Workforce Development & Education
WiCCED Salt’s education, outreach, and workforce development efforts prepare students and researchers for the interdisciplinary work and informed decision-making needed to address saltwater intrusion (SWI). Through formal mentorship, structured career preparation opportunities, and intentional efforts to broaden participation, the program develops future leaders and expands pathways for students—particularly those historically underrepresented—to pursue SWI-related education and careers.
WICCED SALT Research Opportunities
Dates of Internship: June – August 2026. 8-10 weeks required. Specific dates indicated in project descriptions below.
Stipend: $5,000 for 8-week projects (Projects 1 and 2); $6,000 for 10-week projects (Projects 3 and 4).
About WiCCED Salt: Please review the About page for more information about the mission and objectives of WiCCED Salt.
Available Internships: In 2026, we have four projects available to apply for. Click on the titles for more details about each project.
- Identifying salt-tolerance genes in plant species and assessing their potential application in salt sensitive species, led by Dr. Antonette Todd at Delaware State University.
- Creating chemical sensors to detect salt in water systems, led by Dr. Yanfeng Yue at Delaware State University.
- Field Data Collection for Marsh Species Mapping using Remote Sensing,led by Dr. Pinki Mondal at the University of Delaware.
- Assessing the economic impacts of salt marsh migration on Delaware agriculture,led by Dr. Leah Palm-Forster at the University of Delaware.
- Inorganic carbon export from estuaries and wetlands in Delaware and along the East Coast, led by Dr. Wei-Jun Cai at the University of Delaware.
Hiring Timeline (dates subject to change):
- Applications Close: March 16, 2026
- Interviews: End of March/Early April
- Offers Extended: Mid-late April
Contact information: Questions about these internships or the application process can be forwarded to Sam Clem.
Workforce Pipeline
Early-Career Faculty
- Paired with senior faculty | & mentors
- Individualized development plans
Student Research Opportunities
Cohort-based Mentorship
- Paired with faculty | & graduate mentors
- Guidance in career pathways, skills
Mentorship & Leadership
- Monthly feedback on research
- Mentor undergraduates in research
Faculty Mentorship
Early-Career Faculty
- Paired with senior faculty mentors
- Individualized development plans
Professional Development
Diversified Student Pipeline
Student Research Programs
WiCCED Salt will support mentorship at all career stages, Six early-career faculty will be paired with senior mentors and develop individualized mentoring plans, complemented by biannual seminars on community engagement, science communication, and professional development.
Synergy with E-CORE (SPARC-DE)
Lead (s): Slocum (UD)
Contributors: Gurdo, Lampron (DTCC); Muldrow (WU); Ozbay (DSU); Merritt (GBC); Palm-Forster, Slocum (UD), All.
WiCCED Salt will partner with Delaware’s E-CORE project, Strengthening Partnerships for Advancing Research Capacity in Delaware (SPARC-DE), led by Slocum. Clem will serve on the workforce development and administrative teams to coordinate shared resources across the state’s research ecosystem. Students and faculty at all career stages will participate in the annual SPARC-DE Summit to network, share research outcomes, and foster future collaborations.
Communication Plan
WiCCED Salt will ensure broad public access to project outcomes through an active website and social media presence, with annual training for an undergraduate intern in science communication to share project achievements with diverse audiences. The project will host two EPSCoR workshops on saltwater intrusion (SWI) and environmental justice, convene the bi-annual international Salt Water Intrusion Meeting (SWIM), and integrate WiCCED Salt research into the widely attended CBEAR Seminar Series. Research findings will be shared through established stakeholder channels, including community meetings, RASCL Coffee Hours, local media, and outreach events such as UD’s Coast Day and Ag Day, with opportunities for two-way engagement and feedback to refine tools and ensure the research addresses stakeholder needs.
TASK C.1 – FORMAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS
WiCCED Salt will support mentorship at all career stages. Six early-career faculty will be paired with senior mentors and develop individualized mentoring plans, complemented by biannual seminars on community engagement, science communication, and professional development, as well as access to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity. Graduate students and post-doctoral researchers will receive regular feedback through monthly research updates and gain leadership experience by mentoring undergraduates. Undergraduate participants will be supported through a cohort-based model pairing each student with both faculty and graduate mentors, with guidance on career pathways, communication, and personal development.
STUDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
The project will support at least 25 undergraduate and nine graduate researchers across participating institutions. Students will gain hands-on experience in fieldwork, data analysis, and science communication while developing high-demand workforce skills such as leadership, teamwork, project management, and problem-solving through the project’s convergent research structure.
BROADENING STUDENT PARTICIPATION
Broadening participation is central to WiCCED Salt’s workforce strategy. Recruitment will leverage Delaware’s diverse higher-education institutions—including DTCC, DSU, WU, GBC, and UD—and place students across institutional boundaries to expand access to research opportunities. Graduate recruitment will occur nationally through Pathways to Science, SACNAS, and AISES, with a rubric-based selection process that values diverse experiences and backgrounds.
TASK C.3A – WORKFORCE PATHWAYS TOOL
An interactive, web-based workforce pathways tool will help students explore multiple entry points into SWI-related careers across education levels and sectors, using state workforce data and outcome-driven career analytics. The tool will be disseminated statewide through educational and outreach events.
CONVERGENT COURSE MODULES
Introductory course modules on saltwater intrusion will be developed for DTCC and WU to engage non-traditional and early-career students. These modules will be piloted, refined with faculty feedback, and made publicly available through Canvas Commons and the project website.
TASK C.1 – FORMAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS
WiCCED Salt will support mentorship at all career stages. Six early-career faculty will be paired with senior mentors and develop individualized mentoring plans, complemented by biannual seminars on community engagement, science communication, and professional development, as well as access to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity. Graduate students and post-doctoral researchers will receive regular feedback through monthly research updates and gain leadership experience by mentoring undergraduates. Undergraduate participants will be supported through a cohort-based model pairing each student with both faculty and graduate mentors, with guidance on career pathways, communication, and personal development.
STUDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
The project will support at least 25 undergraduate and nine graduate researchers across participating institutions. Students will gain hands-on experience in fieldwork, data analysis, and science communication while developing high-demand workforce skills such as leadership, teamwork, project management, and problem-solving through the project’s convergent research structure.
BROADENING STUDENT PARTICIPATION
Broadening participation is central to WiCCED Salt’s workforce strategy. Recruitment will leverage Delaware’s diverse higher-education institutions—including DTCC, DSU, WU, GBC, and UD—and place students across institutional boundaries to expand access to research opportunities. Graduate recruitment will occur nationally through Pathways to Science, SACNAS, and AISES, with a rubric-based selection process that values diverse experiences and backgrounds.
TASK C.3A – WORKFORCE PATHWAYS TOOL
An interactive, web-based workforce pathways tool will help students explore multiple entry points into SWI-related careers across education levels and sectors, using state workforce data and outcome-driven career analytics. The tool will be disseminated statewide through educational and outreach events.
CONVERGENT COURSE MODULES
Introductory course modules on saltwater intrusion will be developed for DTCC and WU to engage non-traditional and early-career students. These modules will be piloted, refined with faculty feedback, and made publicly available through Canvas Commons and the project website.
TASK C.1 – FORMAL MENTORSHIP PROGRAMS
WiCCED Salt will support mentorship at all career stages. Six early-career faculty will be paired with senior mentors and develop individualized mentoring plans, complemented by biannual seminars on community engagement, science communication, and professional development, as well as access to the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity. Graduate students and post-doctoral researchers will receive regular feedback through monthly research updates and gain leadership experience by mentoring undergraduates. Undergraduate participants will be supported through a cohort-based model pairing each student with both faculty and graduate mentors, with guidance on career pathways, communication, and personal development.
STUDENT RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES
The project will support at least 25 undergraduate and nine graduate researchers across participating institutions. Students will gain hands-on experience in fieldwork, data analysis, and science communication while developing high-demand workforce skills such as leadership, teamwork, project management, and problem-solving through the project’s convergent research structure.
BROADENING STUDENT PARTICIPATION
Broadening participation is central to WiCCED Salt’s workforce strategy. Recruitment will leverage Delaware’s diverse higher-education institutions—including DTCC, DSU, WU, GBC, and UD—and place students across institutional boundaries to expand access to research opportunities. Graduate recruitment will occur nationally through Pathways to Science, SACNAS, and AISES, with a rubric-based selection process that values diverse experiences and backgrounds.
TASK C.3A – WORKFORCE PATHWAYS TOOL
An interactive, web-based workforce pathways tool will help students explore multiple entry points into SWI-related careers across education levels and sectors, using state workforce data and outcome-driven career analytics. The tool will be disseminated statewide through educational and outreach events.
CONVERGENT COURSE MODULES
Introductory course modules on saltwater intrusion will be developed for DTCC and WU to engage non-traditional and early-career students. These modules will be piloted, refined with faculty feedback, and made publicly available through Canvas Commons and the project website.