REMINDER APPLICATIONS DUE FRIDAY: 12 Amazing PAID Summer Internship Opportunities with the Bren Environmental Leadership (BEL) Program
Picabo Barrington
The Bren Environmental Leadership program offers undergraduates the opportunity to work side-by-side with environmental professionals and PhD students to build hands-on experience in environmental science and research across a variety of environmental disciplines. These internships are a great opportunity for students looking to develop leadership and job-ready skills in the environmental field.Program Details:
- Undergraduates collaborate directly with a Bren graduate student on their summer project, and receive one-on-one mentoring
- The undergraduate will receive a $6,500 stipend, in addition to the opportunity to attend weekly professional development workshops and community building events across the summer quarter
- Undergraduate students will prepare short, flash-talk style presentations for the BEL community at the end of the summer and are invited to participate in the Mantell Symposium in Fall
- Most positions are hybrid, last for 10 weeks at 35 hours per week, with exact dates flexible between mid-June to mid-September
Summer 2026 Project Descriptions (applications are due by March 20th at 11:59pm):
Addressing plastic use and management across the US — The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
Assessing Wastewater Contributions to Ocean Acidification & Hypoxia — The Nature Conservancy (TNC)
Remote Sensing Internship focusing on Regenerative Agriculture — White Buffalo Land Trust (WBLT)
Climate Resilience and Environmental Justice in Dulac, LA — Community and College Partners Program (C2P2)
Inequality in Exposure to Early-Life Air Pollution — Research Fellowship
From Policy to Pasture in the Brazilian Amazon — Research Fellowship
Modeling Outcomes of Community Forestry in India — Research Fellowship
Coast Live Oak Ecology: Understanding Plant Water Use — Research Fellowship
Mapping Agroforestry Systems Across Sub-Saharan Africa — Research Fellowship
Animals in the Urban Matrix — Research Fellowship
Wildfire Ecology in the Sierra Nevada — Research Fellowship
Promoting Wildfire Resiliency in Santa Barbara County — Research Fellowship
To apply directly through Qualtrics, click here! To see what past BEL Fellows have done and are saying about their experience, visit the BEL Fellows page.Applicants must be full-time UCSB continuing undergraduate students (not graduating within the 2026 calendar year). You can be any major to apply for these opportunities, and students can submit applications to multiple positions that they find interesting. Applications should include a brief statement (2-3 paragraphs) describing student interest in this project and how their experience and qualifications make them a good fit - we especially welcome insights into how their experiences or perspectives might shape their contribution to the BEL community. Students should also submit a resume or CV, including any relevant coursework and previous experience.Please reach out to gstep...@ucsb.edu if you have any questions.