Community resilience to hurricane wind and flood damage remains challenging to achieve in practice, especially when also considering the issues of equity, economic prosperity, and climate change. In 2022, the National Science Foundation-funded CHEER Hub was established to address this challenge. A cornerstone of this interdisciplinary project is investing in the next generation of scholars, and the Hub’s summer scholars program is a key element of this mission. The goal of this six-week research experience is to put discipline-based understanding into practice through community-engaged research while learning to work within a research team. 

Now entering its fourth year, CHEER is seeking a group of undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of disciplines to join its 2026 cohort. Selected students will receive opportunities for professional development and research training. The application can be accessed here and is due by Friday, January 30th, 2026 at 11:59 pm EST.

PROGRAM OVERVIEW

Dates

• Virtual Individualized Orientation: Scheduled according to selected participants’ availability prior to the in-person program 
• May 26th –July 3rd: In-person research program hosted in Greenville, North Carolina
• Virtual Post-program Product Creation: Scheduled according to selected participants’ availability

Location

Scholars will be housed in on-campus apartments – each person with a private bedroom – at East Carolina University in Greenville, NC.

Finances

Students will receive a $6,000 stipend. Travel and housing will be funded. 

Research Opportunities and Expectations

This program is an opportunity for students to participate in convergent research that makes a difference in the lives and communities of people at risk from hurricanes. Students will work closely with fellow cohort members and CHEER faculty mentors to develop projects that cultivate their individual interests and research training. Over the course of the program, selected candidates will:

• Learn about and apply theoretical aspects of disaster research
• Familiarize themselves with the mission and vision of the Hub.
• Learn about and gather community-based disaster data.
• Apply their individual discipline-based knowledge.
• Receive training on research tools necessary to fulfill program expectations.
• Develop a project that enhances and highlights their research skills.
• Culminate their experience by producing a presentation or poster that summarizes their work.

Download the 2026 Summer Scholars Program Flyer for a comprehensive overview of and further details about the program. For more information, contact CHEER’s education director, Meghan Millea, or visit the Hub’s Education page.