Graduate Research Experience in Transdisciplinary Eastern Wildland Fire Science

OVERVIEW

Graduate student education is a central part of EFNet’s mission. The EFNet Graduate Research Program offers an immersive, transdisciplinary training experience focused on wildland fire science in the eastern United States.

As part of a structured summer program, graduate students work in interdisciplinary teams alongside researchers and practitioners to co-design solutions to real-world wildland fire science challenges, linking research to implementation and decision-making.

The program emphasizes coexisting with fire in the wildland–urban interface and prepares students to work across disciplinary and professional boundaries.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

Graduate participants will:

Work alongside fire scientists and practitioners from different regions
Gain competencies in transdisciplinary and stakeholder-engaged research methods
Participate in EFNet workshops, meetings, and field-based activities
Explore topics such as wildfire risk, drought, smoke impacts, predictive modeling, and community resilience
Contribute solutions to wildland fire management and community preparedness
Gain professional experience relevant to diverse career pathways in research, management, and policy

PROGRAM STRUCTURE AND SUPPORT

Student teams live and work at the host institution for approximately nine weeks, conducting collaborative research tailored to the local context. Participants take part in orientation activities, weekly discussions with EFNet team members, and opportunities to engage with stakeholders and fire practitioners.

Students receive:

A stipend to support living expenses
Travel and housing support provided by the EFNet project
Access to a national network of researchers and practitioners working on eastern wildfire challenges

The program is open to graduate students from a broad range of disciplines, including environmental science, geography, ecology, forestry, climate and atmospheric science, social sciences, engineering, modeling, and related fields.

By integrating research, training, and collaboration, the EFNet Graduate Research Program supports the development of the next generation of scientists and practitioners working to address the growing wildfire challenges facing the eastern United States.