2026 Digital Ecology and Natural Resources Fellowship

Overview

This Digital Ecology and Natural Resources Fellowship is a one-year experiential learning program designed to provide hands-on training and upskilling with state-of-the-art tools through a three-week summer short course, one-on-one mentorship, and professional development opportunities to prepare forestry and natural resource management professionals for emerging technology careers in four key areas: Autonomous Vehicles, Remote Sensing, Internet of Things, and AI-Enabled Analytics. Through this fellowship, there is a 3-week in-person Digital Data Acquisition Camp on Purdue University’s campus from July 20, 2026, through August 8, 2026 consisting of four, 1-credit courses. This Digital Ecology and Natural Resources Fellowship funds this camp at low to no cost, with funding available but not limited to housing, childcare and transportation. Completing the three-week Digital Data Acquisition Camp will earn participants four credits toward the 12-credit Digital Data Acquisition Certificate and a new online professional master’s program offered by Purdue University. The four courses included in the camp are: FNR 56010 UAS Field Operations, FNR 56020 Photogrammetry, FNR 56030 LiDAR, and FNR 56040 Sensor Arrays. Note: Acceptance into the fellowship program does NOT assure admission to the Graduate School of Purdue University to pursue an advanced degree. Those who wish to pursue a degree program along with the fellowship will need to fill out a separate application through Purdue University.