EREF Scholarships

Scholarships are awarded to students who demonstrate excellence in master’s and doctoral research related to solid waste. Awards include a stipend that may be renewed each year based on satisfactory progress toward the degree and continued engagement in solid waste research. During their scholarship period, students work on projects that advance understanding of key issues in the field. EREF staff will work with scholars to integrate them into industry events such as conferences and fundraisers and facilitate visits to companies in the industry.

Qualifications

Applications will be considered from those who:

• will be this year or are now a full-time master’s or doctoral student, and
• have a clearly demonstrated interest in solid waste management research. EREF defines solid waste management to pertain to municipal solid waste, construction & demolition waste, industrial waste (e.g. coal ash), WTE ash, etc. Note this definition does not include agricultural wastes or wastewater treatment plant sludge.

Scholarships recognize graduate students pursuing excellence in solid waste management research and education. Recipients are chosen based on credentials and potential contributions to the solid waste industry and its scientific community. Applications from students outside the United States or studying abroad will receive equal consideration.

Awards Are Based On

• Academic performance
• Relevance of one’s work to the advancement of solid waste management science
• Potential for success

Award Amounts

Award amounts consider the cost of tuition at the recipient’s institution and any other funds received. Full scholarships may not be awarded to students who will be receiving full-tuition scholarships from other sources (excluding direct university assistance such as tuition remission, or assistantship income) but may still be considered for partial awards.

Doctoral scholarships are awarded up to $16,000 per year, paid monthly, and can be extended until graduation. Master’s scholarships are awarded up to $10,000 per year and can be extended until graduation. Scholarship renewal is dependent upon satisfactory progress as determined by the student’s academic advisor.

How To Apply

Students should complete and submit the online application along with three references by the scholarship competition deadline. Submitted applications are first reviewed by EREF staff to verify eligibility and ensure their research topic fits with EREF’s mission. Applications are then sent to the Scholarship Committee who recommend a short list of applicants for funding to the Board of Directors. Once the Board approves the scholars, applicants are notified of their award status in-mid-to-late August.

The 2025 application period will open on December 15, 2025, and close on March 2, 2026.

All applications must be completed by midnight Eastern Time on March 2, 2026. Reference letters must also be submitted by the deadline for the application to be considered complete. Any incomplete applications as of the deadline will not be considered.

Scholarship awards will begin in September of the year awarded. As a result, students graduating in December of that same year are ineligible to apply.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Your advisor/reference will not receive instructions explaining how to submit a recommendation letter until you either (1) submit your application or (2) save your application and click Send Letter Request to each reference.