Calling all scientists interested in building successful interdisciplinary partnerships and students curious about non-academic career paths! The American Geophysical Union (AGU) Hydrology Section Student Subcommittee is hosting a workshop entitled, “Forging successful partnerships between academia, industry, and government: the student’s guide to gaining experience in the non-academic realm.” This workshop will be held at the AGU 2017 Fall Meeting on Tuesday, December 12th in the AGU Career Workshop Room, room 342, Ernest N. Morial Convention Center, New Orleans, LA, from 3 to 4:15 pm.

Come learn about strategies for creating successful collaborations between government agencies, industries, non-profit organizations, and academic institutions. Speakers will detail the types of projects engineering firms, research and development companies, not-for-profit institutes, and government agencies are working on and describe the role of academic research groups in these projects.

Other topics of discussion include: project funding, data ownership, publication of data, dealing with clients, and the patent process. Innovators will share their experiences in entrepreneurship, research, and development. Additional information of interest to students includes: differences between academic versus industry, non-profit, and government work (e.g., work environment, billable hours, deadlines, how data is collected and certified, use of creativity versus adhering to standards) and what skills the non-academic professional realm is looking for.

A diverse array of panelists will be participating in this workshop. Panelists hail from academic institutions, the RAND Corporation, the Water Institute of the Gulf, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the Water Environment and Reuse Foundation. Panelists have expertise in a variety of topics, including climate adaptation, water resources management, water security, the water-energy-food nexus, urban water policy, water technology, real-time forecasting, ecosystem restoration, adaptive management, and creation of mobile apps.

This is a great place to learn about unique ways to fund your research through internship, fellowship, and grant opportunities! Information about the workshop, our panelists, and student opportunities can be found on our website here. Please feel free to submit questions you’d like to see our panelists address in advance of the workshop via the form on our website.

Workshop conveners Akhil Kumar and Molly Welsh are current members of the 2017 AGU Hydrology Section Student Subcommittee. Akhil Kumar is an MASc. Student in Hydrotechnical Engineering at the University of British Columbia. Molly Welsh is a Ph.D. Candidate in Environmental Science at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.