Summer fellow program

Cultivating future ag marketing leaders

A summer research and Extension program on agricultural marketing and risk management

Join a cohort of 10 motivated undergraduate students for an exciting eight-week paid fellowship in commodity marketing. The program features a two-week crash course in market concepts and logistics, a week-long field tour of the grain supply chain in Portland, Oregon, and five weeks of hands-on research and Extension experience.

Contact us at commodity@uidaho.edu.

Program information

Eight-week summer undergraduate research and Extension experience
$5,115 stipend and $600 travel allowance
Weeks one to three in Moscow; flexible location for weeks four to eight
One-week expenses-paid field trip to Portland
Research/Extension projects on commodity marketing topics
Real-world case studies, field trips and guest speakers from related fields
Professional development activities and mentoring

Eligibility

Be enrolled in an accredited undergraduate program
Have U.S. citizenship or permanent residency
Be passionate about commodity markets and risk management
Demonstrate interest in research and Extension
Maintain good academic standing

Program timeline and expectations

The program is eight weeks long and runs from May 18 to July 10 for the 2026 cohort. Fellows are expected to spend the first two weeks in Moscow. Week three is a fully expenses-paid field trip to Portland, Oregon. In weeks four to eight, you will work with your mentor on a research or Extension project. You can arrange the location of the workplace with your mentor.

Weeks one to two (May 18-May 31) — Orientation and training modules in Moscow
Week three (June 1-June 7) — Grain marketing tour in Portland, Oregon
Weeks four to seven (June 8-July 5) — Work on individual projects with mentors (flexible location)
Week eight (July 6-July 10) — Project finalization and presentation (flexible location)

Financial support

Our summer program provides:

$5,115 stipend
Up to $600 to cover transportation to and from Moscow. Free parking is available on University of Idaho campus for participants who bring a car. If you have extenuating travel circumstances, we will work with you to arrange reasonable flight accommodations.
Fully covered one-week field trip to Portland, Oregon

What’s not covered:

Housing and meals are your responsibility. The university offers residential halls for short-term stays in the summer at a low cost (~$30 per room per night). We will also work with you to find the most optimum housing option.
All students must carry private health insurance coverage or will be required to purchase the U of I Student Health Benefit Plan.
All students must have access to a personal laptop with video-conferencing ability.

Application

What you need for the application

Basic background information about yourself.
Resume (two-page maximum, pdf format only).
Unofficial transcript (pdf format only).
Name and contact information of a professional reference.
A one-page, single-spaced statement of motivation (pdf format only). This statement may include, but is not limited to, your academic background, research interests and professional goals, and prior work or research experiences at your current institution.