The Cooperative Institute for Severe and High-Impact Weather Research & Operations (CIWRO) at the University of Oklahoma (OU) promotes collaborative research between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and OU scientists and students on problems that improve the basic understanding of severe and high impact weather through use of weather radar, observations, and mesoscale and stormscale modeling, that enable forecast application improvements and training, that transition research to operational products, that examine subseasonal to seasonal prediction for extreme weather events, and that examine societal impacts of high impact weather. Information on the variety of research teams at CIWRO can be found on our website: https://ciwro.ou.edu/.

The goal of this assistantship is to transform the research pipeline by offering new opportunities to emerging scholars from underrepresented groups who pursue advanced degrees in an area of interest to CIWRO. Ultimately, this assistantship will help contribute to transforming the research climate within the weather enterprise by increasing the diversity among researchers, the topics studied, the critical problems identified, and the lenses through which these problems are approached.

The assistantship is $25,000-$30,000 (depending on discipline) for one year during pursuit of a masters degree at OU, renewable for a second year subject to satisfactory progress toward the degree. The offer is contingent upon successful admission to a graduate program at OU. The recipient will also receive a $2,500 travel allowance each year to attend a conference or workshop, a computer to use during his/her/their studies, and up to $2,000 in relocation costs (if needed).

Eligibility Criteria

• Member of an underrepresented racial or ethnic group (e.g., African American, Native American, Hispanic)
• U.S. Citizen, Permanent Resident, DACA Recipient
• Senior or graduate of an accredited college/university
• Interest in field of study that aligns with the CIWRO mission (possible areas of study include but are not limited to meteorology, electrical engineering, civil engineering, computer science, data science, communication, psychology, geography, political science)

Application Guidelines

• One-page personal statement describing research interests
• Copy of Resume or Curriculum Vitae (CV)
• Official Transcript
• Three reference letters sent directly to OU CIWRO