How it works at CIRES
CIRES provides its students with a unique opportunity to experience professional-level research while they complete their CU degrees. CIRES graduate students are CU graduate students whose principle supervisor is a CIRES Fellow. CIRES brings together students and faculty from 13 different CU Departments (see box at right).
Information for Prospective Students
During the 2009/10 academic year, 113 graduate students were affiliated with CIRES (figure 1). Approximately 90% of CIRES students are pursing doctoral-level studies, while 10% are pursuing masters-level studies (either MA or MSc).
Although CIRES graduate students become affiliated with CIRES, they remain students of the home Department through which they seek admission to CU.
Figure 1: CIRES Graduate Students Home Departments (2009/10)
As CIRES graduate students come from a wide variety of home Departments, only approximately 40% of CIRES students are based in the main CIRES-Ekeley building, with remaining 60% being located at several different sites around the CU-Boulder campus (figure2).
Figure 2: Office Locations for CIRES Graduate Students
CIRES offers a competitive funding environment for graduate students. The majority of CIRES graduate students (approximately 83%) are employed by CIRES or CU. These CIRES graduate students are typically employed in one of four positions. The distribution of these positions and their mean annual salary levels during the 2009/10 academic year are shown below ( figure 3 below).
Figure 3: CIRES Graduate Student Positions and Funding (2009/10)
The remaining portion of the CIRES graduate student population (approximately 17 %) is supported by major fellowships. A list of active CIRES student fellowships during the 2009/10 academic year is shown below (table).
Fellowship |
Students |
|---|---|
CIRES Graduate Student Research Fellowship |
7 |
NASA Earth and Space Science Fellowship |
5 |
ESRL-CIRES Graduate Research Fellowship |
2 |
EPA-STAR |
2 |
NSF Graduate Research Fellowship |
2 |
Chancellor's Fellowship |
1 |
TOTAL |
19 |
For More Information
Prospective students with inquiries about CIRES are encouraged to contact the appropriate graduate student Department representative for first-hand answers from current CIRES students. Questions can also be directed to the CIRES administration at: GraduateStudentInfo @cires.colorado.edu
CIRES Students Gain Valuable Field Experience
One of the hallmarks for CIRES students is the opportunity to participate in fieldwork with the world's leading researchers. Whether students venture as far as Greenland or as near as the Rocky Mountain National Park, experiences beyond the classroom help define their professional resume.
