Study the environment at IU

Learn from the best when you research the environment at IU

At IU, students can research alongside and take classes from world-class faculty leading their fields across disciplines. 

IPE-affiliated faculty members have been awarded the world's highest honors in the environment. They're Guggenheim Fellows and best-selling authors.

IU faculty's work is changing the environment itself and the way we think about it, from poetry to PFAS.

In addition, IPE offers students clear pathways to work with faculty, including opportunities such as:

  • Formal mentorship
  • Interdisciplinary academic networks
  • Scholarships and grants

Ask the big questions with the major players

Research alongside a faculty mentor your first semester

The Sustainability Scholars program pairs selected undergraduate students with world-class faculty mentors to start researching sustainability issues as soon as their first semester at IU. In addition to gaining meaningful research experience and mentorship, students receive a $500-per-semester scholarship.

Our Scholars have gone on to win coveted national scholarships, publish in peer-reviewed journals, join research teams long-term, serve the state as McKinney Climate Fellows, and more—all as undergraduates.

Collaborate on research that results in a better world

Find out how

More environmental research opportunities at IU

Sustain IU internships

Investigate how we can make IU’s campus more sustainable through programming and implementation. Receive mentorship from faculty members and operations staff as you get paid to research how we can improve campus in areas such as emissions, transportation, energy, food, and recycling.

Sustainability Research Development Grants

Fund your collaborative sustainability-related research project in any discipline with up to $3,000 for undergraduates or up to $10,000 for graduate students.

Research and Teaching Preserve grants

Access awards of up to $4,000 for student research in environmental sciences (e.g., ecology, geology, atmospheric science, human-environment interactions) at the Indiana University Research and Teaching Preserve (RTP) properties.