Building Science at UMaine

Building Better: Education and Research in Energy-Efficient Design

UMaine Building Science Student Fellowship Program

This program provides direct, project-based learning experiences for UMaine undergraduate students on the topic of building sciences. Students can receive funding support to assist with costs of completing a paid internship related to building science, or they can receive funding for an on-campus project. The on-campus projects are to be done outside of typical coursework, and must include supervision and mentoring by UMaine faculty or staff. These experiences can help students learn more about the broad topic of building science and can help build strong qualifications to receive jobs in this area upon graduation.

Eligible students include those who are enrolled in a 4-year undergraduate degree program at the University of Maine. Students who are interested in applying should have either a willing UMaine faculty/staff project advisor for an on-campus project, or a documented internship related to building science. Students must apply for the funding, and their application will be reviewed based on the eligibility criteria and scoring rubric (see below). Funded students will perform the described project or complete an internship, and submit a final report to the Building Science Student Fellowship Program. See below for advice in finding a project advisor or internship, and for a sample application.

Deadline for Fall 2025 Fellowships is June 2. Deadline extended to June 9!

Apply Now!

Student Project and Internship Fellowships

UMaine Students can earn fellowships for on-campus projects and internships related to Building Science. 

Projects are available during the academic year and over the summer, and include a monetary stipend in addition to funding for supplies. [See more details, including how to apply, here.](link to “fellowship details”)

Eligibility Criteria

  • Applicants must be full-time students enrolled in an undergraduate degree program at the University of Maine 
  • Projects or internships must be broadly related to Building Science – see the list of example projects and internships below
  • Applicants for internship funding must have a written offer of an internship 
  • Applicants for on-campus projects must have faculty/staff mentor willing to write a letter of commitment for a project and serve as their project advisor 
  • Applicants must be present in Maine for on-campus projects
  • Internships must be completed within Maine, though limited exceptions may be considered – please contact the program managers with any questions. 
  • Applicants must commit to completing a final project report within 30 days of the end date for their project
  • Applicants must not have previously received a fellowship from the Building Science Fellowship Program
  • Applicants must not be receiving other sources of funding to cover the same portion proposed project or related costs
  • Students receiving funding for internships are still allowed to use their internship towards a UMaine course requirement, provided all eligibility criteria and course requirements are met. 

Funding

  • Funding will be up to $2500 for one semester projects and $5000 for academic year or summer on-campus projects. Semester projects are expected to be part-time, at approximately 10 hours of work per week for 15 weeks, while summer projects are expected to be full time for approximately 8 weeks. 
  • The majority of funding for on-campus projects is expected to be for student stipends. Any necessary materials, supplies, and software for the project should be included in the budget request, and this will typically be 1/3 or less of the total funding. 
  • Eligible costs for on-campus projects include a stipend for the student, small equipment, materials, supplies, software purchase or license, and travel costs. For any cost eligibility questions, please contact the program coordinator. 
  • Funding for off-campus internship support will be capped at $2500. Applicants are to submit an estimated list of expenses related to starting an internship, which will typically be expenses such as travel costs and apartment rental before the initial paycheck is received. Funding provided will not exceed these estimated costs. Note: technical internships are generally expected to pay the student an hourly wage, and this program is to supplement a student who will be doing a paid internship, not to provide stipends for unpaid internships. Please contact the program managers (Justin.Lapp@Maine.edu; Kyle.Rooney@Maine.edu) before submitting an application for an unpaid internship. 
  • No funding may be used for international travel. 

Timeline 

  • Applications for Summer 2025 internships or research projects are due by May 9, 2025
  • Applications for projects beginning in Fall 2025 are due by June 2, 2025
  • Funding decisions will be made by 30 days after the application deadline, or the nearest business day
  • Project start/end dates are provided by the applicant and must be listed in the application, but most projects are expected to roughly occur during the academic summer, academic fall, academic spring, or an academic year including both fall and spring
  • Projects cannot be longer than two academic semesters
  • Expected start and end dates of off-campus internships must be listed in the application
  • 30 days after the project/internship completion, a final report must be submitted according to the instructions sent to the recipient 
  • Applicants should fill out a google form with the following information for all projects
    • Name
    • Email
    • University campus 
    • Student GPA
    • Academic major(s)
    • Expected graduation date
    • Course(s) taken towards building science certificate
    • Total amount of funding requested
  • For internship financial support, fill out the following information
    • Internship company/organization
    • Email contact at internship company/organization
    • Email contact and office phone of your internship course advisor (if applicable)
    • Internship location
    • Brief description of work to be done, noting how it relates to building science, and identifying specific learning opportunities the internship will provide (3000 characters max with spaces) 
    • A timeline for the project
    • List of expected costs to begin internship (travel, housing, etc.)
    • Upload written proof of internship offer 
    • Faculty/Staff internship advisor name, department, and email *Note faculty/staff must fill out a brief form indicating they are willing to supervise 
  • For on-campus projects, fill out the following information
    • Project title
    • Description of the project, including the need, a workplan, the expected outcomes, and specific learning opportunities the project will provide (5000 characters max with spaces)
    • A timeline for the project
    • List of expected expenses
    • Faculty/Staff mentor name, department, and email *Note faculty/staff must fill out a brief form indicating they are willing to supervise 

Applications will be reviewed by a minimum of two members of the Building Science Certificate Program project. The proposals will be reviewed on the following criteria:

  • Overall quality of learning opportunities (30%)
  • Relation of learning opportunities to building science (30%)
  • Appropriateness of the timeline and likelihood of successful project completion (20%)
  • Appropriateness of the expenses planned and funding requested (20%)
  • Internships at architecture firms, construction companies, non-profit weatherization organizations (e.g., WindwoDressers, York Ready for Climate Action’s Home Energy Coaches, etc.), producers of building supplies like insulation, wood products, HVAC systems, etc, insulation or equipment installers, companies that make sensors or energy monitors for buildings, electrical firms focused on buildings. Many others are allowable in addition to these examples. 
  • Project examples. Potential ideas are not limited to these, and include anything related to the study of modern buildings for energy efficiency and human comfort.
    • Research projects on specific material properties of materials used in buildings
    • Assessing the energy efficiency, construction materials, or other aspect of UMaine campus buildings
    • Designing and installing updates to UMaine buildings to improve energy efficiency and/or comfort
    • Performing energy modeling on specific building designs or building components
    • Designing and testing new installation methods for new insulation or weatherproofing assemblies
    • Designing and building laboratory test equipment to help assess performance of building systems and subsystems
    • Performing economic assessment of various building construction improvement methods
    • Surveying building users about their habits, how they relate to building energy use, and possible behavior changes to increase energy efficiency
    • Interviewing users of certain types of energy efficiency equipment for buildings (e.g., heat pumps, window inserts, wood pellet boilers, etc.) about their understanding of and attention to recommended operation and maintenance schedules and approaches to improve energy efficiency.
  • If you are interested in a research project, but need help finding an idea or advisor, we suggest first reviewing the websites of faculty members in your department, or related departments with faculty who may have interest in topics related to building science, and emailing those faculty stating your interest in this program, and with a link to this webpage. Staff members at relevant research centers are also welcome to serve as project advisors, and we recommend reaching out to staff at Climate Change Institute, Advanced Structures and Composites Center, Advanced Manufacturing Center, and others. 
  • Ideas for projects may be developed completely by the student (and then presented to potential advisors), or may be developed in collaboration with the advisor and student after an advisor has agreed to assist. 
  • For further assistance finding an advisor, you may email some information about your interests to the program managers (Justin.Lapp@Maine.edu; Kyle.Rooney@Maine.edu).
  • For assistance in finding internships, please contact the UMaine Career Center, or email the program managers (Justin.Lapp@Maine.edu; Kyle.Rooney@Maine.edu). 

Click here for a complete sample project application.

Bulding Science Home

Project Contact Information

Building Science

Justin Lapp

Project lead

Kyle Rooney

Project Lead

um.buildingscience@maine.edu

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