The Sabin Center encourages students to seek hands-on research and fieldwork opportunities in the environment and sustainability space, whether that’s faculty-led research or working with a government or NGO over a summer. If you have already identified an opportunity and require funding to support your efforts, or are searching for a summer position, we encourage you to explore our offerings.
Summer Environmental Fellows Program
The Sabin Center partners with the Environment and Sustainability Studies (ENV) Program to fund rising juniors and seniors pursuing real-world environment and sustainability experience, including internships, research and fieldwork, or other hands-on learning opportunities in the environment and sustainability space.
City of Winston Salem Sustainability Fellowships
The Sabin Center offers paid fellowships with the City of Winston-Salem’s Office of Sustainability, where students can support the City’s core initiatives and programs. Students are not expected to have experience or expertise specific to the City’s initiatives or to governmental sustainability work more generally prior to applying.
Cassidy Coastal Conservation Fellowships
The Sabin Center supports students pursuing hands-on conservation work/research by covering hard costs associated with fieldwork, including faculty-led research projects. Our Cassidy Conservation Fellowships give priority to projects at Bald Head Island and the North Carolina coast, as well as Sabin Center Faculty Affiliates. Students and Faculty may apply year-round.
Summer Environmental
Fellows Program
Each year, the Sabin Center partners with the Environment and Sustainability Studies (ENV) Program to fund rising juniors and seniors pursuing real-world environment and sustainability experience. The Summer Environmental Fellows Program can be used to fund internships or research opportunities focused on a range of environmental or sustainability issues. In recent years, examples include zoonotic disease and deforestation research in Panama and participating in an immersive plant humanities lab in Washington, D.C.
Fellowship Details
Who:
This fellowship is open to rising Wake Forest University juniors and seniors, regardless of major, who have identified relevant summer opportunities. Relevant activities may include research and unpaid or partially unpaid internships related to sustainability and/or the environment, including
- Traditional research opportunities as well as more creative and innovative endeavors
- Work with for-profit and nonprofit organizations
What:
The expected time commitment for a funded opportunity should be 20-40 hours/week over 5-10 weeks, or a minimum of 150 total hours.
Note: Any research to be done with living people requires Institutional Review Board approval. Please review the University’s policies and procedures here.
Ready to Apply?
Applications are due February 12, 2026. Interested students should complete this simple application form.
City of Winston Salem
Sustainability Fellowship
The Sabin Center partners with the City of Winston-Salem’s Office of Sustainability to fund paid student fellowships with the City for rising juniors and seniors at Wake Forest University. This Fellowship allows students to gain a breadth of experience in municipal and community sustainability efforts, while supporting the city in its priority programs over the summer. Experience or expertise in the sustainability or government space is not required.
Fellowship Details
Who:
This fellowship is open to rising Wake Forest University juniors and seniors, regardless of major. Graduating Seniors will be considered.
What:
This is a paid, part-time Fellowship with the City of Winston-Salem. Compensation: Flat stipend of $2,500. Time commitment: 15 hours a week over 10 weeks, for a minimum of 150 total hours. Exact timing may be negotiated with the supervisor.
Where:
This is an in-person role in the City of Winston Salem. Work will happen largely at City Hall, with occasional travel in the community as needed.
In-person strongly preferred. The best experience for both the student and the officer will come from an in-person working relationship. This helps the team communicate and connect more organically, and also creates opportunities for the student to experience the workings of Winston Salem’s City Hall! However, enthusiastic candidates who may have barriers to working in-person should reach out to us.
Partially Asynchronous Potential. Given the nature of the deliverables, there is room for some of the hours to be performed outside traditional office hours. The terms and expectations of this would be agreed upon in advance with the team.
Ready to Apply?
Applications are due February 12, 2026. Interested students should complete this simple application form.
Cassidy Conservation Fellowships
Thanks to the generosity of Lois Cassidy (‘70, BS), the Sabin Center is able to provide funding for students pursuing hands-on conservation work/research on the North Carolina coast, with priority given to fieldwork at Bald Head Island. The Cassidy Conservation Fellowships are intended to cover the hard costs associated with fieldwork, including supporting student participation in faculty-led research projects at Bald Head Island and other coastal conservation opportunities. Students, and faculty seeking to include students on Bald Head Island research excursions, are invited to apply for Fellowship funding.
Fellowship Details
Who:
Funding is open to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students at Wake Forest University who have identified opportunities for conservation fieldwork on the North Carolina coast.
WFU Faculty who are planning fieldwork excursions to Bald Head Island or elsewhere on the NC coast and would like to encourage student participation may also apply to cover student costs.
Note: Preference will be given to fieldwork being conducted at Bald Head Island, the North Carolina Coast, North Carolina, and elsewhere, in that order. Preference will also be given to projects lead by Sabin Center Faculty Affiliates and Members.
What’s Covered:
Applicants will be required to submit a budget estimating their costs, which may include the below items. Guidelines on how to make a budget can be found here.
- Other hard costs associated with research projects
- Reasonable travel and accommodation expenses
Interested?
Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. Interested students and faculty should email Miles Silman at silmanmr@wfu.edu.