What kind of student I am looking for

Admission to Rutgers is very selective. Only the most competitive students are accepted with funding. To fit in my group, you should be self-motivated, have a high work ethic and be interested in researching climate change in the Arctic and Greenland. It would be helpful if you had a strong foundation in physical geography or related fields such as atmospheric science, environmental science, or geology. You should also be proficient in a programming language such as MATLAB, Python, or R, know Geographic Information Systems, and have an excellent command of English. Before joining our program, all current students in my team had extensive research experience, presented work at scientific meetings, and led or participated in manuscript writing. If this characterizes you, I would be excited to hear from you and see your application.  While all graduate students in my team have been able to participate in fieldwork in Greenland, a spot on the field team is not guaranteed and depends on many factors.

What will you get out of working with me?

You will receive training and mentorship to become an independent research scientist and scholar. My small team allows me to work closely with each individual. Students in my group benefit from taking courses in many different Rutgers departments and typically work towards the Earth System Science Certificate. Some also work towards a certificate in Geospatial Science. At Rutgers, students can take advantage of a diverse community interested in climate change through the Rutgers Climate Institute. I encourage and support students in my team to present work at leading conferences, publish scientific manuscripts, and help them expand their professional network.

How to apply

Graduate students work towards either a Ph.D. or a Master’s degree and are advised by me in either the Department of Geography’s graduate program or the Atmospheric Sciences graduate program. The application deadline is typically January 15 each year. Information on how to apply is here. Financial support is typically not offered for M.Sc students.

Undergraduate students

Dr. Rennermalm involves undergraduate students through the Aresty Undergraduate Research Program. Students must be a Geography major and have taken Geographical Information Systems or the Spatial Data analysis course. The deadline to apply is usually in early April each year.

Please email Dr. Rennermalm (link sends e-mail) to inquire about these opportunities.

Postdoctoral researchers

Please email Dr. Rennermalmto inquire about opportunities to join the group.

You can also join the group by developing your research proposal and applying for funding from one of these very competitive opportunities. Contact Dr. Rennermalm to discuss your research ideas.

NSF Postdoctoral Fellowships in Polar Regions (link is external) (Suspended in 2013
NSF EAR Postdoctoral Fellowship (deadline in July)
NOAA Global Change Fellowships

Other graduate student funding opportunities

Consider these graduate fellowships providing external funding to attend Rutgers:
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program
National Defense Science and Engineering Graduate Fellowship
NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship

Once you are admitted to Rutgers, several internal competitive fellowships and awards will help you finish your degree, including awards provided by the Rutgers Graduate School and the Department of Geography Graduate Student Teaching and Research Awards.

Other awards include:
The Horton Award by the American Geophysical Union’s Hydrology Section. The Pathfinder Award by the Consortium for Advancement of Hydrological Sciences Inc.