Research Opportunities Off Campus
Below are off-campus opportunities for student research. This is not a comprehensive list, but ones that come across the desks of Biology faculty and staff. Please reach out to the program directly for more information.
Posted: 1/24/22
Mountain Lake Biological Station Summer NSF-REU Program
Join undergraduates from around the country for a unique 10-week learning and living research experience in the southern Appalachians. Students conduct independent research in field ecology, evolution, behavior, and physiology under the supervision of resident scientists. REUs are internships that include all station costs, travel, and a $6,000 stipend.
Participants pay no fees or tuition charges of any kind.
The focus of scientific research at MLBS, and therefore of the REU program, is population biology at the intersection of field-based studies of ecology, evolution, and behavior. Student researchers work closely with researcher mentors in compatible areas of interest. Students take leadership roles in all aspects of the study; they design the study and prepare the proposal, collect data and perform analysis, and finally they interpret the results and prepare a written and oral presentation. Compared to many other REU programs, ours offers a high degree of independence in project choice and design.
Mountain Lake is also special in its exciting, diverse, and friendly academic community. This atmosphere fosters collaboration at all levels, and promotes the constant exchange of ideas with fellow students and scientists. Many projects are submitted for publication in leading biological journals. Students also participate in a weekly seminar about the conduct of biological research. REU participants have access to state-of-the-art facilities and are granted full use of all Station scientific and computer equipment. English is used throughout the program.
Program dates: May 23 – July 29, 2022
Application deadline: February 20, 2021
Posted: 12/17/21
Summer REU Program at Montana State University: Microbiology of Low Oxygen Ecosystems (MLOxE).
Application instructions and details about the program can be found at http://www.montana.edu/mbi/reu/
REU programs are funded by the National Science Foundation to create summer research opportunities for college students. A core goal is to recruit students from schools with limited research programs, or from groups traditionally underrepresented in science. For our program, we are particularly interested in applications from American Indian and Alaska Native students, African American and other Underrepresented Minority (URM) groups, or schools with limited research opportunities. But we invite everyone with an interest to apply. Applicants can be students (part or full time) from either a 2-yr or a 4-yr school. No prior research experience is necessary. Applicants must be US citizens.
Admitted students will be paired with a faculty mentor at MSU in Bozeman, Montana, where they will conduct an independent project in summer 2022 (10 wks in total; May 31-August 05). Each student will receive a $6000 stipend. Travel, room, and board expenses will be covered. Applications to the program are due by February 11.
The MLOxE REU program leverages MSU’s unique expertise in microbiology, notably focusing on environments with little or no oxygen. If you’re not in the field, this theme might seem obscure. The truth is the exact opposite. Low oxygen microbes are vital for environmental and human health. They influence (or control) processes such as food breakdown in the intestine, toxin removal from the environment, and greenhouse gas production. They are also models for understanding the origins of life on this planet, and the potential for life on other planets.
Southwestern Montana is a beautiful spot to spend the summer!
Posted: 12/9/21
NASA’s Space Life Sciences Training Program (SLSTP) 2022 Virtual Summer Internship
The primary goal of the Space Life Sciences Training Program (SLSTP) is to train the next generation of scientists and engineers, enabling NASA to meet future research and development challenges in the space life sciences. SLSTP provides undergraduate students with the opportunity to perform cutting-edge research and discover exciting careers in Space Biology at NASA’s Ames Research Center located in Silicon Valley, California. Due to the pandemic, SLSTP has been held virtually starting in 2020, and will be held remotely in 2022 as well. Research Associates (RA) are paired with a mentor for individual research projects in areas such as molecular, cell, organismal or synthetic biology, bioinformatics or bioengineering. In addition, the cohort of RAs design and execute a group project.
The SLSTP Experience
In this rigorous program, students work closely with renowned NASA scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research, benefitting from the concentration of bioscience expertise at Ames. In addition to conducting hands-on research, SLSTP students attend technical lectures given by experts on a wide range of topics and tour NASA research facilities.
This program provides opportunities for students to develop professional skills. These include technical and professional development training, presenting their scientific work and submitting an abstract to a professional scientific organization (e.g. the American Society for Gravitational and Space Research.)
SLSTP participants are exposed to a broad scope of space biosciences research performed by NASA scientists. While learning about the tools and methodology that enable biological experiments to be conducted in flight, students acquire skills and knowledge required for the design and execution of life science research conducted in microgravity.
Participants in the program receive a stipend and may be eligible to attend a scientific conference to formally present their research.
The SLSTP is an equal opportunity program. Admission is by competitive application process. Past student participants were selected for their outstanding merit, passion for space, and desire to study space life science. Applicants must fulfill the following requirements:
- be a US citizen*
- be in high academic standing (GPA of 3.2 or greater)
- have a minimum age of 18
- be a junior or senior undergraduate student fall of 2022
— or —
a senior graduating in spring 2022 and entering graduate school fall of 2022 - have a passion for space and a desire to study space life science
*Citizens of US territories Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Northern Marianas are U.S. citizens. Permanent Resident foreign nationals, Legal Resident Aliens, Work Permit holders, and undocumented immigrants are not eligible.
The SLSTP application deadline is January 10, 2022. The 10-week program begins on June 6, 2022 and ends August 12, 2022. RAs accepted into the program receive a stipend.
Posted: 12/8/21
Bioacoustics Summer Internship with the Natural Sounds & Night Skies Division, National Park Service
This position will work in the Natural Sounds and Night Skies Division (NSNSD), a division of the Washington Office (WASO) Natural Resource Stewardship and Science Directorate, based in Fort Collins, Colorado. NSNSD provides policy, technical assistance, and operational guidance to all NPS park units related to the protection of night sky and acoustic resources. This is a technical, desk/computer-based position either stationed in Fort Collins, CO or may be remote. The SIP [Scientists in Parks Intern] will assist the bioacoustics specialist(s) with bioacoustics projects at NSNSD. Specifically, the intern will develop workflows and methodology for analyzing approximately 5 terabytes of acoustic monitoring data collected to examine biodiversity impacts of simulated beaver structures (SBS) at Rocky Mountain National Park (ROMO). The intern will develop skills in R, data analysis and visualization, computation of acoustic indices, automated detection of focal species, identification of birds and/or other animals by ear, searching and synthesizing pertinent scientific literature, and translating complex technical material into relevant and digestible narratives for park staff. The intern will be exposed to bioacoustics software packages and learn about the challenges of managing and processing terabytes of audio data. Though not based in a park, the intern will have the opportunity to do a field visit and/or presentation to ROMO staff. Applications due 1/23/2022. For more information: https://rock.geosociety.org/eo/viewJob.asp?jobID=3318
Posted: 12/8/21
Chihuahuan Desert Biodiversity Summer NSF-REU Program
The University of Texas El Paso has a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (REU) in Chihuahuan Desert biodiversity. Students will receive funding for travel costs, a weekly stipend, housing, and food allowance for the duration of the 10-week program, which begins June 1, 2022. Rising juniors and seniors who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents may apply. Applications are due on March 7. https://www.utep.edu/couri/programs/cdb-reu/
Posted: 12/8/21
Conservation Science at Zoo Miami Summer NSF-REU Program
Zoo Miami has a summer Research Experience for Undergraduates Program (REU) in conservation science. Students will receive funding for travel costs, a weekly stipend, housing, and food allowance for the duration of the 10-week program, which begins May 22, 2022. Students enrolled in any 4-year or community college in the U.S. may apply. Applications are due on February 1. https://www.zoomiami.org/reu_program
Posted: 12/6/21
University of Michigan Cardiovascular Summer Research
The University of Michigan Samuel & Jean Frankel Cardiovascular Center (FCVC) is pleased to offer a 10-week Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) in the summer of 2022.
Program Description: Each fellow will be matched, based on their interests, to a laboratory led by a FCVC faculty member. This collection of laboratories is involved in internationally recognized research in topics such as atherosclerosis, genetic cardiomyopathies, blood clotting disorders, cardiac arrhythmias, vascular biology, and heart failure. Fellows will be paid via bi-weekly paychecks at a rate of $15/hour for ten weeks of full-time work, starting the Tuesday after Memorial Day and ending the second week of August. The program includes scientific seminars, social events, and a two-day research symposium where fellows present their research to their peers and FCVC faculty and staff. Program dates are subject to change pending the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The application opens December 6, 2021 and closes Sunday, January 30, 2022. To access the application and learn more about the program, visit our website at https://tinyurl.com/fcvcsurf. For questions, please email [email protected].
Posted: 12/6/21
Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program
Applications for the University of California Santa Cruz Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (conservationscholars.ucsc.edu) are available through February 1st 2022. Our goal is to serve students from groups traditionally underrepresented in conservation, across disciplines, who can contribute to diversifying, redefining, and strengthening efforts to protect land, wildlife, and water.
Each March we select 20 early-undergraduate Scholars from around the country to participate in a two-year conservation mentorship program focused on the summers between academic years. Each summer Scholars receive a $4,400 stipend and funding to cover travel, room, and board.
During the first summer (June 8 – August 2, 2022), Scholars participate in an eight-week, immersive field course on conservation practice, leadership, and ecological research while traveling with a close group of peers and mentors through California.* During the second summer, Scholars pursue eight-week research and practice internships with nationally recognized conservation organizations, labs, and agencies. A professional development retreat after the second summer brings together the Scholar cohort and prepares them to apply for jobs and graduate school. Throughout the two years, we work with ‘home mentors’ at each Scholar’s campus to provide ongoing support. We mentor Scholars well past program completion as alumni, and they join a nationwide alumni network for peer support and professional networking.
We serve all students who can study in the United States without a visa (including citizens, nationals, residents, refugees, DACA, undocumented, and more) and plan to finish a four-year degree with a graduation date AFTER December 2023. We highly encourage applicants from groups underrepresented in environmental conservation to apply. Visit our FAQ for more questions about eligibility and criteria.
We are planning three informational webinars on November 15, December 11, and January 19. Applications will close at 11:59 pm on Friday, February 1, 2022.
For more information, visit conservationscholars.ucsc.edu or email us at [email protected].