Community resilience to hurricane wind and flood damage remains challenging to achieve in practice, especially when also considering the issues of equity, economic prosperity, and climate change. In 2022, the National Science Foundation-funded CHEER Hub was established to address this challenge. A cornerstone of this interdisciplinary project is investing in the next generation of scholars, and the Hub’s Summer Scholars Program is a key element of this mission. The goal of this six-week research experience is to put discipline-based understanding into practice through community-engaged research while learning to work within a research team. 

Now entering its third year, CHEER is seeking three undergraduate and three graduate students from a variety of disciplines to join its 2025 cohort. Selected students will receive opportunities for professional development and research training. 

The application can be accessed here and is due by 11:59pm EST on Friday, February 14th, 2025.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Dates

• Virtual Individualized Orientation: Scheduled according to your availability 
• May 27th to July 3rd: In-person (Residential in NC)
• Virtual Asynchronous Post-program Product Creation: Scheduled according to your availability

Location

Scholars will be housed in on-campus apartments – each person with a private bedroom – at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.

Finances

Students will receive a $6,000 stipend. Travel and housing will be funded. 

Research Opportunities and Expectations

This program is an opportunity for students to participate in convergent research that makes a difference in the lives and communities of people at risk from hurricanes. Students will work closely with fellow cohort members and CHEER faculty mentors to develop projects that cultivate their individual interests and research training. Over the course of the program, selected candidates will:

• Learn about and apply theoretical aspects of disaster research
• Familiarize themselves with the mission and vision of the Hub.
• Learn about and gather community-based disaster data.
• Apply their individual discipline-based knowledge.
• Receive training on research tools necessary to fulfill program expectations.
• Develop a project that enhances and highlights their research skills.
• Culminate their experience by producing a presentation or poster that summarizes their work.

Download the 2025 Summer Scholars Program Flyer for a comprehensive overview of and further details about the program. For more information, contact CHEER’s education director, Meghan Millea, or visit the Hub’s Education page.