Intern representation

Check out this map to see where our previous interns are from. Don’t see your college or university on the map? Apply now so you can represent!

Frequently asked questions

Q. What are some organizations that have worked with interns in the past?

A. In addition to the Sponsoring Organizations mentioned in the internship announcement, interns have worked with the Grayling Fish Hatchery, Palmer Park in Detroit, Plaster Creek Stewards in Grand Rapids, many faculty within college/university departments, and more.

Q. I want to work in a particular area for the summer; can MISG help me find a partner organization there?

Q. Michigan Sea Grant staff live and work in communities all across Michigan, from the Upper Peninsula to Detroit. If you have a specific region in mind, let us know, and we can put you in touch with our Extension educator in or near that area. They may be able to point you toward organizations to contact.

Q. Do I need to propose a new project in order to qualify for funding?

A. You can apply for internship funding to support work you or a partner organization is already doing. Just make sure your project narrative reflects which milestones or tasks you plan to pursue during the summer and how your activities fit into the overall goals for the organization and for your own education/career. 

Q. How many interns do you support each year?

A. The total number of interns changes each year, depending on our funding availability and the size of the applicant pool. In 2025, we anticipate supporting 5 interns.

Q. Do you have similar funding for graduate students?

A. Every two years, we release a request for research proposals (RFP) that includes funding for graduate students. The RFP has passed for 2023. Watch the “Research” tab on michiganseagrant.org for upcoming information.

Q. Is this internship limited to U.S. citizens only?

A. As long as the student is enrolled in an accredited university/college in Michigan and can receive work sponsorship from that institution, they are eligible for this opportunity. They do not necessarily have to be a U.S. citizen. The University of Michigan can only provide work sponsorship to internship applicants that are enrolled at UM.

Q. What are some ways to meet the "match" requirement?

Students are not responsible for providing or figuring out the match. The 50% match can come from many non-federal sources and can be paid “in-kind” (in other words, by assigning financial value to services the organization provides). For example, the partner organization might pay for you to travel to Ann Arbor for the August internship symposium or other travel opportunities. Match funds can also include office space for you, or the time a mentor spends working on the project with you. Contact [email protected] for more ideas. 

Q. Can multiple students apply from the same school?

A. Yes; however, depending on how many schools are represented in the application pool, we will likely try to distribute the funded internships broadly across institutions. If multiple students apply from the same school, they should plan to work on different projects so each intern has a chance to learn and grow. 

Q. How will I receive my stipend?

A. Our fiscal officer will work with each intern to verify financial details for the stipends. The University of Michigan requires undergraduate stipends to be processed through the Financial Aid office. As a result, when your stipend is direct-deposited into your account, it should state “financial aid type” or something similar from U of M. 

Q. Will I receive a W-2 or other tax form for my stipend?

A. For MISG stipends, the University does not provide any tax forms relating to taxable income. It will be your responsibility to self-report the income. If you have questions, contact the University of Michigan Payroll Service Center at (734) 615-2000 (select option 2, prompt 1) or (866) 647-7657 (select option 2, prompt 1).